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5 Ways to Fix WhatsApp Group Notifications Not Working

Quick Fixes
  • Disable and re-enable WhatsApp group notifications.
  • Turn on high-priority notifications for groups under WhatsApp Settings > Notifications.
  • Enable background activity permissions.
  • Leave the WhatsApp Beta program, uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.

Common Fixes

  • Unmute WhatsApp group – Long-tap the muted WhatsApp group and tap the Sound icon at the top to unmute notifications. Alternatively, open an existing group, select three vertical dots at the top right, and tap Unmute notifications.
  • Unarchive WhatsApp group – Open WhatsApp and select the Archived menu. Long-tap a group and tap the Unarchive chat icon.
  • Provide Unrestricted Battery Usage on Android – Long-tap the WhatsApp icon to open App info, select App battery usage, and set it to Unrestricted.
  • Update WhatsApp – Open Google Play Store or Apple App Store, search WhatsApp, and tap Update (if available).
  • Update device software – Open Android Settings and tap System update. On iPhone, head to General and tap Software Update.

Fix 1: Disable and Re-Enable WhatsApp Group Notifications

Turning off and re-enabling group notifications refreshes WhatsApp to fix existing glitches with group notifications.

On Android: Long-tap the WhatsApp icon to open App info > tap Notifications > disable the Group notifications toggle and re-enable it.

On iPhone: Open your WhatsApp account settings from the bottom right (Gear icon) > select Notifications > toggle off Show Notifications under Group Notifications, followed by re-enabling it.

Fix 2: Check Notification Categories (Android)

WhatsApp offers a dedicated Notification Categories feature on certain Android devices (e.g., Samsung) that controls group notifications. Ensure it is enabled to avoid missing new notifications.

Note: This feature might be unavailable on some Android smartphones.

Step 1: Open WhatsApp settings and tap Notifications.

Step 2: Select Notification categories and ensure Group notifications are enabled.

Fix 3: Enable High Priority Notifications for Groups (Android)

If you frequently miss new WhatsApp group notifications, assigning them a high priority resolves the issue.

Step 1: Open WhatsApp, tap the three-dot menu at the top right corner, and select Settings.

Step 2: Select Notifications and enable the toggle for Use high priority notifications under Groups settings.

Fix 4: Enable Background Activity for WhatsApp

Missing background activity permissions are a common cause of group notifications not working on WhatsApp. Enabling these permissions manually will resolve the problem.

On Android: Long-tap the WhatsApp icon to open App info > select Mobile data and Wi-Fi > toggle on Unrestricted data usage.

On iPhone: Open the iPhone Settings app, tap WhatsApp, and enable the Background App Refresh.

Fix 5: Exit WhatsApp Beta Program

If you miss group notifications due to a buggy WhatsApp Beta update, exit the beta program, uninstall WhatsApp, and re-install its stable version. Follow these steps to exit the WhatsApp beta program:

Open the WhatsApp page in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and tap Leave or Opt-out under the Beta program section to exit.

Alternatively, you can leave all beta app programs at once on Android under Google Play Store Settings > Account and device preferences > Leave beta programs.

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Last updated on 02 May, 2024

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