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Push Notification Troubleshooting

Troubleshoot issues with push notifications

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Pre-Checks

Please complete the Notification Troubleshooting Pre-Checks before proceeding with this article.

Push notifications offer the most reliable and robust method of notification delivery.

  • 99.99% reliability backed by Apple and Google’s world class data centers
  • Push notifications are not subject to local regulations that SMS and phone notification have
  • Push notifications do not rely on aging and unreliable carrier networks for SMS and phone notificiations
  • Providers filter/drop SMS notifications based on the content in the SMS notification
  • Data suggests 6x faster MTTA when responders have push notifications enabled
  • We highly recommend push notifications as a 0 minute rule. For more information regarding best practices for setting up notification rules, please reference the Stagger Notification Rules section.

General Troubleshooting

Download the Most Recent Version of the Mobile App

In some cases, there may be issues receiving push notifications if the mobile app version is very old or out-of-date. You can download the most recent version of the PagerDuty mobile app from Google Play or the App Store. Please see our System Requirements for supported app versions and platforms.

In-App Troubleshooting

You can test notifications in the mobile app:

  1. Navigate to More Settings.
  2. Tap Troubleshoot Notifications.

Tests will automatically begin, with green check marks indicating success. If an issue is identified, an error message with suggested troubleshooting steps will appear.

Enable Push Notifications in the Mobile App

In the mobile app, navigate to More Settings and verify that you have the following settings configured in the Notifications section:

  • Confirm that Push Notifications have been enabled/toggled on (iOS).
  • Under High-Urgency, select a sound that will play when you receive push notifications for high-urgency incidents.
  • Optional: Under Low-Urgency, deactivate the Mute Sound toggle and select a sound that will play when you receive push notifications for low-urgency incidents.

Perform a Reset

In the PagerDuty app:

You may wish to reset your push notification settings and preferences.

  1. Remove the Account:
    1. On Android: Navigate to More , tap the menu to the right of the account, and tap Remove this account.
    2. On iOS: Navigate to More User Icon (top-left). Tap Edit, then tap to the desired account. Tap Delete to confirm your selection.
  2. Force close the app.
  3. Open the app and log in to your PagerDuty account.

In the Settings app:

  1. You can also reset the app in your device’s settings app:
    1. On Android: Open the Settings app and navigate to Apps All Apps PagerDuty Storage & Cache, then select Clear Cache.
    2. On iOS: Open the Settings app, select PagerDuty, then turn the Reset toggle to the on position.

Send a Test Notification in the Web App

These steps outline how to send a test notification to the mobile app from the web app:

  1. Add your device as a contact method and add a notification rule for the device.
  2. Enable notifications for the PagerDuty app in your phone's Settings.
  3. Confirm you have the most recent version of the mobile app.
  4. In the web app, navigate to User Icon My Profile. With the Contact Information tab selected, click Test to the right of your device’s name.

Check Push Notifications for Other Apps

In rare circumstances, Apple may block specific devices from its Apple Push Notification Service. If you have any other apps that use push notifications, verify whether those apps are able to receive push notifications. Another place to check is your Notification Center to see when you were last able to receive a notification.

For Android, updating your phone may change the device ID. This can affect push notification delivery.

Check Firewall and Network Connection

You'll need an internet connection to register the PagerDuty app. If the device is connected to Wi-Fi (and no cellular connection is available), inbound and outbound TCP packets need to be sent over port 5223. Check to see whether a firewall is blocking these requests.

To circumvent a firewall that's blocking push notification registration, turn your device's Wi-Fi off, log out of the PagerDuty app, and log in again while using a cellular data connection. You can confirm that registration was successful in the web app on your user profile page; your device should appear in the Mobile App section.

Check Blocked Devices on the User Profile Page

If you uninstall and reinstall the PagerDuty mobile app, you may find multiple instances of the same device listed in the Mobile App section. Only one device can be registered at a time, and some entries may show Blocked next to them.

You can remove a Blocked device by clicking to the right of the device. This will also remove any notification rules associated with the device.

Other Common Issues

  • Opt Out: This is a common reason, especially on iOS devices where apps must explicitly ask for permission to allow notifications.
  • Do Not Disturb (DND): Certain notifications may be silenced when DND or Focus mode is enabled.
  • Low App Usage: Some manufacturers will restrict notifications from infrequently used apps.
  • Battery Optimization or Power Saving Mode: Aggressive battery optimization may limit background app activity, affecting notification delivery.
  • Internet Connection: Service outage or degradation may impact the deliverability of push notifications.
  • Limited Resources: Push notifications cannot be delivered if the device does not have enough resources to receive and store the notifications.
  • Outdated Operating System: Older operating systems might have compatibility issues with some notification systems.

