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  • Make sure your phone's notifications are enabled
  • Configure notifications in Snapchat
  • Let Snapchat look for notifications in the background
  • Make sure your phone isn't set to Do Not Disturb
  • Clear your app's cache
  • Log out and back into Snapchat
  • Reinstall Snapchat

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    • If your Snapchat notifications are not working, make sure notifications are enabled in your phone's settings and within Snapchat.
    • Also check to make sure Snapchat is allowed to work in the background on your phone. 
    • Here are seven of the most common solutions when Snapchat notifications are not working on your iPhone or Android.

    It's hard to stay on top of the action in Snapchat when its notifications aren't working, and not getting relevant notifications is an all-too-common occurrence in the social media app. If you want to know about new messages, stories, and other happenings in Snapchat, here are seven of the top troubleshooting steps to get your notifications working.

    Make sure your phone's notifications are enabled

    Before you spend any time troubleshooting the problem, make sure that notifications are enabled for Snapchat on your phone — it's possible they were never turned on or you disabled them at some point. 

    On an iPhone, start the Settings app and scroll down to Snapchat in the list of apps. Tap it, then tap Notifications. Swipe the button to the right. If you have an Android, start the Settings app and tap Notifications. On the Notifications page, tap App settings and make sure Snapchat is enabled by swiping the button to the right. 

    Go to the Settings app on your iPhone to ensure Snapchat notifications are turned on. Dave Johnson/Insider

    Configure notifications in Snapchat

    Once you verify that Snapchat's notifications for your phone are enabled, your job is only half done, because there are a slew of custom notification settings within the Snapchat app. Start the Snapchat app and tap your account icon at the top left. Tap the Settings icon (shaped like a gear) at the top right, and then tap Notifications. Choose the notifications you want to receive (check the appropriate boxes or swipe the buttons to the right, depending on what kind of phone you use). 

    You can selectively disable many kinds of notifications in Snapchat, so make sure the ones you want are turned on. Dave Johnson/Insider

    Let Snapchat look for notifications in the background

    Is Snapchat allowed to run in the background so it can send you notifications as they occur? It's easy to check. On the iPhone, start the Settings app and tap General. Tap Background App Refresh. Make sure Background App Refresh is on at the top of the page, and then scroll down to ensure Snapchat is on by swiping the button to the right. 

    Even if notifications are enabled, you might not see them if Snapchat isn't allowed to work in the background. Dave Johnson/Insider

    If you have an Android phone, start the Settings app and tap Apps, then See all apps. In the list of apps, tap Snapchat, then Mobile data & Wi-Fi. Make sure Background data is enabled by swiping the button to the right. 

    Make sure your phone isn't set to Do Not Disturb

    This one is easy to miss: It's possible you aren't seeing Snapchat notifications because your phone is in Do not disturb mode. On the iPhone, swipe down from the top right of the screen and check the Focus mode. If it says anything other than "Focus," tap it to enable all notifications. If you have an Android device, the process is pretty similar; just swipe down from the top of the screen and look for the Do not disturb shortcut icon. If it's enabled, tap it to turn it off. 

    Clear your app's cache

    Occasionally, Snapchat's data cache can get corrupted, which can interfere with common tasks like showing notifications. You can clear the cache easily from within the app. Start the Snapchat app and tap your account icon at the top of the page. Then tap the Settings app (shaped like a gear). In the Account Actions section, tap Clear Cache and confirm you want to do that in the pop-up window. 

    You can clear the Snapchat app's cache to resolve certain kinds of problems. Dave Johnson/Insider

    Log out and back into Snapchat

    If you still can't see any notifications, there might be a glitch with your account which can be remedied by logging out of your Snapchat account and then signing back in. Start the Snapchat app and tap your account icon at the top of the page. Then tap the Settings app (shaped like a gear) and scroll to the very bottom. Tap Log Out, confirm you want to do that, and then log back into the app. 

    Reinstall Snapchat

    When all else fails, reinstalling Snapchat might solve your problem. Uninstalling the app removes all the data associated with Snapchat — some of which might be corrupted and interfering with notifications — and a fresh copy of the app will contain all the latest updates. Here is how to uninstall an app on an iPhone, and here's what you need to know to uninstall apps on Android. After uninstalling the app, reinstall Snapchat from the app store, log in, and try again. 

    Dave Johnson Freelance Writer Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider. Read more Read less

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