iPad iPad Air 4 stops getting any alerts when screen off and inactive for around 30 minutes

[BlackJacques]

This is a really weird one.

After leaving Apple for Android back in 2014, I decided last month to buy an iPhone XR and iPad Air 4.

My iPhone has no issues with getting push notifications. However, on my Air, after periods of inactivity around 30 minutes, I stop getting push notifications from any app (Calendar, iMessage, FaceTime, etc), unless I tap to wake the screen. Then about 1-3 seconds later I get all the notifications. Side by side with my iPhone, testing receiving emails, calls, SMS from my work phone, my phone always gets the notifications almost immediately even after hours of screen off.

It's driving me nuts and making me regret switching back to Apple as I'm missing calls, messages, emails, etc. to pick up family members because I'm leaving my phone in another part of the house presuming my tablet should be getting all the notifications.

I had to install Stand Up! timer to give me an alert every 20 minutes to wake my screen and it worked for a few hours before I still stopped getting any notifications again.

All my settings are the exact same as my iPhone and I've Googled this without finding much. Took me a long time to troubleshoot to learn that I was not getting alerts from any app when the Air gets in this state and that it was being idle that causes it, as if there's some very aggressive power management happening that peculiarly doesn't happen on my phone.

Anyone else experience this?

 

[AutomaticApple]

This is a really weird one.

After leaving Apple for Android back in 2014, I decided last month to buy an iPhone XR and iPad Air 4.

My iPhone has no issues with getting push notifications. However, on my Air, after periods of inactivity around 30 minutes, I stop getting push notifications from any app (Calendar, iMessage, FaceTime, etc), unless I tap to wake the screen. Then about 1-3 seconds later I get all the notifications. Side by side with my iPhone, testing receiving emails, calls, SMS from my work phone, my phone always gets the notifications almost immediately even after hours of screen off.

It's driving me nuts and making me regret switching back to Apple as I'm missing calls, messages, emails, etc. to pick up family members because I'm leaving my phone in another part of the house presuming my tablet should be getting all the notifications.

I had to install Stand Up! timer to give me an alert every 20 minutes to wake my screen and it worked for a few hours before I still stopped getting any notifications again.

All my settings are the exact same as my iPhone and I've Googled this without finding much. Took me a long time to troubleshoot to learn that I was not getting alerts from any app when the Air gets in this state and that it was being idle that causes it, as if there's some very aggressive power management happening that peculiarly doesn't happen on my phone.

Anyone else experience this?

Do you have iCloud enabled? That should allow for easy syncing of push notifications, data in certain apps, settings, etc.

 

[BlackJacques]

Sure do. In any case, it affects all alerts, including from third party apps.

 

[Slartibart]

Which version of iOS and iPadOS?

 

[BlackJacques]

Which version of iOS and iPadOS?

Both on 14.4.2.

 

[rui no onna]

Do you have cellular on the Air 4?

The phone is always connected via cellular when wifi goes on power saving mode. If you have a wifi-only Air 4, it doesn't have cellular as fallback.

 

[BlackJacques]

Do you have cellular on the Air 4?

The phone is always connected via cellular when wifi goes on power saving mode. If you have a wifi-only Air 4, it doesn't have cellular as fallback.

That’s very very plausible. Any way to eliminate or mitigate it?

 

[macsareveryinteresting]

I’m not sure. First I’m gonna to say to restart it and then if it still doesn’t work, wipe it. Your iPad Air 4 may need to be wiped. And check your quantity of storage. If you are over the limit of your max SSD Storage Capacity, that may be the problem. But if you have done all of this and you still aren’t getting notifications, I would say book an appointment with Apple.

 

[rui no onna]

That’s very very plausible. Any way to eliminate or mitigate it?

Leave the iPad plugged in or get a cellular iPad.

Perhaps setting up email with automatic fetching every 15 minutes instead of push might also work.

 

[BlackJacques]

I’m not sure. First I’m gonna to say to restart it and then if it still doesn’t work, wipe it. Your iPad Air 4 may need to be wiped. And check your quantity of storage. If you are over the limit of your max SSD Storage Capacity, that may be the problem. But if you have done all of this and you still aren’t getting notifications, I would say book an appointment with Apple.

Done all those.

 

[BlackJacques]

Leave the iPad plugged in or get a cellular iPad.

Perhaps setting up email with automatic fetching every 15 minutes instead of push might also work.

Thanks. Totally get you’re trying to help but the first suggestion isn’t practical if I care about battery longevity, second one is a non starter. I disabled my standup timer alerts and put my Mail accounts on 15 minute fetch cycle to see if that intermittently wakes wifi to test your theory. Thanks again.