Notifications not working after iOS 17.4.1 update? 12 Ways to fix it!

Notifications play an essential role in our digital lives, keeping us informed about incoming messages, critical alerts, and updates from our favorite apps. However, some users have complained about notifications not working on their iPhones after the iOS 17.4.1 update. If you’re facing the same issue, don’t worry! This guide can help you fix the notifications not working issue in iOS 17.4.1.

1. Force restart your iPhone

If notifications are not working on your iPhone after installing iOS 17.4.1, force restarting the device can often be the quickest and easiest solution.

This process will essentially turn your iPhone off and on again, clearing out any temporary glitches that could be causing problems with app notifications.

If you want to force restart an iPhone 8 or later, follow these steps:

1. Press and release the Volume Up button located on the left side.
2. Then, immediately press and release the Volume Down button.
3. Press and hold the Side/Power button located on the right side.
4. Release the Side/Power button when you see an Apple logo.

However, if you own an iPhone 7 or earlier model, you might want to take a look at our detailed step-by-step guide on how to hard reboot any iPhone.

2. Ensure app notifications are enabled on iPhone

If you’re not getting notifications for specific apps on your iPhone, it is probably because you haven’t allowed the app to send you notifications. To check:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Select an app that’s facing issues.
2. Toggle on Allow Notifications and Time Sensitive Notifications.
3. Choose any alerts and banner style → Toggle on Sound.
   
   

3. Check in-app notification settings on iPhone

Even if you’ve enabled notifications for an app in your iPhone settings, there might be another layer of control within the app.

Many apps offer their own notification settings, so you can fine-tune how and when you receive alerts. Tweaking these in-app settings can often help you fix iPhone notifications.

For example, you can go to WhatsApp → Settings → Notifications and just settings as per your preference. Likewise, you can make changes to other apps you use regularly.

4. Ensure Focus Mode is turned off

Focus Mode on your iPhone can silence notifications, even when you’re not actively using it.

If you’re not receiving notifications after updating to iOS 17.4.1, check if Focus Mode is enabled. Turn it off to ensure all notifications are delivered without fail.

1. Open the Control Centre → Tap and hold Focus.
   Focus is replaced by the name of the Focus Mode that’s active.
2. Select a Focus Mode you want to turn off. Once you turn off a Focus, all banners will go from white to grey.
   
   

Once you deactivate a Focus Mode on your iPhone, you should deactivate automatic activation to ensure the Focus Mode isn’t enabled automatically.

1. Open the Control Centre → Tap and hold Focus.
   Focus is replaced by the name of the Focus Mode that’s active.
2. Tap the three-dot menu next to the Focus Mode → Select Settings.
   
   
3. Select Smart Activation or Custom Schedule → Tap Delete Schedule.
   
   

5. Turn off Scheduled summary

Although the Scheduled Summary feature on iPhone can help you manage notifications easily without getting overloaded, it can inadvertently silence alerts you need to see immediately.

Therefore, you should check if turning off Scheduled Summary helps you fix the iPhone notifications not working issue.

1. Go to Settings → Notifications.
2. Tap Scheduled Summary.
3. Toggle off Schedule Summary. 
   
   

6. Turn off Low Power and Low Data Mode on iPhone

While these modes are useful, they are known to restrict background app refresh on your iPhone. This can cause notifications to be delayed or not delivered.

• To toggle off Low Power Mode:
  • Go to Settings → Battery → Toggle off Low Power Mode.
    
    
    ‍ 
• To toggle off Low Data Mode for Cellular:
  • Go to Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data Options.
    If you use dual SIMs, select a SIM to locate Cellular Data Options.
    
    
  • Tap Data Mode → Deselect Low Data Mode.
    
    
• To disable Low Data Mode for Wi-Fi:
  • Navigate to Settings → Wi-Fi.
  • Tap the blue ‘i’ icon next to a network → Turn off Low Data Mode.
    
    

7. Check for network-related issues on your iPhone

Almost all apps on iPhones need a stable internet connection to fetch new data and deliver notifications without any interruptions.

So, if notifications are not working on your iPhone, you must ensure that you’ve turned on cellular data or Wi-Fi and check for potential network-related issues.

If you’re unsure, you can always turn on Airplane mode, and turn it off after 30 seconds or restart your wireless router if you’re connected over Wi-Fi.

8. Enable Background App refresh

If background app refresh is disabled for an app, it might be unable to deliver notifications.

Many iPhone apps rely on background app refresh to stay up-to-date and deliver timely notifications. So, do the following:

1. Locate and open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Navigate to General → Background App Refresh.
   
   
3. Tap Background App Refresh → Select Wi-Fi & Cellular Data.
4. Go Back and enable the toggle next to the apps you use.
   
   

9. Install latest iOS update

Many users have reported experiencing occasional bugs like notifications not working on iPhones after installing iOS 17.4.1.

If it is indeed a software glitch, Apple will soon fix it with a software update. So, install the latest iOS version as soon as Apple releases it. This will ensure you have the latest bug fixes and other refinements.

1. Navigate to Settings → General → Software Update.
2. Tap Update Now if a software update is available.
   
   

10. Update or reinstall the app in question

If you can’t get notifications for some apps on your iPhone, update or reinstall the apps in question.

This can potentially help you fix the issue by getting rid of bugs or corrupted app data.

1. Open the App Store → Tap your profile picture at the top right corner.
2. Scroll down and tap the Update button next to the app in question.
   
   

If no update is available, you must reinstall the app as I’ve detailed below:

1. Tap and hold an app’s icon on the Home Screen.
2. Then, tap Remove App → Delete App → Delete.
   
   
3. Open the App Store → Go to the Search tab → Search for the app.
4. Tap the blue cloud icon beside the app’s icon to reinstall it.
   
   

11. Reset all settings on your iPhone 

If you’ve tried all the above troubleshooting tips and the iPhone notifications are still acting up, you may have to Reset All Settings.

This will revert your iPhone’s settings to the factory defaults, potentially eliminating any underlying issues to fix notifications not working after updating to iOS 17.4.1.

1. Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone.
   
   
2. Tap Reset → Reset All Settings.
3. Enter your iPhone or iPad’s Passcode.
   
   
4. Tap Reset All Settings again to complete the process.

12. Contact Apple for technical support

If you’ve tried all the steps and your iPhone notifications still aren’t working in iOS 17.4.1, the next best step is to contact Apple Support directly. They have a team of trained technicians who can help you diagnose and fix the issue.

Wrapping up…

We hope that this guide has provided you with the necessary steps to get your iPhone notifications working again in iOS 17.4.1. However, if you have any further questions or are encountering a specific notification-related issue not covered in this article, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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