When notifications stop showing up on a Mac, it can feel like messages are disappearing into a void. The good news is it’s usually a small setting (Focus, banners, or permissions) that got flipped.

Muted notification bell under a dome indicating silenced alerts

Work through the checks below in order—you’ll usually find the culprit by step 3 or 4.

1. Check Focus (Do Not Disturb) and any schedules

Focus is the #1 reason notifications “vanish,” especially if you used a Work/Personal Focus on another Apple device and it synced to your Mac.

  • Open Control Center (menu bar) → Focus and make sure it’s Off.
  • Go to System Settings → Focus and check for Schedules or Smart Activation that may be turning Focus back on.
  • If you use multiple devices: in the same Focus screen, check Share across devices. If Focus keeps re-enabling, temporarily turn this off while you test.

2. Verify notification permissions for the specific Apple app

macOS controls notifications per app, and an app can be set to “Allow notifications” off without you realizing.

Notification permission toggles representing macOS app alert settings

  • Go to System Settings → Notifications.
  • Select the app (for example: Messages, Mail, Calendar, Reminders, or FaceTime).
  • Turn on Allow notifications.
  • Set Alert style to Banners (or Alerts if you want them to stay on screen).

If it’s an Apple app and it’s missing from the list entirely, jump to step 6.

3. Make sure notifications aren’t being delivered “quietly”

Even when notifications are allowed, they can be configured so they don’t appear as banners.

  • In System Settings → Notifications → pick the app:
  • Turn on Show in Notification Center and Show on Lock Screen (if you use the lock screen).
  • Enable Play sound for notifications if you want an audible cue.
  • Set Badge app icon on if you rely on red badges instead of banners.

Then send yourself a test message/email/reminder and watch for a banner.

4. Check whether the app is blocked by its own settings (Mail, Messages, Calendar)

Some Apple apps have their own alert rules that can mimic “notifications are broken.”

  • Mail: check VIP/Thread notifications, and whether the mailbox/account you use is actually set to fetch/push.
  • Messages: open a conversation and confirm it’s not set to Hide Alerts (quiet bell icon).
  • Calendar/Reminders: confirm the specific calendar/list has alerts enabled and events actually have an alert time.

It’s common for one chat thread or one calendar to be silenced while everything else works.

5. Make sure your Mac isn’t suppressing banners due to screen sharing or full-screen behavior

macOS can change notification behavior when you’re presenting, screen sharing, or using full-screen apps.

  • In System Settings → Notifications, review options like showing notifications when the display is sleeping/locked.
  • If you’re on a video call or sharing your screen, check whether a Focus like Work or Gaming is activating automatically.
  • Try exiting full screen briefly and trigger a test notification.

This step is especially relevant if notifications “work sometimes,” but not during meetings.

6. Restart the notification system (and your Mac) to clear stuck delivery

If settings look correct but nothing is delivering, a background process can be stuck.

Refresh arrow and power icon indicating restarting notifications

  • First, restart your Mac. This fixes a surprising number of notification issues.
  • After rebooting, unlock your Mac and wait 1–2 minutes (some services need a moment to reconnect), then test again.
  • If the issue is only with one app, quit and reopen it after the restart.

If a restart fixes it temporarily and the issue returns, Focus schedules (step 1) or per-app settings (step 2/3) are usually responsible.

7. Check Apple ID/iCloud and system updates (when Apple apps are affected)

If only Apple apps are missing notifications (Messages, FaceTime, Calendar invites), it can be account or system-level.

  • Go to System Settings → Apple Account and confirm you’re signed in and iCloud services are enabled for the apps you use.
  • Open System Settings → General → Software Update and install any pending macOS updates.
  • If you recently changed your Apple ID password, sign out/in can help, but do it cautiously (make sure you know what will re-sync).

Updates often include quiet fixes for notification delivery and background services.

Final thoughts

Most Mac notification problems come down to Focus toggles, per-app alert styles, or a single silenced thread/calendar.

If you tell me which Apple app is affected and your macOS version, I can suggest the shortest set of steps to test.