You send a message and hear nothing for ages; when you open Potato, you find a dozen unread messages piled up. Notifications not popping up is usually not an account problem—the system is intercepting alerts somewhere along the way. The interception points vary widely across devices, so the sections below address each platform separately. Following the steps in order should help you pinpoint the cause.
First, determine the scope: Is it only Potato, or all apps?
Before changing any settings, run a quick test: ask a friend to send a message in another chat app, or send yourself a text message. If other apps also fail to alert you, the problem is at the system level—for example, global mute, Do Not Disturb, or the master notification switch. If only Potato is unresponsive, then check the in-app notification settings and the system's individual authorization for it.
Another common scenario is "notifications appear on the lock screen but not after unlocking." This is most likely a notification style or banner setting issue, not a failure to deliver messages. You can first open a test conversation in Potato to confirm that messages themselves arrive in real time, then address the alert format. For basic information about messages and account status, see the FAQ.
Android: Battery optimization and background restrictions are the easiest to miss
Android manufacturers manage background apps aggressively. Once Potato is "put to sleep," messages only appear all at once the next time you open the app. Check in this order:
- Go to "Settings → Apps → Potato → Notifications" and confirm that the master message notification switch and the specific categories (direct messages, group chats, channels) are all enabled.
- Under "Battery → Battery optimization," set Potato to "Unrestricted" or "Allow background activity." On some models this is called "App launch management"; you need to turn off automatic management and manually check background running.
- Check whether "Focus mode" or "Sleep mode" is enabled. These modes block banners during set time periods, but notifications remain in the notification shade.
- If you use third-party cleaning tools or battery-saving apps, add Potato to the whitelist to prevent the process from being repeatedly killed.
Take a phone running Android 14 as an example. A user reported "no alerts after the screen had been off for 10 minutes," and it turned out that battery optimization had restricted the app to "Smart power saving." After changing it to unrestricted, lock-screen alerts returned to normal. After changing settings, it is advisable to restart the phone once so the restriction policy reloads.
iPhone: Check notification permissions and Focus mode
On iPhone, the interception points are relatively concentrated. First, go to "Settings → Notifications → Potato" and confirm that "Allow Notifications" is on, and check whether "Banners," "Sounds," and "Badges" have been individually turned off. Many people enable only Notification Center but disable banners, so messages sit silently on the lock screen.
Next, check "Focus." If you have set automatic schedules for Work or Sleep, Potato may be excluded from the allowed list. Under "Settings → Focus → Allowed Notifications," add Potato, or set allowed contacts specifically for it. Low Power Mode can also delay background refresh; users who keep it on for long periods should keep this in mind.
Another scenario is notifications being delayed by the "Summary" feature. In notification settings, turn off "Scheduled Summary" or set Potato to "Deliver Immediately" for more timely alerts.
Windows and macOS: Desktop alerts depend on the system notification center
When desktop alerts don't arrive, it is usually related to system notification permissions or whether the app is running in the background.
Windows users should first open "Settings → System → Notifications," confirm that Potato's notification switch is on, and check whether "Do Not Disturb" is automatically enabled at certain times. If you use multiple monitors or play full-screen games, the system may automatically enter Do Not Disturb. In addition, if the app is fully exited after closing the window, messages naturally won't trigger alerts. Check the app settings for the "Minimize to tray after closing" option.
macOS users should go to "System Settings → Notifications → Potato," set the alert style to "Banners" or "Alerts," and confirm that "Allow Notifications" is checked. If "Focus" is enabled, check in Control Center whether the current mode allows Potato notifications. Another easily overlooked scenario: the app is in the background but the system has entered "Low Power Mode," which compresses background activity and may delay alerts.
Desktop and mobile alerts are two independent systems. Muting your phone does not mean your computer will be silent, and vice versa. To learn how messages sync when you are signed in on multiple devices, see the multi-device usage information in the client download and installation instructions.
Three final steps if alerts still don't work
If everything above checks out, finish with these three steps:
- Quit Potato and reopen it so the notification channel is re-registered;
- Check whether the app is a relatively new version; older versions have notification compatibility issues on some systems;
- Check in the app whether "Mute" is enabled for any individual conversation. Group chats and channels are often muted individually without being noticed.
For the relationship between account security and notification permissions, see the privacy and security information. If the problem centers on automatic alert-type features, the bot feature documentation also covers common configuration methods for message push. If there is still no improvement after troubleshooting, it is advisable to record the device model, system version, and specific symptoms for further comparison.
Continue reading: downloads and installation, accounts and verification codes, groups, channels, and bots, and privacy and security.
