Windows 11 notifications not working: how to fix them

Applies to: toast notifications (the banners in the lower-right corner), notification sounds and the notification center on Windows 11. For the Teams app, which has its own notification settings on top of the Windows ones, see our guide to Teams notifications not working. If your problem is the opposite, an on-screen box you want gone, our Caps Lock notification guide covers one of those.

Match the symptom to the fix

Windows notifications pass through several switches before a banner reaches the screen: the main switch, the app’s own switch, Do not disturb, and focus. The table below is a map of this guide, not a list from Microsoft.

What you see	Where to look	Start with
No app shows banners at all	Main Notifications switch, Do not disturb	Fix 1, Fix 3
One app is silent while others work	That app’s settings in Windows and in the app	Fix 2, Fix 5
Notifications appear in the notification center but never pop up	Do not disturb, focus, banner setting	Fix 2, Fix 3, Fix 4
Banners appear with no sound	The app’s Play a sound option, system volume	Fix 2
Notifications stop during games, presentations or full-screen video	Do not disturb automatic rules	Fix 3
Clicking the clock or bell does nothing	Windows shell	Fix 6

Fix 1: Turn notifications on for Windows

Microsoft’s Notifications and Do Not Disturb in Windows page says notifications show up as banners on screen and in the notification center, and that a single Notifications switch at the top of Settings > System > Notifications turns them on or off for everything. If that switch is off, no per-app setting further down will help.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Select System, then Notifications.
3. Turn on Notifications at the top of the page.

As general guidance, send yourself a test after each change: set a one-minute alarm or timer in the Clock app, or use any app you know sends notifications, rather than waiting for a real message.

Fix 2: Check the app’s notification settings

On the same page, the list Notifications from apps and other senders has a switch for each app. Select the app’s name, not only the switch, to open its options. Microsoft’s page lists these:

• Notifications on or off for that app.
• Show notification banners, which controls the pop-up on screen.
• Show notifications in notification center.
• Hide content when notifications are on lock screen.
• Play a sound.
• Priority of notifications: Top, High or Normal. Only one app can be Top, and High shows above Normal in the notification center.

If notifications land in the notification center but never pop up, Show notification banners is the option to check. If a banner shows but is silent, check Play a sound for that app, and, as general guidance, make sure the system volume isn’t muted.

An app can also be switched off from the notification center itself. Microsoft notes that each notification’s More menu has Turn off all notifications. That option is easy to select by accident. If an app has vanished from your banners, find it in the list above and turn it back on.

Fix 3: Turn off Do not disturb and its automatic rules

Microsoft’s page says that while Do not disturb is on, you only get banners for alarms, reminders and apps you choose; everything else goes directly to the notification center. To turn it off by hand, press Win + N and select the bell icon with “zZ” on it. Select it again to turn it back on later.

Do not disturb can also turn itself on. Expand Turn on do not disturb automatically under Settings > System > Notifications. Microsoft lists these conditions:

• During a time of day you set
• When duplicating your display
• When playing a game
• When using an app in full-screen mode
• For the first hour after a Windows feature update

Clear the check box for each condition you don’t want. As general guidance, the full-screen and display-duplicating rules explain notifications that vanish only while you present or watch video, and the time-of-day rule explains notifications that stop at the same hour each day.

If you want Do not disturb on but still need some apps to get through, use Set priority notifications on the same page. Under Calls and reminders you can allow calls and reminders, and under Apps select Add apps to pick the apps that may still show banners.

Fix 4: End a focus session

A focus session is a timer for distraction-free work. Microsoft’s How to use focus in Windows 11 page says that during a session, notifications, sounds and alerts from apps are temporarily blocked, Do not disturb turns on automatically, and taskbar badges and flashing are turned off. A session can be started from the notification center with Win + N, from Settings > System > Focus, or from the Clock app, so it’s possible to start one without noticing.

If you see a focus timer on screen, end the session. Microsoft’s page says you can end one early but doesn’t give the steps; as general guidance, look for the stop control on the focus timer or in the notification center (Win + N). The page also points out two details that can look like a fault:

• If Do not disturb was already on before the session, it stays on after the session ends, so turn it off as in Fix 3.
• Notifications that arrived during the session are waiting in the notification center.

To stop future sessions from silencing everything, open Settings > System > Focus and turn off Turn on do not disturb. The page also says focus needs the Clock app; if you removed Clock, reinstall it from the Microsoft Store.

Fix 5: Check the app and power settings

The Microsoft pages linked in this guide don’t cover the checks in this section, so treat them as general guidance. When Windows settings are right but one app stays quiet, the problem often sits in the app:

1. Open the app’s own settings and look for a notifications section. Mail, chat and browser apps often have their own on or off switch that works separately from Windows.
2. Make sure you’re signed in to the app. Many apps only send notifications for an account that is signed in and syncing.
3. For websites, check the browser’s site permissions. A site can only send notifications if the browser allows it, and the browser itself must be allowed under Settings > System > Notifications.
4. Leave the app running. If you close an app fully or it doesn’t start with Windows, it may not be able to notify you.

Battery saver, called energy saver on some Windows 11 builds, can limit what apps do in the background, and that can delay or hold back their notifications. On a laptop, test with the charger connected or with the saver off. Our laptop battery draining fast guide explains the power settings involved if you’d rather not leave the saver off.

If Snipping Tool is the app that stays silent after you take a snip, our Snipping Tool guide has checks specific to it.

Fix 6: The notification center won’t open

Microsoft’s page gives three ways to open the notification center: select the clock or the bell on the taskbar, press Win + N, or swipe in from the side of the screen on a touch device. If none of them works, the notification settings aren’t the cause; the Windows shell that draws the taskbar isn’t responding. As general guidance, restart Windows Explorer first:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. On the Processes tab, find Windows Explorer.
3. Right-click it and select Restart. The taskbar disappears for a moment and comes back.

If the Start menu and search are also frozen, follow our Start menu not working guide, which covers the shell repairs in more detail.

Fix 7: Restart and update Windows

As general guidance, restart the PC after you change notification settings if banners still don’t appear, then open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates, and install what’s offered. Also update the app that stays silent, through the Microsoft Store or the app’s own updater.

Keep the timing in mind: Microsoft’s Do not disturb rules include the first hour after a Windows feature update. If notifications went quiet right after a large update, check Fix 3 before you troubleshoot anything else.

Known issues: as of November 2026, Microsoft’s Windows 11, version 25H2 release health page doesn’t list a known issue about notifications, Do not disturb or focus. The page shows open issues and items updated in the last 30 days, so check it again if your problem began after a recent update.

On a work or school PC

The Microsoft pages linked here don’t cover managed devices, so this section is general guidance. Organizations can control notification settings through policy or device management, for example to hide notification content on the lock screen or to turn off notifications from certain apps. On a managed PC, a setting may be locked or may switch back after the next policy refresh. If a setting you change keeps reverting, or a work app’s notifications are missing on every managed PC, ask IT before you try more fixes.

Related guides

• Teams notifications not working: how to fix it on Windows 11
• Snipping Tool not working: how to fix it on Windows 11
• Laptop battery draining fast in Windows 11: how to fix it
• Start menu not working in Windows 11: how to fix it
• How to turn off the Caps Lock on-screen notification in Windows 11

Official sources

• Microsoft Support: Notifications and Do Not Disturb in Windows
• Microsoft Support: How to use focus in Windows 11
• Windows release health: Windows 11, version 25H2 known issues and notifications