How to Fix Missing Slack Mentions Notifications on Phone (Android & iOS)

You’ve missed that urgent @mention in Slack on your smartphone, haven’t you? It happens all too often. Team updates slip by, or you overlook a ping during a busy day. This glitch pulls you out of the loop when you need to stay connected most.

Common culprits include Slack app settings turned off, phone restrictions blocking alerts, Do Not Disturb mode active, low battery limits, muted channels, or an outdated app. These issues hit both Android and iOS users hard. They build up quietly until notifications vanish.

Don’t worry. You can fix missing Slack mentions notifications with simple steps that work on the latest app versions. We’ll walk you through them one by one. No tech expertise needed; just follow along.

First, check Slack’s own notification preferences. Next, tweak your phone’s system settings for alerts. Then, disable Do Not Disturb or Focus modes.

We’ll cover battery saver tweaks, app updates or reinstalls, cache clears on Android, and Slack’s built-in tests. Extra tips handle bots and network woes too. By the end, your phone will buzz reliably for every mention.

Stick with us. You’ll regain control over your Slack flow in minutes and never miss a beat again.

Check Slack App Settings First to Get Mentions Notifications Working

You can solve most missing Slack mentions on your smartphone with a quick check of the app’s built-in options. Start here before you dive into phone settings. These tweaks often restore alerts right away. Open the Slack app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Then select Notifications to access the controls.

Turn On Push Notifications and Choose Mention Alerts

Push notifications make your smartphone buzz or show banners for mentions. First, ensure Mobile notifications sits toggled on. Scroll to What to notify you about and pick Mentions and direct messages.

This choice differs from Everything. The Everything option floods you with alerts for every channel message. It leads to notification fatigue, so many turn it off. Mentions and direct messages targets only @yourname tags and DMs. It keeps things focused.

This fix works for most users. Slack defaults sometimes shift to silent modes during installs or updates. Toggle it now, and test with a quick @mention from a coworker. Your smartphone should light up within seconds.

Follow these steps on Android or iOS:

1. Tap your profile picture.
2. Go to Notifications.
3. Switch Mobile notifications to on.
4. Under What to notify you about, select Mentions and direct messages.
5. Tap back to save.

Users report instant results. One common slip: overlooking the mobile-specific toggle when desktop settings look fine.

Disable Do Not Disturb and Unmute Key Channels

Do Not Disturb (DND) or Snooze mode silences everything without you noticing. Check for it under your profile picture. Look for a purple DND icon or Snooze timer. Tap it and select Turn off or end the session now.

Coworkers see your status, but it blocks phone alerts. Use the /dnd command in any chat to pause for set times, like /dnd 2 hours. Turn it off the same way.

Next, unmute channels. Muted ones skip notifications even for mentions. Open a channel, tap its name at the top, then Settings & Details. Hit Notifications and toggle to Default or All new messages.

Key channels like team updates or project threads often get muted by accident during busy days. After changes, test them. Ask a friend to @mention you in each one. Wait 30 seconds. No buzz? Double-check the toggles.

Here’s what to verify:

• App-wide DND: Profile > Do Not Disturb > Off.
• Channel mutes: Channel name > Settings > Notifications > On.

These steps clear hidden blocks. Your smartphone alerts return sharp and reliable.

Add Custom Keywords for Better Coverage

Mentions catch @tags, but keywords spot important terms like your job title or project names. They expand coverage without overwhelming you.

Go to your profile picture > Preferences > Channel keywords. Tap Add keyword and type phrases. Examples include “marketing lead”, “Q4 launch”, or “bug fix”. Slack matches them exactly, ignoring case—so “ProjectX” catches “projectx”.

Keywords work in main channels, not threads. Add 3-5 at first to avoid spam. They trigger alongside mentions for full protection.

Test like this: Post a keyword phrase in a channel. Your smartphone should notify you even without an @. Adjust as needed.

This boosts reliability. Teams use it for names like “CEO update” or “budget review”. You stay ahead without constant checks.

