Slack Notifications Not Working — What Causes It & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Slack notifications stop working when Slack or your device is set to silent. This is almost always a settings problem — not a bug. The fix takes about two minutes.

Affected Models

Slack on Windows
Slack on Mac
Slack on Android
Slack on iPhone

Common Causes

Slack notification settings are set to 'Nothing'
Your operating system has denied notification permissions for Slack
Slack's Do Not Disturb schedule is active
Your phone is in silent or vibrate-only mode
Windows Focus Assist or iPhone Focus mode is blocking notifications

How to Fix It

Open Slack, go to Preferences > Notifications, and set alerts to 'All new messages' or 'Direct messages, mentions & keywords'.

If it's set to 'Nothing', Slack will never send any alerts — this is the most common cause.
On Windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications and make sure Slack is toggled on.

On Mac, go to System Settings > Notifications > Slack and enable alerts.
In Slack, click your profile picture > Pause notifications — make sure Do Not Disturb is not active.

Slack has its own DND schedule separate from your device. Check that it isn't scheduled during your work hours.
Check your phone's silent mode switch and Do Not Disturb settings.

On iPhone, check the Focus settings in Settings > Focus. On Android, check Sound & vibration settings.
On Windows, search for 'Focus assist' and set it to 'Off' or allow Slack as a priority app.

Focus Assist silences all notifications while active — Slack included.

When to Call a Professional

This is a settings issue. All fixes can be done without a technician.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I getting Slack notifications on my phone but not my desktop?

Each device has separate notification permissions. Check your desktop OS notification settings — Slack may be blocked there but allowed on your phone.

Why don't I get notified for @mentions?

Open Slack Preferences > Notifications and make sure 'Direct messages, mentions & keywords' is selected. Also check that your name is spelled correctly in the mention.

Slack notifications suddenly stopped — what changed?

A Windows or macOS update sometimes resets app notification permissions. Go to your OS notification settings and re-enable Slack manually.