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Serious problems with notifications

Sensamic

Sensamic

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Mar 26, 2010
3,113
743
Last August I bought a Samsung Galaxy A71, which I've been quite happy with until recently, when I found out some bugs with notifications.

It happens only with WhatsApp. Just now it has happened three times. First two times the notification when a message is received doesn't sound, but the phone does vibrate. That's how I knew I received a message.

Third time the notification did sound, but not completely, only for half the sound. Very weird behavior.

For weeks I've been experiencing the first behavior. I've noticed also that other notifications arrive later in Android vs my iPad, but not by much.

It's a big problem for me, because I've missed messages from work because of this, and I can't have that, so now I'm thinking of changing phones, but I can't trust another mid-range phone because the software isn't optimized and don't want to have more issues like this.

So my only choice is iPhone. It seems they take good care of notifications.

Would like to know what others have to say about notifications in iOS vs Android.

Should I go to iPhone or a high-end Android wouldn't have issues like this with WhatsApp?

It also worries me that Android updates can break stuff on the phone. I don't remember having this issue at the beginning, just in the last months.

Is iPhone better at this? I remember reading people here in the alternatives subforum having issues with notifications in other Android phones, even flagships like S20.

I prefer Android to iOS, but with my current work I need perfect WhatsApp notifications.
 
So this has been a similar problem with my old Galaxy but not with WhatsApp. I would say try deleting the app and then download it back. And check to make sure that notifications are turned on for WhatsApp. And be sure to restart.n
 
macsareveryinteresting said:
So this has been a similar problem with my old Galaxy but not with WhatsApp. I would say try deleting the app and then download it back. And check to make sure that notifications are turned on for WhatsApp. And be sure to restart.n
Click to expand...
I've erased the phone three times to start over all again and it still happens. I've tried changing the notifications settings and leaving everything as it comes but nothing.
 
I have no such issues with notifications coming through on any of my phones.

2 of them are midrange android phones and neither of them have the issue you describe.
 
MarkX said:
I have no such issues with notifications coming through on any of my phones.

2 of them are midrange android phones and neither of them have the issue you describe.
Click to expand...
The way I see it mid-range phones or flagships have different issues. I had another mid-range before and no issues with WhatsApp, but it did have another serious issue with mics.

The problem is Android phones aren't fully optimized, or when updates come they can break something. I've seen this with every Android phone I've had. iPhone isn't perfect, obviously, but better in this regard.
 
Steve Adams said:
I was just going to say the same thing. Notifications on my iPhone 11 never work. I am ready to stomp the guts out of my phone just to get something else.
Click to expand...
Really? What problems are you having with notifications?

Has it happened always or after an update?
 
Never had a problem with notifications though I can’t speak for WhatsApp since I don’t use it.
 
Sensamic said:
Really? What problems are you having with notifications?

Has it happened always or after an update?
Click to expand...
On my iPhone 8 they came in around 50% of the time and none when wearing my watch series 3. Now with the 11, it's probably 10 percent and none with my watch connected. If I wear my garmin watch, I get notifications on that but still nothing on my phone. It's the last apple product I will ever own. They are the new android. A10 is more fluid and stable than iOS 13 or 14 has ever been.
 
Probably has to do with battery optimization but unlike iOS you can turn it off per app on Android. Go into apps, select WhatsApp, battery and enable background activity first and if that doesn't help also set the app to 'not optimized'.
 
Last edited:
I stopped using WhatsApp earlier this year but until then notifications worked well over the years. Same of course for Messages and now Signal.
 
mi7chy said:
Probably has to do with battery optimization but unlike iOS you can turn it off per app on Android. Go into apps, select WhatsApp, battery and enable background activity first and if that doesn't help also set the app to 'not optimized'.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I thought about that, and already tried it. Still didn't help.

I've tried almost everything I can think of.

Remember: the message arrives, it only doesn't sound sometimes. So background activity does work.
 
I’ve had serious notifications issues on every android phone I’ve ever had more down to not coming through 7-8 mins after my apple devices but this was more on other app notifications not texts though
 
Sensamic said:
Yeah, I thought about that, and already tried it. Still didn't help.

I've tried almost everything I can think of.

