Help Samsung S21: some apps are no longer displaying notifications

[cdl]

I have a Samsung S21 running Android 12 and One UI 4.1

Many apps have stopped showing notifications.

For example email: I have tried with Aqua mail, k9 mail and Samsung Email: only the Samsung app actually shows notifications for incoming messages. The other apps will read messages, and if I open the app new email will be there, but they don't show notifications.

Notifications were showing up OK till a few weeks ago. I have tried the IT approach of deleting and reinstalling - nothing.

I have also had non-email apps do this.



Obviously notifications are enabled in the settings, and do not disturb is disabled.



Initially I thought it had something to do with Doze (Android putting apps to sleep after a period of inactivity) but this happens even if the screen is on.



Any ideas?

 

[Dannydet]

If I were you I'd install a different launcher, such as Nova launcher from the play store.
The launcher controls your app notifications and Nova is second to none.
I've used it for years without any problem and so have others in this forum.

 

[svim]

Since things were apparently working out OK previously but stopped a few weeks ago, when was the last time you just restarted your S21?
If this problem was caused by some one-off glitch that popped up for whatever reason, a simple reboot is a good way to solution for such things. Something like uninstalling/reinstalling an app relates to the app in question, on the other hand Notifications are part of the Android operating system running on your phone, and managed by the OS. Ties between the notifications and your apps are incidental.

If a reboot makes no difference and the problem is still occurring, can you recall if anything, like a system update, might have been applied around the same time?

 

[olbriar]

I encountered a notification glitch last week with my S21. Though it was still showing badge numbers, my apps suddenly changed to my system default notification tone. (Just a short knock) I'm also using the stock launcher. I had to reset my chosen notification tones for different apps. I have no clue what caused the problem but the fix was easy enough. It's odd that you encountered notification problems as well.

 

[cdl]

@Dannydet I hadn't realised launchers control notifications - how does that work? Anyway, I have tried with Nova and with Samsung' UI launcher - no changes.

@svim Yes, I have tried the usual reboot / uninstall / reinstall thing, no change. A system update may have been applied in that time, I am honestly not fully sure of the exact timing.

@olbriar: did you just change the notification sound, not any other setting, to fix the issue?

Anyway, I have tried with k9 mail and FairEmail. They both work well, but k9 has an ugly interface while FaiEmail is nice. Notifications work with both.

So I have foound a partial solution (another email client which works) but I would still like to understand what was causing that issue with AquaMail, especially because I also have the same issue with another app (the Amcrest video doorbell app).

 

[olbriar]

[USER=162323]@olbriar: did you just change the notification sound, not any other setting, to fix the issue?
[/USER]

My notifications were showing but I was missing them because the notification sound was changed to the default which is all but unnoticeable. Changing them back to my preferred sound that's much louder and distinct was all I had to do to fix the glitch I had in my notifications. It's not the same problem that you are having but I made mention of it because we are both using the same phone with a sudden notification glitch. I made no changes to my system. There might have been a security patch that I don't remember. Something changed my notification settings... I didn't.