Discord Not Sending Notifications? How to Get Alerts Back

A missed message from a customer, a collaborator or your community can set you back more than a few minutes. If Discord has gone quiet on your phone or computer, the cause is almost always one of a handful of settings, and Discord's Help Center names them.

I've used Discord's mobile notification article, its server notification article and its mute article. Discord has no official page on desktop notification faults that I could find, so the desktop advice here is limited to what those articles confirm.

How Discord decides whether to send you a notification

Discord says its in-app notification settings control whether Discord sends you a notification at all. After that, your device's settings control how it appears. So there are two places something can be switched off, and checking only one is the usual mistake.

There's also a simple rule that catches people out. Discord states that, whatever your settings, you won't receive notifications while the Discord app is open and in focus on your device. If you're looking right at Discord, silence is normal.

Checking Discord's in-app notification settings on your phone

1. Tap your profile icon in the bottom corner of the app.
2. Tap the settings icon on your profile card.
3. Under App Settings, choose Notifications.
4. Make sure In-app notification is on, and check the System notification option for notifications outside Discord.

The same screen lists extras such as reaction notifications, community activity alerts, voice activity, friends' online status and friends' gaming activity. If you're missing a particular kind of alert, look for its own toggle here.

Turning Discord notifications back on in Android settings

Discord says Android manages the app-wide settings through your device. Open Settings, tap Notifications, then App notifications, then Discord.

• All Discord notifications is the master control. If it's off, Discord can't send push or banner notifications at all.
• Notification organizer, if on, lets Android bundle and silence lower-priority Discord notifications.
• Categories such as Messages, Direct messages and Friend requests each have their own switch.
• Allow full-screen notifications and Allow notification dot are further options for when the phone is locked.

Phone makers label these differently, so your screen may not match word for word.

Turning Discord notifications back on in iPhone settings

On an iPhone, Discord says there's no global notifications menu inside the app. You manage everything in Settings, then Notifications, then Discord.

• Switch All Notifications on. Discord calls it the master control.
• Under Alerts, check the lock screen, Notification Center and banners are ticked.
• Check Sounds and Badges are on if you want to hear and see them.
• Show Previews decides what appears on the lock screen: Always, When Unlocked or Never.

Mobile push notifications on one Discord server

Servers have their own switch. In a server's notification settings, Discord lists Mobile Push Notifications, and says that when it's enabled, push notifications for that server come through to your mobile device. If you get alerts for most servers but not one, look there.

On the same screen, check the server's level. Discord offers All Messages, Only @mentions and Nothing. Nothing means no messages from that server will trigger a device notification.

Server mute or channel mute stopping Discord notifications

A mute is the next most common reason. Discord says muting a server silences all notifications across it, and also disables its mobile push notifications. You'll still get @everyone mentions, according to its article. Muting a channel works similarly for that channel.

To check, open the server's notification settings and see whether Mute Server is on. Discord says the mute can be for a set time or until you turn it off, so a mute set to last until you turn it off is the one that quietly stays on.

Notification overrides on individual Discord channels

Notification overrides can make one channel behave differently from the rest of the server. Each channel or category can be set to All, Mentions, Nothing or Mute. Discord says these overrides apply even if other server settings are on. If a single channel is silent, an override is a likely suspect.

Suppressed mentions and Highlights on Discord

Two more toggles in server settings can hide alerts: Suppress @everyone and @here, and Suppress All Role @mentions. Suppress Highlights controls email notifications for noteworthy content. If you're waiting on an email rather than a phone alert, Discord says that toggle works independently of the others.

Game overlay messages and Streamer Mode

If the missing notifications are the pop-ups while you play on Windows, Discord says overlay messages don't display when a server, DM or group is muted, or when Streamer Mode is on. My separate page on turning off the Discord overlay covers the rest of those settings.

When Discord notifications still don't arrive

1. Restart your phone and make sure the Discord app and your operating system are up to date.
2. Check Discord's Status page in case it's a service problem.
3. Log out and in again, or clear local data. My guide to clearing the Discord cache shows how.
4. Contact Discord's support team with your device, app version and the settings you've checked.

The first two are general sense rather than steps from the notification articles, so treat them as sensible extras. If your problem is calls that don't ring on another app, my explainer on why WhatsApp isn't ringing covers the same kind of phone-settings checks for that app.

Frequently asked questions

Why am I not getting Discord notifications?

Discord says the cause is usually its in-app setting, a server or channel mute, the server's notification level or your phone's settings for Discord.

Why does Discord not notify me when the app is open?

Discord says you won't receive notifications while the app is open and in focus on your device.

How do I turn Discord notifications on for iPhone?

Open Settings, tap Notifications, choose Discord and switch on All Notifications, then check Alerts, Sounds and Badges.

How do I turn Discord notifications on for Android?

Open Settings, tap Notifications, App notifications, then Discord, and switch on All Discord notifications and the categories you want.

Does muting a server stop push notifications?

Yes. Discord says muting a server also disables its mobile push notifications, though you'll still receive @everyone mentions.

What is Mobile Push Notifications in Discord?

It's a server setting. Discord says that when it's enabled, push notifications for that server reach your mobile device.