Fix Android Settings to Stop Blocking Slack Mentions

Your smartphone runs great, but Android settings often silence Slack alerts without warning. Notifications get toggled off. Battery rules put apps to sleep. Do Not Disturb blocks everything. Fix these blocks, and mentions will pop up right away. Follow these steps on Android 15 or similar versions. Paths vary a bit by brand like Samsung or Pixel, but they stay simple.

Enable App Notifications and Categories

Start with basic notifications for Slack. Your phone might have turned them off to save power or cut noise. Turn them back on, then set categories for mentions only.

Open the Settings app. Tap Apps (or Applications). Find Slack and select it. Hit Notifications and toggle the main switch to on. Now scroll to categories. Slack shows options like Direct messages, mentions & keywords. Pick that one. It catches @mentions and key terms without every message.

Test it quick. Ask a coworker to @mention you. Your smartphone should buzz in seconds. If categories look grayed out, check Slack’s app settings first from earlier steps.

Here’s the full path in order:

1. Launch Settings.
2. Go to Apps > Slack.
3. Tap Notifications.
4. Toggle Allow notifications on.
5. Under categories, enable Mentions or Direct messages, mentions & keywords.

This setup targets what matters. No more floods, just the pings you need.

Adjust Battery Optimization for Slack

Battery optimization kills background apps like Slack. Your phone thinks it saves juice, but it delays or drops notifications. Set Slack to run free.

Head to Settings > Battery. Look for Battery optimization or App optimization. Tap it. Find Slack in the list (tap All apps if needed). Select it and choose Don’t optimize or Unrestricted.

Samsung users go Settings > Device care > Battery > Battery optimization. Pixels use Settings > Battery > Battery saver > Manage apps, then add Slack to unrestricted.

Why does this work? Optimized apps sleep deep. Slack can’t check for new mentions. After the change, force-stop Slack once (in Apps settings) and reopen it.

Follow these steps:

1. Open Settings > Battery.
2. Tap Battery optimization.
3. Select Slack > Don’t optimize.
4. Restart Slack.

Users see alerts return fast. Keep this unchecked, or tweaks revert on updates.

Photo by Daniel Moises Magulado

Turn Off Do Not Disturb Mode

Do Not Disturb silences all alerts across your smartphone. It might run in the background or on a schedule. Turn it off to let Slack through.

Swipe down from the top for quick settings. Tap the Do Not Disturb icon if lit (looks like a circle with lines). Or go deep: Settings > Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb. Toggle it off. If under Notifications, same spot.

Samsung calls it Modes and Routines sometimes. Pixels have Focus modes. Search “Do Not Disturb” in Settings for the fast path. Set exceptions for Slack if you use schedules.

Check people or apps lists too. Make sure Slack or notifications allow breaks.

Quick steps to disable:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb.
3. Switch to Off.
4. Review People or Apps for Slack allowances.

Clear this, and your mentions flow free. Test with a ping now.

iPhone Users: Update iOS Settings for Slack Alerts

iPhone owners often miss Slack mentions because iOS settings block push alerts. Your smartphone stays silent even when the Slack app works fine. Fix this by enabling key toggles in the Settings app. These changes let sounds, badges, and banners show for mentions. Start with notifications, then handle power and focus blocks.

Allow Notifications, Sounds, and Badges

Slack needs full permission from iOS to send alerts to your smartphone. Without them, mentions arrive unseen. Head to the Settings app and tap Notifications. Scroll to Slack and select it.

Toggle Allow Notifications to on. This opens banners and lock screen previews. Next, switch on Sounds for audible pings. Enable Badges too. They show red dots with unread counts on the app icon. For extra reach, turn on Lock Screen and Banners under alerts.

Slack categories appear here sometimes. Look for Direct messages, mentions & keywords. Toggle it on to target @mentions without every channel message.

Follow these steps:

1. Open Settings > Notifications > Slack.
2. Turn on Allow Notifications.
3. Enable Sounds, Badges, Lock Screen, and Banners.
4. Activate Direct messages, mentions & keywords if listed.

Test right away. Ask a coworker to @mention you in Slack. Your iPhone should buzz, show a banner, and update the badge. No response? Restart the app or phone.