Troubleshoot Push Notification Sounds

  • Volume Muted or Low: Notification sounds may not play as expected if the device is silenced, or the volume is too low.
  • Notification Sound Disabled: Check if you have sound enabled for PagerDuty app notifications.
  • Competing Sounds: Other audio sources (e.g. loud music) can mask notification sounds.
  • Headphones or Bluetooth Audio Connected: Audio may be directed to a different output than expected.
  • Notification Tone: It can be hard to hear soft or non-distinctive notification sounds.
  • Decibel Limits: Some devices include settings that limit the decibel of incoming notifications. This may cause unexpected behavior if there are any sound settings that would cause notification sounds to exceed the limit.

Android Device Troubleshooting

This guide covers common troubleshooting steps for notification issues specific to Android devices. Please see the section General Troubleshooting before using this guide.

Enable Push Notifications

In order to receive push notifications on your Android device, Google Play Services must be enabled. If Google Play Services are enabled and the General Troubleshooting steps have not resolved the issue, you can try resetting the app.

To reset the app, navigate to Settings Apps All apps PagerDuty and tap Clear Storage.

Battery-Saving Mode

In some cases, users have reported delayed notifications while using a battery-saving mode. You can adjust this setting for PagerDuty by going to Settings Battery Battery usage PagerDuty and selecting Unrestricted.

Other phones may have this setting labeled as Don't wake for notifications, which you can disable to prevent delays receiving notifications.

Override System Volume

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Limitation

PagerDuty cannot override the volume for phone calls and SMS.

Recent versions* of our Android app offer a feature called Override System Volume. The availability of this feature may differ based on your specific device** and/or what other apps you have installed. It is an experimental feature, and we recommend testing it before using it for production notifications.

*Override System Volume has been introduced, removed, and re-introduced due to its experimental nature and breaking changes from new releases of the Android platform. If you don't see the option in the app, make sure you have the latest version from Google Play.

**OnePlus devices on Android 10 and higher do not support Override System Volume for the PagerDuty app.

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Work Profiles

Due to a Work Profile limitation from Android, overriding Do Not Disturb and system volume will not work when the PagerDuty app is under a Work Profile.

Manually Configure Override Do Not Disturb

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Allow the PagerDuty Contact to Override Do Not Disturb

To have phone call and SMS notifications override Do Not Disturb, you will first need to allow the PagerDuty contact to override Do Not Disturb. Please see Override Do Not Disturb for Starred Contacts.

On some Android devices, the mobile app cannot automatically read from your Do Not Disturb (DND) settings. You can manually add PagerDuty to your DND settings, though:

  1. Navigate to your phone's Settings and select Notifications.
  2. Tap Do not disturb.
  3. Tap App notifications.
  4. Add the PagerDuty app to Allow during Do not disturb.

Other Sound Issues

If you are receiving push notifications but are unable to hear a sound, please confirm the following:

  • Android requires a sound to be selected for push notifications. Select a sound under Settings Sound & vibration Default notification sound.
  • Check to see if any other volume-manipulating apps are running.

Apple Device Troubleshooting

This guide covers common troubleshooting steps for notification issues specific to Apple devices. Please see the section General Troubleshooting for initial troubleshooting steps.

Enable Notifications

In iOS, it is possible to turn off notifications for individual apps. In the Settings app, tap Notifications and make sure the PagerDuty app is listed and enabled to play sounds and show Alerts or Banners. These are the app's default settings. If you don't see the PagerDuty app in Notifications, it is possible you didn’t allow PagerDuty to send push notifications when installing the app.

Apple suggests following these steps to enable notifications:

  1. Delete the PagerDuty app from your device.
  2. Turn off your device completely and turn it back on.
  3. Go to Settings General Date & Time and set the date ahead a day or more.
  4. Turn the device off completely again and turn it back on.
  5. Reinstall PagerDuty and tap Allow when prompted to allow push notifications.

Verify Your Device is Registered with PagerDuty

After logging in, PagerDuty registers your device's push notification token to our system. This allows us to send push notifications. In the PagerDuty web app, confirm that your device is listed on your user profile under Contact Information. If it is not in this section, or you see multiple devices, you'll need to allow notifications when opening the app for the first time. You may also delete and reinstall the app to re-register your device.

For more information, please read Log in to the Mobile App.

Push Notification Doesn't Produce Sound

If push notifications come through, but are not making a sound, in addition to checking sound settings, make sure that your device's Ring/Silent switch is set to Ring. If your device is on silent or vibrate, then PagerDuty notifications will also be on silent or vibrate.

Lastly, check that you are signed in to your Apple ID on your iOS device. Go to Settings iTunes & App Store and enter your Apple ID and password.

Apple Watch Notification Troubleshooting

If there is an issue receiving notifications on your Apple Watch, make sure that you've logged in to the PagerDuty app on your iPhone. Then please check the following:

  1. Your Apple Watch must be on your wrist to receive notifications.
  2. Your iPhone must be locked to receive watch notifications.
  3. On your iPhone, notifications must be turned on for the PagerDuty app and the Apple Watch app.
    1. You can find this under Settings Notifications PagerDuty Allow Notifications.

Updated 6 months ago

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