zulip/help/mobile-notifications.md

# Mobile notifications

You can customize whether [channel messages](/help/channel-notifications),
[direct messages](/help/dm-mention-alert-notifications) and
[mentions][notifications-wildcard-mentions] trigger notifications in Zulip's
[Android](https://zulip.com/apps/ios) and [iOS](https://zulip.com/apps/ios)
apps.

{start_tabs}

{tab|desktop-web}

{settings_tab|notifications}

1. Toggle the checkboxes for **Channels** and **DMs, mentions, and alerts**
   in the **Mobile** column of the **Notification triggers** table.

{end_tabs}

[notifications-wildcard-mentions]: /help/dm-mention-alert-notifications#wildcard-mentions

## Mobile notifications while online

You can customize whether or not Zulip will send mobile push
notifications while you are actively using one of the Zulip apps.

{start_tabs}

{tab|desktop-web}

{settings_tab|notifications}

1. Under **Mobile message notifications**, toggle
   **Send mobile notifications even if I'm online**, as desired.

{end_tabs}

## Testing mobile notifications

### For users on Zulip Cloud and Zulip Server 8.0+

!!! tip ""

    Follow [these instructions](/help/view-zulip-version) to check the Zulip
    version for your organization.

To verify that mobile notifications are working as desired, you can send
yourself a test notification from the Zulip mobile app. If you belong to more
than one Zulip organization, you can separately test notifications for each
account.

{start_tabs}

{tab|mobile}

1. [Download](https://zulip.com/apps/) and install the Zulip mobile app if you
   have not done so already.

1. [Log in](/help/logging-in) to the account you want to test.

{!mobile-profile-menu.md!}

1. Tap **Settings**.

1. Tap **Notifications**.

1. Tap **Send a test notification**. If notifications are working, you will
   receive a **Test notification**.

!!! tip ""

    If you see a banner indicating that notifications have not been enabled
    for your Zulip server, try [logging out](/help/logging-out) of your account
    and [logging in](/help/logging-in) again. This will help if notifications
    were enabled very recently.

{end_tabs}

### For users on older Zulip servers

!!! tip ""

    Follow [these instructions](/help/view-zulip-version) to check the Zulip
    version for your organization.

Start by configuring your notifications settings to make it easy to trigger a
notification.

{start_tabs}

{tab|desktop-web}

{settings_tab|notifications}

1. In the **Mobile** column of the **Notification triggers** table, make sure
   the **DMs, mentions, and alerts** checkbox is checked.

1. Under **Mobile message notifications**, make sure the **Send mobile
   notifications even if I'm online** checkbox is checked.

{end_tabs}

Next, test Zulip push notifications on your mobile device.

{start_tabs}

{tab|mobile}

1. [Download](https://zulip.com/apps/) and install the Zulip mobile app if you
   have not done so already.

1. If your Zulip organization is self-hosted (not at `*.zulipchat.com`),
   [check](/help/mobile-notifications#enabling-push-notifications-for-self-hosted-servers)
   whether push notifications have been set up. If they were set up recently,
   you will need to [log out](/help/logging-out) of your account.

1. [Log in](/help/logging-in) to the account you want to test.

1. Ask *another* user (not yourself) to [send you a direct
   message](/help/starting-a-new-direct-message). You should see a Zulip message
   notification in the **notifications area** on your device.

{end_tabs}

## Troubleshooting mobile notifications

### Checking your device settings

Some Android vendors have added extra device-level settings that can impact the
delivery of mobile notifications to apps like Zulip. If you're having issues
with Zulip notifications on your Android phone, we recommend Signal's excellent
[troubleshooting guide](https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007318711-Troubleshooting-Notifications#android_notifications_troubleshooting),
which explains the notification settings for many popular Android vendors.

### Enabling push notifications for self-hosted servers

!!! warn ""

    These instructions do not apply to Zulip Cloud organizations (`*.zulipchat.com`).

To enable push notifications for your organization:

{start_tabs}

1. Your server administrator needs to register your Zulip server with the
   [Zulip Mobile Push Notification
   Service](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/mobile-push-notifications.html).

1. For organizations with more than 10 users, an
   [owner](/help/roles-and-permissions) or billing administrator needs to sign
   up for a [plan](https://zulip.com/plans/#self-hosted) for your organization.

{end_tabs}

#### Check whether notifications are enabled on your Zulip server

{start_tabs}

{tab|mobile}

{!mobile-profile-menu.md!}

1. Tap **Settings**.

1. Tap **Notifications**. If notifications are not enabled, you will see a
   banner that indicates this.

{end_tabs}

### Warning banners

To make sure that you are aware when mobile notifications will not work, you will
see a warning banner in the mobile app if:

- Your server is not registered with the [Zulip Mobile Push Notification
  Service](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/mobile-push-notifications.html).

- There is a problem with your server's registration, such as failing to [upload
  required
  basic metadata](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/mobile-push-notifications.html#uploading-basic-metadata).

- Your organization's [plan](https://zulip.com/plans/#self-hosted) does not
  include access to mobile notifications.

- Your organization's access to mobile push notifications is about to
  end. This banner is first shown to server administrators, and then
  to all users.

These banners can be snoozed temporarily, or permanently silenced in
notification settings.

#### Configure warnings about mobile notifications

{start_tabs}

{tab|mobile}

{!mobile-profile-menu.md!}

1. Tap **Settings**.

1. Tap **Notifications**.

1. Toggle **Silence warnings about disabled mobile notifications** to
   configure warning banners in the mobile app.

{end_tabs}

### Why am I seeing “New message” in place of message text?

Administrators of self-hosted Zulip servers can
[configure](https://zulip.readthedocs.io/en/stable/production/mobile-push-notifications.html#security-and-privacy)
push notifications not to include any message content.

### Contacting Zulip support

If you are still having trouble with your push notifications, you can send an
email to [Zulip support](/help/contact-support). Please be sure to include the
troubleshooting data provided by the mobile app.

{start_tabs}

{tab|mobile}

{!mobile-profile-menu.md!}

1. Tap **Settings**.

1. Tap **Notifications**.

1. Tap **Troubleshooting**.

1. Use the **Copy to clipboard** button or the **Email support@zulip.com**
   button to email the troubleshooting data to the Zulip support team.

{end_tabs}

## Related articles

* [Channel notifications](/help/channel-notifications)
* [DMs, mentions, and alerts](/help/dm-mention-alert-notifications)
* [Email notifications](/help/email-notifications)
* [Desktop notifications](/help/desktop-notifications)
* [Do not disturb](/help/do-not-disturb)