Troubleshooting Notifications Not Working

If you are not receiving birthday notifications, it is rarely due to a bug in the app itself. In nearly all cases, the operating system (Android or iOS) is blocking the notification to save battery or reduce distractions.

Please follow this step-by-step guide to ensure your device allows Birthday Reminder to alert you.

🛑 Quick Checks (Start Here)

Before diving into advanced settings, verify the basics:

Verify App Settings: Open Birthday Reminder > Settings and ensure the "Enable Notifications" toggle is ON. Check that the "Notification Time" is set to a time you are typically awake.
Verify System Notifications:
- iOS: Go to Settings > Notifications > Birthday Reminder. Ensure "Allow Notifications" is ON.
- Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Birthday Reminder > Notifications. Ensure "All Birthday Reminder notifications" is toggled ON.
Check Silent Mode:
- If your phone is on Silent or Vibrate, you may receive the notification banner without sound.
- iPhone: Check the physical switch on the side of the phone.
- Android: Press Volume Up and ensure the "Notification" volume slider is not at zero.

🤖 Advanced Troubleshooting for Android

Android devices use aggressive battery optimization that "kills" background apps, preventing them from sending alerts. Instructions vary by manufacturer.

1. Disable Battery Optimization (Critical)

You must tell your phone to let Birthday Reminder run in the background.

Samsung (One UI):
1. Go to Settings > Battery (or Device Care > Battery).
2. Tap Background usage limits.
3. Check Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps. If Birthday Reminder is listed, remove it.
4. Tap Never sleeping apps, tap the + sign, and add Birthday Reminder.
Google Pixel / Stock Android:
1. Go to Settings > Apps > Birthday Reminder > Battery.
2. Select Unrestricted (do not leave it on "Optimized").
Xiaomi / Redmi / POCO:
1. Go to Settings > Apps > Manage Apps > Birthday Reminder.
2. Toggle Autostart to ON.
3. Tap Battery Saver and select No restrictions.

2. Disable "Pause App Activity"

Android can automatically revoke permissions for apps you haven't opened recently.

Long-press the Birthday Reminder icon > Tap App Info (ⓘ).
Look for "Pause app activity if unused" or "Remove permissions if app is unused" and turn it OFF.

3. Lock the App in Memory

To prevent the system from closing the app entirely:

Open Birthday Reminder.
Swipe up to open your Recent Apps (Multitasking view).
Tap the app icon at the top of the card or look for a Lock (🔒) icon.
Select "Keep open" or "Lock this app".

🍏 Advanced Troubleshooting for iPhone (iOS)

1. Check Focus Modes (Do Not Disturb)

iOS "Focus" modes (Work, Sleep, Personal) often silently block notifications.

Go to Settings > Focus.
Check your active modes (e.g., "Do Not Disturb" or "Work").
Tap Apps > Allow Notifications From > Add Apps and select Birthday Reminder.
Alternatively, ensure "Time Sensitive Notifications" is enabled if the app supports it.

2. Check Scheduled Summary

If you use the "Scheduled Summary" feature, your birthday alerts might be arriving silently in a bundle at 8:00 PM instead of when you want them.

Go to Settings > Notifications > Birthday Reminder.
Ensure Immediate Delivery is checked, not "Scheduled Summary".

3. Background App Refresh

Widgets and notifications require the app to refresh data in the background.

Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
Ensure the toggle next to Birthday Reminder is ON.

🧪 Final Test

After adjusting these settings, you must verify the fix:

Open Birthday Reminder > Settings.
Tap Send Test Notification.
Lock your screen immediately and wait 10-30 seconds.

Still not working? If you have tried all the steps above and still receive no alerts, please try the "clean slate" method:

Uninstall the app completely.
Restart your phone.
Reinstall the app from the App Store/Play Store.
When prompted on first launch, be sure to tap "Allow" for notifications.

Contact Support If issues persist, please email us at support@birthdayreminder.app. To help us resolve this quickly, please include:

Your Device Model (e.g., Samsung Galaxy S24, iPhone 15).
Your OS Version (e.g., Android 14, iOS 18).
A screenshot of your notification settings.