How to get notifications on your iPhone and Apple Watch

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

Settings to check for app notifications

Settings to check for notifications on a paired 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 you use an Apple Watch, by default notifications go to either your Apple Watch or iPhone — not both. Choose where your notifications appear.

• If you don't receive Messages notifications in the way that you want or expect, you might need to change your settings for specific conversations or check your folders for messages from unknown senders or messages filtered as spam.

Check notifications from a specific app

1. In the Settings app, tap Notifications.

2. Tap the app that you haven't received notifications from.

3. Turn on Allow Notifications then choose how and where you want to receive those.

Set alerts to choose whether notifications appear on your Lock Screen, in Notification Center, or as a Banner while you use your iPhone.

When you turn on Badges, certain app icons can display information. If you turn on Badges for Mail, for example, the number of unread emails across your inboxes appears above the Mail icon on your Home Screen.

When you turn on Announce Notifications, Siri will read notifications from the app out loud.

Always receive notifications from a specific app

In iOS 15 or later, you can turn on Critical Alerts for supported apps so notifications come through even when all other notifications have been silenced:

1. In the Settings app, tap Notifications.

2. Select an app under Notification Style.

3. Turn on Critical Alerts if available.

Turn your Focus setting on or off

With iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 or later, Focus lets you stay in the moment when you need to concentrate or step away from your device. You can customize Focus settings to choose when you want to receive alerts and notifications and to select what apps or contacts can generate alerts and notifications. You can also schedule a Focus setting to turn on at certain times or after certain actions.

1. Open Control Center.

2. Tap the Focus setting — like Do Not Disturb or Work — that appears. (If only the Focus icon is there, no Focus setting is on.)

3. Tap the Focus setting again to turn it off.

Allow notifications even when you turn on Focus

1. In the Settings app, tap Focus.

2. Tap the Focus setting that you want to change notifications settings for.

3. Tap People or Apps.

4. Make sure Allow Notifications From is selected, then tap Add People or Add Apps.

5. Choose the people or apps that you want notifications from while you use Focus.

6. Tap Done.

You can't allow notifications from apps with the Driving Focus setting. Other Focus settings — like Sleep or Do Not Disturb — have more options to do things like silence notifications only when your iPhone is locked.

Learn how to customize your Focus settings

Choose whether notifications appear on your Apple Watch or iPhone

If you use an Apple Watch, by default notifications go to either your Apple Watch or iPhone — not both:

• If your iPhone is unlocked, you get notifications on your iPhone instead of your Apple Watch.

• If your iPhone is locked or asleep, you get notifications on your Apple Watch, unless your Apple Watch is locked. When you read or dismiss notifications on your Apple Watch, they’re also dismissed from your iPhone.

Check notifications from a specific app on Apple Watch

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.