Not getting any notifications on your Mac? Turn off Focus

Why it happens

A Focus, such as Do Not Disturb, Sleep or Work, holds back banners and sounds while it's on. You'll usually see its icon, like a moon, in the menu bar. It may have been turned on by a schedule, a keyboard key or your iPhone, which is why it can feel like it switched on by itself.

How to fix it

1. Look at the right side of the menu bar. A moon, a bed or another small Focus icon means a Focus is on.

2. Click Control Center in the menu bar (the icon with two small switches), then click Focus. The Focus that's on is highlighted, so click it to turn it off.

   Menu bar›Control Center›Focus

3. To see which Focus is on and how it's set up, open System Settings and click Focus. Each Focus is listed there, including Do Not Disturb.

   Focus

4. Send yourself a test, such as a message from your phone, and check a banner appears.

Still not fixed?

1. If the Focus comes back on later, it may be on a schedule or copied from your iPhone. Turn off Share across devices in Focus settings to keep your Mac separate, and check each Focus's Set a Schedule section.

   Focus›Share across devices

2. If only one app stays silent, click it in Notifications settings and turn Allow notifications on.

   Notifications›your app›Allow notifications

3. Sharing your screen or showing it on a TV? Your Mac can hold notifications back while it does that. Check the Show Notifications options at the top of Notifications settings.

   Notifications›Show Notifications›when mirroring or sharing the display

4. Some Mac keyboards have a moon key in the top row that turns Do Not Disturb on or off, so it's easy to switch it on by accident.

5. Restart your Mac if notifications still don't appear with every Focus off. If they still never show for any app, contact Apple Support.