On a global scale, the workplace culture has significantly transformed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a notable increase in remote work compared to traditional office settings. For those working remotely, diligent attention to notifications has become crucial for effectively managing tasks and meeting deadlines.
Missing a critical SMS, especially one received on a Monday morning, can be unsettling, particularly if the lack of awareness resulted in not receiving the notification. In such scenarios, the messaging platform “Slack backup” proves invaluable.
If you are encountering difficulties with Slack notifications on your Windows or Mac desktop, rest assured, as we have experienced and addressed this issue ourselves. In this guide, we will not only shed light on the problem but also offer practical solutions to rectify Slack notification issues, ensuring you stay informed and well-equipped to manage your workflow seamlessly.
Why are Slack Notifications Not Working?
Slack stands out as a premier means of communication among individuals, offering diverse advantages for both remote workers and those in office environments. It ensures swift awareness of messages from supervisors or other teams, allowing for prompt responses to inquiries. However, the effectiveness of Slack notifications may occasionally require adjustment.
Some users encounter issues where Slack notifications are not received despite being enabled. To fully harness the potential of this communication tool, it is imperative to ensure that notifications are operating seamlessly. Failing to do so may result in overlooking urgent meetings or important messages, giving the impression that the communication was never received.
Several factors could contribute to this problem, with one prominent cause being device settings. Even minor alterations, such as setting your device to “Do Not Disturb,” can impede Slack notifications. Let’s explore some potential reasons for Slack notification issues.
Desktop Notifications are Disabled
If Slack notifications are disabled in the application or device settings, you will not receive them. It is crucial to check and confirm that the notification settings are turned on to ensure proper receipt of notifications.
Focus Assistance
Enabling Focus Assist mode to concentrate on your task will result in not receiving Slack notifications. This mode deactivates all notifications on your device while in use.
Paused Notifications
It is conceivable that you temporarily halted Slack alerts by pausing them. Consequently, it is essential to check for any paused notifications and address the issue if present.
How to Fix Slack Notifications Not Working 2024
1. Check the Slack Status.
In the event of Slack experiencing downtime, there is a possibility that its services, including alerts, may be impacted. To address this, it is recommended to check the server status of Slack. If there is a reported issue, there might not be much that users can do, but the Slack team typically resolves it in due time. Begin by examining Slack’s notification settings to ensure it is operational and that notifications are not appearing despite this.
Navigate to https://status.slack.com. Check the most recent status for each service. If encountering issues, utilize the “troubleshoot connection issue” feature or contact the support team via email.
2. Verify Slack’s Notification Settings.
The issue can largely be addressed by activating the correct notification settings within the Slack app. We experienced an enhancement in our situation by following the steps outlined below:
- Click on your profile photo and select Preferences.
- Opt for Notifications.
- Within this box, you can now select from a range of notification settings. We will guide you through understanding and adjusting these settings.
3. Check Notification Settings In Slack
To a significant extent, addressing the issue of Slack Notifications Not Working involves activating the correct notification settings within the Slack app. This proved beneficial in our case as well. Here’s how you can do it:
- Tap on your profile picture and select Preferences.
- Within this window, you can adjust various notifications. We’ll guide you through the analysis of these settings.
I. Check What You Are Notified About on Slack
Let’s commence by ensuring that we have made the correct choices and are well-informed about our preferences.
- Under “Notify me about,” consider the following options and choose accordingly to receive notifications:
- All new messages: Opt for this option to receive notifications for messages from all channels.
- Direct messages, mentions, and keywords: Select this option to receive notifications solely for direct messages, messages in channels where you’ve been mentioned, and other specified keywords.
- Nothing: If this option is chosen, no notifications will be sent to you. You won’t receive any notifications from Slack.
- Ensure that you tick the checkboxes for both thread and huddle replies.
- If you desire notifications for specific keywords, input your chosen keywords in the designated field, separating them with commas.
II. Check Your Notification Schedule on Slack
At specific times of the day, Slack has a feature that ceases to send notifications. Here’s how you can modify it:
- In the sidebar, navigate to Preferences -> Notifications (as indicated earlier).
- Scroll down to find the notification scheduling option.
- Utilize the drop-down menu options to choose the days and times when you wish to receive notifications from Slack. Messages received outside of these selected times will not trigger notifications.
