iOS 14 text notification issues

I've been having a issue with notifications since 2-3 days. Initially I was not getting any notifications, after reinstalling some apps (Facebook, Messenger) they went back to normal (for these apps), but I'm still not getting notifications for the other apps. I've never had an issue with Messages tho.

I submitted feedback to the link you shared. I hate this phone, it’s performance is very subpar. The fact that even after several updates designed to fix this issue have failed does not inspire confidence at all.

Now when I get a Facebook notification or a Facebook message and I’m listening to music or a podcast, the volume cuts in half but there’s still no notification sound. The volume stays low until I unlock the phone. I’m ready to throw it against the wall. What is the point of this 100 page thread? Do any techs from Apple look here? I doubt it.

I would suggest calling Apple, escalating it to a senior tech, and insisting they send this issue to the tech team. That involves sending them screenshots of the notifications settings of all the devices involved.

That's what I did, and how I found this thread--my tech sent me here, after I said "I can't be the only one this is happening to."

Do they actually read this? I don't know. But I believe that a flood of tech reports might get things moving.

I've also been fighting this notification issue for months on my iPhone 11 Pro. Apple no help. I discovered that turning off bluetooth on my phone fixed the problem (allowed text notifications to sound and appear, whether the phone was locked or not). But with bluetooth on, notifications only sounded & appeared with the phone unlocked. Obviously, I didn't want to leave bluetooth off all the time.

I also came to realize this issue started when I got a new Apple Watch 6 a few months ago. Coincidence? Taking the watch on and off didn't help. And with the watch on, it didn't sound notifications either.

But the posting from StubbornPixie got me thinking about killing the mirror function on the watch for the Messages app. So, iPhone Watch app>Messages>"Custom" "Notifications Off" seems to have SOLVED THE PROBLEM for me. My iPhone 11 Pro now notifies me of incoming text messages with bluetooth on. I realize my watch won't ping with messages until Apple fixes the root problem, but at least I won't be missing message notifications altogether.

Hope this helps others.

This problem looks like some other device is accepting the notification. Since everyone's computing environment is different, there could be interactions across multiple systems. What if there is a bug in the software of a device that connects via Bluetoooth to the phone and mistakenly grabs the notification? If this was an easy problem to fix, it would have happened by now. The whole logical flow of notifications has gotten too complicated. All the notifications that I use are from Messages or Calendar so my case is simple. Everyone is getting tired of "try this" or "try that".

I was having this problem and it appears to be mostly fixed after I turned off iMessage in Messages. I really wish there was a separate SMS app that was not integrated with Messages.

I only have a 12 Pro Max, no other Apple product. Notifications are malfunctioning with iMessage, SMS, Facebook, and Messenger. It happens with and without Bluetooth. Either there is no sound at all, or if I’m actively using Bluetooth, the volume of music or podcast cuts in half until I unlock the phone or open the app that received the notification.

I believe I misspoke on my last comment. It's iMessage that's not working unless bluetooth is disabled. Notifications from Messenger seem to come through.

And now the mystery deepens, because I noted this morning that changing the Apple Watch app to disable notifications to the Watch has not fixed the problem after all. Despite it working well repeatedly yesterday, this morning it was again malfunctioning with bluetooth turned on. Maddening.

An update to my post yesterday: BAD NEWS

I noted this morning that changing the Apple Watch app to disable notifications to the Watch has NOT fixed the problem after all. Despite it working well repeatedly yesterday, today it was again malfunctioning whenever bluetooth was turned on. Maddening.

Like so many other fixes that have been reported (e.g. resetting network settings), the fix seems to last only temporarily.

So, back to leaving bluetooth OFF if I want to receive iMessage notifications with my iPhone 11 Pro locked.

One thing I failed to mention, for what it's worth: Although the iMessage notifications fail to wake the phone and sound an alert, when I manually wake the phone, the message is sitting there on the screen. Did I mention "maddening?"

I'm sorry, but it is NOT the Bluetooth. I have an Android and an iPhone. My new phone's bluetooth had not been setup with a lot of devices, but it was with any Apple devices (iPads, TV, watch). I tried the text messages both with the Android and Apple devices, bluetooth on and off. I receive notificatons from the Android phone with and without bluetooth enabled but at the same time did not get ANY audible or tactile notifications from the Apple devices, even when text messages were sent at the same time. I also tested with the Android sending messages first or last and the result was the same; I received messages from the Android but not the Apple devices. I also restarted the iPhone, cleared all running apps, checked all my settings a couple of times. I'm STILL not getting message notifications from my WORK.

I don't use Bluetooth at all, anywhere. It's not about Bluetooth.

UPDATE: My senior tech called me last night, the tech team responded to my query and came back wanting us to do an inordinate amount of troubleshooting including, iirc, creating something called a "clone" account on my Macbook. I refused.

I asked that this be kicked back to the tech team, and they they be directed here to read what is happening to so many of us. I'm not sure that they even know about this issue, I don't think they are reading this forum. I would suggest calling Apple, escalating to a senior tech, etc.

I don't think it's Bluetooth. For me it was related to iMessage.

The Messages app combines iMessage communications and SMS messages. Apple created iMessage when mobile carriers charged for SMS messages. iMessage will work across multiple Apple devices. I have had cases where someone will send me an iMessage and my iPad will accept the message. Then I never see it on the phone. If you only have an iPhone and no other Apple device, iMessage is useless. It's a PITA. You don't need it.

FYI, in Messages, SMS messages will appear in green and iMessages will appear in blue.

First, sign out of iMessage. Go to Settings -> Messages -> Send and Recieve

Click on the blue Apple Id line near the top

Select "Sign Out"

In the Messages settings (Settings->Messages), turn off iMessage.

After turning off iMessage, if you have friends with iPhones, you may get an error when sending a message to their iPhone. Reply to them in Messages using their mobile phone number.

All my Bluetooth devices work fine. Turning off iMessage won't hurt anything and it may fix your problem.

So this is what I did to fix this issue, whether or not it will work for everyone I have no idea. My issue started slightly after I began using my AirPod pros and Siri began announcing my messages. I struggled with this problem for the past 4 months and just realized that maybe Siri was still “announcing” the messages in the background and thus cancelling out notifications. So I turned off the Siri announcements and low and behold my message notifications were suddenly turned to deliver silently (previously had been set to banner, badges and sounds). So I turned the banners badges and sounds back on and my messages are working again! I will update on if this is a lasting solution

Hi hadanjm

Have you tested this? "If you turn off Wrist Detection (on your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch > General > Wrist Detection), then all notification alerts will be delivered to both devices."

I have also logged out of iMessage and FaceTime with my Apple-ID so that only I use my phone number.

Work for me and I have the combination iPhone / Watch.

Hi Tom,

I’m wrote wrong, instead of General -> Passcode.

"If you turn off Wrist Detection (on your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch > Passcode > Wrist Detection), then all notification alerts will be delivered to both devices."