These toggles restore full alerts. Many users skip badges, but they help spot unread mentions at a glance.

Disable Low Power and Focus Modes

Low Power Mode cuts background activity to save battery. It delays or drops Slack checks for new mentions. Focus modes like Do Not Disturb do the same by design.

First, check battery. Go to Settings > Battery. Tap Low Power Mode and turn it off. The yellow battery icon vanishes, freeing Slack to run.

For Focus, open Settings > Focus. Tap each active mode, such as Do Not Disturb, Personal, or Work. Under Apps, find Slack and toggle Allow Notifications on. Or silence the whole setup: Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center. Tap the Focus icon and select Do Not Disturb Off or your current mode off.

Quick paths to verify:

1. Battery: Settings > Battery > Off Low Power Mode.
2. Focus: Settings > Focus > [Mode] > Apps > Slack on. Or Control Center > Focus > Off.

After changes, send a test @mention. Alerts should hit fast. If schedules run Focus at night, add Slack exceptions.

Clear these, and your smartphone delivers Slack mentions without fail. Check back in Slack’s troubleshoot tool if issues linger.

Quick Fixes to Try When Basic Steps Fail

You’ve checked Slack settings and phone permissions, but your smartphone still skips mentions. These simple actions reset glitches and refresh connections. They take under five minutes and fix stubborn issues for many users.

Restart Your Phone and Update Slack

A quick restart clears temporary bugs that block Slack alerts. Phones hold onto old processes, and Slack benefits from a clean boot. Do this first on Android or iOS.

Hold the power button. Select Restart or Reboot. Wait 30 seconds after it powers up, then open Slack and test a mention.

Outdated Slack versions cause notification drops too. Updates patch these bugs fast.

On Android, open Google Play Store. Tap your profile icon > Manage apps & device > Updates available. Find Slack and hit Update.

iPhone users go to App Store. Tap your profile picture. Scroll to Available Updates or search Slack. Tap Update.

After updates, restart again. Force-quit Slack first: Android swipes it from recent apps; iOS double-taps Home or swipes up from bottom. Relaunch and send a test @mention.

Users fix 70% of lingering issues this way. Your smartphone buzzes reliably soon.

Follow these steps in order:

1. Restart your phone.
2. Update Slack in the app store.
3. Force-quit and reopen Slack.
4. Test with a coworker ping.

Photo by dumitru B

Clear Cache and Check Your Connection

Android cache builds junk that stalls notifications. iOS handles it differently, but network tweaks help both.

On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Slack > Storage & cache. Tap Clear cache (data stays safe). Avoid Clear data unless needed, as it logs you out.

Restart Slack after. Test mentions. If no change, clear Google Play Services cache the same way; it powers Android push alerts.

iOS lacks direct cache clear. Offload the app instead: Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Slack > Offload App. Reinstall from App Store. It keeps data but refreshes files.

Weak connections drop Slack pushes too. Toggle airplane mode on for 10 seconds, then off. Switch WiFi to mobile data or reverse. Test speed at fast.com; Slack needs steady 1Mbps up/down.

Connection tip: Stay off VPNs during tests; they route alerts wrong.

These steps revive alerts when settings alone fail. Your mentions arrive on time now.

Quick checklist:

• Android: Clear Slack cache, restart app.
• Both: Airplane toggle, network switch.
• Verify internet speed.

Conclusion

You now hold the steps to restore Slack mentions notifications on your smartphone. Most users fix the issue with these checks: Slack app toggles, phone permissions, battery rules, and quick restarts.

Use this checklist to confirm:

• Toggle Mobile notifications on in Slack; pick Mentions and direct messages.
• Enable app alerts and categories in Android/iOS settings.
• Set Slack to Don’t optimize on battery screens.
• Turn off Do Not Disturb, Low Power, or Focus modes.
• Update Slack, clear cache, and test connections.

Test in Slack’s mentions tab right away. Send a coworker ping and watch your smartphone respond. Monitor for a week to catch any slips.

Stay updated on Slack changes to avoid future glitches. Your alerts work reliably now.

Share your fix story in the comments below. Bookmark this guide for quick reference next time.