Now, let’s delve into the sound settings for your Slack notifications.
4. Check Sound Settings For Slack Notifications
If Slack notifications are too low or inaudible, you might need to modify the notification sound settings.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Tap on your profile photo to access preferences.
- Select Notifications.
- Scroll down under “Sound & appearance” and ensure that the chosen ringtone is audible for all incoming notifications.
- After selecting the notification sound, make sure the option to “mute all noises from Slack” is not activated.
5. Restart Your Device
The issue of Slack Notifications Not Working is among various problems that can often be resolved by the simple action of turning your device off and then back on. If you are experiencing difficulties with Slack notifications, another recommended step is to restart your device. Regardless of whether you are using an iPhone or an Android device, a device restart often addresses multiple issues without delving into the settings.
For Windows or macOS devices, the process is similar. On Windows, locate and press the Windows key to access the Start Menu, then initiate the device restart from this menu. Likewise, for macOS devices, click on the Apple logo and restart your device using the available option.
6. Unmute A Channel In Slack
If a channel is muted in Slack, you won’t receive any notifications from it. Here’s how to unmute a muted channel:
- Select a channel from the available options.
- Click on the channel name.
- Tap on the text that reads “Muted Now,” then choose “Unmute Channel.”
With these steps, the channel is now unmuted, and notifications will be sent to you. Next, assess whether your status is the cause of the Slack notifications issue.
7. Check System Notification Settings
If notifications are disabled on your system, Slack notifications will not be received, even if Slack is correctly configured. Here’s how to check and enable notifications, with instructions provided for both Windows and Mac versions.
I. Enable Slack Notifications on Mac
Access System Settings by clicking on the Apple icon in the toolbar. Navigate to Notifications and select Slack. To customize the display of notifications according to your preferences, toggle on “Allow notifications” and ensure that all other options are selected.
II. Enable Slack Notifications on Windows
Launch the Settings application and select System -> Notifications. Ensure that both the notifications toggle and the Slack toggle are turned on. Customize Slack notifications by selecting Slack from the list and making additional adjustments in the displayed window. Confirm that Slack notifications are enabled on your system by following these steps. To ensure timely Slack notifications, make sure the “Do Not Disturb” feature is turned off.
8. Disable Do Not Disturb On Windows And Mac
You have the option to activate a “do not disturb” mode for notifications on both macOS and Windows, aiding in maintaining focus. However, this means you won’t receive Slack notifications. To resolve this, here’s a guide on how to disable the Do Not Disturb mode on both Mac and Windows.
I. Disable Do Not Disturb on Mac
Choose the Settings icon in the toolbar. Ensure that “Do Not Disturb” is not activated, and confirm its status in the Control Center. If the icon is present, tap it once to deactivate “Do Not Disturb.”
II. Disable Do Not Disturb in Windows Focus Assist
Open the Settings app and choose System > Focus Assist. On Windows, click the button to deactivate Focus Assist. By taking these steps, you ensure that Focus Assist is not hindering any Slack notifications on both Windows and Mac. Now, let’s explore an additional feature to address issues if Slack alerts are not functioning correctly on your Mac.
9. Clear Cache Data
Resolving a Slack notification issue can also involve clearing cache data. Corrupted temporary files can lead to similar problems, affecting the proper functioning of the app. To address this, follow the steps below to clear the cache data in the Slack application:
- Locate and open the “You” tab in the Slack application.
- Under “Preferences,” select “Troubleshooting.”
- In this step, you have the option to clear the cache.
10. Update The Slack App
When numerous individuals encounter issues with their Slack alerts, it likely indicates a bug affecting multiple versions. Developers typically address such issues in a new update. Therefore, it is crucial to always use the latest Slack version.
To update Slack, follow these steps:
- In the Slack toolbar, select the hamburger-shaped menu icon.
- Navigate to Help and choose “Check for Updates.”
- If you are not on the latest version, you will be prompted to update Slack. Follow the instructions provided.
If none of the other solutions prove effective, reinstalling Slack can be considered as a final resort.
Conclusion:
Everything needed to address your Slack notification issues on Windows and Mac desktops is now covered. If none of the solutions prove effective, you can still resort to using the Slack web application.
