If you don't receive Messages notifications on your iPhone or iPad

If you don't get Messages notifications in the way that you want, you might need to check your settings or a paired device, like an Apple Watch.

Before you begin

• If your device is silenced, your notifications will not alert you with a sound. Choose the sound, frequency, and appearance of your notifications.

• If the Messages app is open and active on your device, you don't receive a notification for each new message.

• If you use an Apple Watch, notifications go to either your Apple Watch or iPhone—not both. Choose where your notifications appear.

Check whether a Messages conversation has been muted

1. In Messages, tap the conversation that you haven't received notifications from.

2. Tap the image or icon at the top of the conversation. 

3. Turn off Hide Alerts. 

When you turn Hide Alerts on, the Hide Alerts icon appears next to the conversation. This stops notifications only for that conversation, not for everything on your iPhone. You still receive all other messages and view notifications for them on your Lock Screen.

Check whether a Messages conversation has been filtered

In iOS 26, Filter Spam for Messages is on by default. When you also turn on Screen Unknown Senders, you don't receive a notification for messages from unknown senders or for messages identified as spam. These messages appear in the Unknown Senders filter or the Spam folder in the Messages app.

You can move messages in your Spam folder to your conversations list or view a message from an unknown sender and mark them as known, and then you receive notifications for these messages.

Check your notifications settings for Messages

1. In the Settings app, tap Apps.

2. Tap Messages.

3. Tap Notifications.

4. Turn on Allow Notifications, then customize the appearance, sound, and behavior of Messages notifications.

Always receive notifications from a specific contact

If you turn on Emergency Bypass for a contact, sounds and vibrations will come through even when all other notifications have been silenced:

1. Open Contacts.

2. Select the contact that you always want notifications from, then tap Edit.

3. Tap Ringtone or Text Tone, then turn on Emergency Bypass.

Choose whether notifications appear on your Apple Watch or iPhone

If you use an Apple Watch, notifications go to either your Apple Watch or iPhone—not both. To choose where your notifications appear: 

1. In the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch.

2. Tap Notifications. 

3. Tap an app to view its options. 

To use the same notification settings on apps that appear on both your Apple Watch and iPhone, tap Mirror my iPhone.

Other apps allow you to customize your notifications. Tap Custom, then choose an option:

• Allow Notifications: Notifications appear in Notification Center and your Apple Watch alerts you. 

• Send to Notification Center: Notifications are sent directly to Notification Center without your Apple Watch alerting you.

• Notifications Off: The app sends no notifications.

If you customize an app's notifications, you can also group notifications from that app. Tap Notification grouping, then choose an option: Off, Automatically, or By App.

Learn more about receiving notifications in the way you expect on your iPhone