Remember: the message arrives, it only doesn't sound sometimes. So background activity does work.
Click to expand...
I have seen this before in WhatsApp make sure you have not got a watch overriding your phone notifications ie mute on phone

Additionally use a custom strong/loud ring tone, I have ones from my Sony erricsion phone 2004 phone they are 2 or 3 times louder and probably simpler than standard ones of today

I suspect you notifications is playing but it being overly muted by some other app

As for lag on receiving notifications especially email on stock app check frequency update in settings or use outlook

I have multiple email accounts including apple and never an issue or receiving sms from around the world etc

Be under no illusion and you only have to read MR front headlines how many thing get broken then fixed a few days later even on Ios, there has been an extraordinary amount this year
 
SteveJUAE said:
I have seen this before in WhatsApp make sure you have not got a watch overriding your phone notifications ie mute on phone

Additionally use a custom strong/loud ring tone, I have ones from my Sony erricsion phone 2004 phone they are 2 or 3 times louder and probably simpler than standard ones of today

I suspect you notifications is playing but it being overly muted by some other app

As for lag on receiving notifications especially email on stock app check frequency update in settings or use outlook

I have multiple email accounts including apple and never an issue or receiving sms from around the world etc

Be under no illusion and you only have to read MR front headlines how many thing get broken then fixed a few days later even on Ios, there has been an extraordinary amount this year
Click to expand...
I've restored the phone several times and right now I don't have my Huawei watch connected or even synced with the device.

I have the phone just by my side and I can clearly tell it doesn't sound when a message is received, but it happens sometimes, not always.

I think it has to do with how groups work in WhatsApp. I did a test an hour ago with an iPhone and this did turn the screen on every time and sometimes it didn't make the sound, but my A71 only made the sound a few times and most times it didn't even vibrate.
 
Sensamic said:
I've restored the phone several times and right now I don't have my Huawei watch connected or even synced with the device.

I have the phone just by my side and I can clearly tell it doesn't sound when a message is received, but it happens sometimes, not always.

I think it has to do with how groups work in WhatsApp. I did a test an hour ago with an iPhone and this did turn the screen on every time and sometimes it didn't make the sound, but my A71 only made the sound a few times and most times it didn't even vibrate.
Click to expand...
But did your pop up's show or your AOD ?

Have you got high priority notifications on for groups in WhatsApp settings ?
 
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SteveJUAE said:
But did your pop up's show or your AOD ?

Have you got high priority notifications on for groups in WhatsApp settings ?
Click to expand...
I only use AOD at night to check the time from bed, but someone recommended me an app called AOD notify me, which turns the screen on when you receive a notification, just like the iphone, and then it leaves AOD active as a reminder of the notification. It seems to work very well, I'm still testing it out. I have it on just for whatsapp messages, and the screen turns on for a few seconds and then AOD shows the icon badge and edge lightning.

If this keeps working I might keep the A71. Will try for this week and if it fails I'll probably go for iPhone 12.

I did try high priority for groups, but I believe this only shows the notifications higher on the notifications panel, right? No other functions.

Today, at work, got a message from my gf while using the phone and I didn't even get a popup at the top of the screen of an icon at the top bar. I saw the message thanks to the whatsapp widget.
 
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SteveJUAE said:
I have seen this before in WhatsApp make sure you have not got a watch overriding your phone notifications ie mute on phone

Additionally use a custom strong/loud ring tone, I have ones from my Sony erricsion phone 2004 phone they are 2 or 3 times louder and probably simpler than standard ones of today

I suspect you notifications is playing but it being overly muted by some other app

As for lag on receiving notifications especially email on stock app check frequency update in settings or use outlook

I have multiple email accounts including apple and never an issue or receiving sms from around the world etc

Be under no illusion and you only have to read MR front headlines how many thing get broken then fixed a few days later even on Ios, there has been an extraordinary amount this year
Click to expand...
Heck, even 6 months later IOS 14 users are still having issues with notifications.

www.zdnet.com

The six-month-old iOS 14 bug that Apple still hasn't fixed

By this point we're starting to think about iOS 15.
www.zdnet.com www.zdnet.com
 
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MarkX said:
Heck, even 6 months later IOS 14 users are still having issues with notifications.

www.zdnet.com

The six-month-old iOS 14 bug that Apple still hasn't fixed

By this point we're starting to think about iOS 15.
www.zdnet.com www.zdnet.com
Click to expand...
This is exactly what is happening to my iPhone 11. My wife's is fine. It's really weird that it only affects certain phones. Oh well, I will get all my notifications on my new Note. I cannot miss notifications for work. That's my livelyhood apple is screwing with now. I NEED to get calls, texts etc in order to make money.
 
I am one of them. I have this issue. It's bad. I don't get any notifications on my iphone, only my watch. Every now and then some came in on my iPad, but I have since go rid of it. Samsung incoming now.
 
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