Android Notifications Not Arriving? The Battery and Lock Screen Fix
You find a message hours late, or you missed a call that never rang. On Android the cause is nearly always a setting that stops the app from running in the background.
A friend swears they messaged you an hour ago. You open the app and, there it is, sitting in the chat, but your phone never made a sound. Or someone tried to call and it never rang. This is one of the most common complaints about any messaging app on Android, and the cause is almost never the app itself. It is Android, and the many settings that decide whether an app is allowed to wake up.
Why Android stops apps
Android phones are designed to last a day on a battery. To manage that, the system limits what apps can do in the background, and many manufacturers add their own, stricter, rules on top. An app that is not in use may be paused, so that it cannot check for new messages. Push notifications are the system's way of waking such an app when something arrives, but even that can be limited by battery settings.
The three settings that matter
1. Notifications must be allowed
If notifications are switched off for the app, nothing will show, however well everything else works. Open the app's page in system settings and make sure notifications are on, including the channel for messages and calls. In PeerFlow the permissions checklist shows whether notifications are allowed, and offers to ask again or to open the right page.
2. The battery setting must not restrict the app
Look for "battery" or "battery optimisation" for the app and choose the unrestricted option, sometimes called "don't optimise". This lets the app receive messages and calls while the phone sleeps. PeerFlow's checklist includes a battery row and opens Android's own dialog for it.
3. Calls need permission to show on the lock screen
On recent Android versions, an incoming call that takes over the screen needs a specific permission. Without it, a call may only appear as a small notification, easy to miss. The checklist has a lock-screen row for this and opens the setting for you.
Brand-specific traps
Some manufacturers add extra controls: "auto-start", "app launch", "protected apps", "sleeping apps" or "background activity" lists. If an app is listed as sleeping or restricted, notifications may be delayed even when the standard settings are correct. Check the phone's battery or security settings for such lists, and allow PeerFlow. The names vary, so search settings for "battery" and "background".
Other things that block notifications
- Do not disturb or a focus mode that silences the app.
- Battery saver mode, which restricts almost everything.
- Data saver, which can block background data for apps.
- No network. The phone must be connected to the internet to get alerts.
- Notification channel muted. A single channel can be set to silent.
- An old app version with bugs that were fixed in newer ones.
A five-minute checklist
| Step | Where |
|---|---|
| Notifications on for the app | App settings, notifications |
| Battery set to unrestricted | App settings, battery |
| Lock-screen call alerts allowed | Special app access, full-screen notifications |
| Not in a sleeping or restricted list | Battery or security settings of your brand |
| Do not disturb allows calls | Sound settings |
| App is up to date | Play Store or the PeerFlow download page |
Test it
Ask a friend to send you a message while your phone is locked and the app is closed. Then ask them to call you. If both arrive within seconds, everything is right. If the message is late, look at the battery settings again. If the call does not ring, check the lock screen permission.
What the app can and cannot do
An app can ask for the permissions it needs and show you what is missing. It cannot override your phone's rules, and that is how it should be. PeerFlow's permission list shows each setting as allowed or not, and lets you fix it with a tap. Read what permissions PeerFlow asks for and why.
Delayed messages and offline delivery
A message sent while you were unreachable waits encrypted on the server until you are back, then arrives and is deleted from the server. See how offline messages work. Notifications are the nudge that tells your phone to fetch it.
Get the app
Install the latest Android app for the permission checklist, and run through the steps once on each phone you use.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my messages arrive only when I open the app?
Android may be restricting the app in the background to save battery, or notifications may be switched off for it. Allow both.
What is battery optimisation?
A system feature that stops apps from running when you are not using them. Excluding an app lets it receive messages and calls while the phone is idle.
Why does a call not show on the lock screen?
Newer Android versions need an extra permission for full-screen call alerts. PeerFlow’s permission list shows it and opens the right setting.
Do I have to do this on every phone?
Settings differ by brand. Some phones are stricter than others, so check the app’s permission list on each phone.