How do I change my notification settings on Facebook Messenger?
Facebook Messenger allows users to customize notification settings to control when and how they receive notifications from the app. Notifications in Messenger alert you to new messages, calls, reactions, and other activity. By adjusting notification settings, users can choose which notifications they want to receive and how they want to receive them.
There are a few reasons why customizing notification settings can be useful:
- Reduce distractions – Turn off certain notifications to avoid constant interruptions.
- Manage priorities – Highlight notifications from important chats while muting less important ones.
- Control sound/popups – Choose notification sounds and whether to receive popup notifications.
- Optimize battery life – Limit notifications to extend battery life.
- Personalize experience – Customize notifications to best suit your usage and needs.
This guide will walk through the notification options in Messenger and how to update them on both mobile and desktop.
Finding Notification Settings
To find your notification settings in Messenger, first open the Messenger app on your mobile device or desktop. On mobile, tap your profile picture in the top left corner, then tap “Settings”. On desktop, click your profile picture in the top left, click your name, and select “Settings”.
This will open up your Settings menu. On mobile, tap “Notifications & sounds”. On desktop, click “Notifications” on the left sidebar.
This will bring you to your Notifications settings where you can customize your notification preferences for Messenger.
For more information, refer to: Facebook’s Help Center article on turning notifications on or off in Messenger.
Sound Notifications
Sound notifications allow you to customize the notification sound when receiving new messages in Messenger. You can set different notification sounds for all messages or customize it on a per chat basis. Here’s an overview of sound notification options in Messenger:
To customize notification sounds for all messages:
– Tap your profile icon in the top left
– Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings
– Tap Notifications
– Under Sound, select your desired notification sound or vibrate/silent options
(source)
To customize notification sounds for a specific chat:
– Open the chat
– Tap the contact name at the top
– Tap Notifications & Sounds
– Select your desired sound for that chat
(source)
You can choose from default sounds or customize any sound file saved on your device. This allows you to assign unique notification tones to important chats or contacts.
Popup Notifications
Popup notifications are pop-up banners that appear momentarily over the screen when you receive a new Facebook Messenger message. They allow you to preview the message without opening the Messenger app.
To manage popup notifications in the Messenger app:
- Open the Menu in the top left corner.
- Tap on “Settings”.
- Tap on “Notifications”.
- Under “Popup Notifications”, toggle “Show Previews” on or off.
With popup notifications enabled, a banner will briefly appear at the top of your screen when you get a new Messenger message. You can tap on the banner to directly open the message in the Messenger app. Disabling this setting means you won’t see these popup previews.
You can also manage popup notifications in your device settings. In your phone settings, go to Notifications > Messenger > enable or disable “Allow notifications”.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Messenger > enable or disable “Allow Notifications”. You can also toggle the “Show Previews” setting here.
On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Messenger > Notifications > toggle “Pop on screen” on or off.
Light Notifications
Light notifications, also known as LED notifications, utilize your device’s LED light to visually alert you of new Messenger messages and other notifications. When you receive a new notification, the LED light will briefly flash or pulse.
You can customize the color, duration, and style of the LED light for Messenger notifications. On Android devices, options may include choosing a light color like blue, green, yellow, etc. You can make the light pulse, breathe, or use a customized pattern. The duration determines how long the light stays on with each notification.
To customize light notifications on Android, go to Settings > Display > Edge lighting. Choose Messenger and edit the light effects. On iOS, light notifications cannot be customized beyond on/off.
If light notifications are not working properly in the Messenger app, check that notifications are enabled for the app, and that global light notification settings are turned on. There are also some tips on the Reddit and XDA Developers forums.
Vibration Notifications
Vibration notifications cause your device to vibrate when you receive a new message on Messenger. This provides a physical alert in addition to any sound or popup notifications.
To manage vibration notifications in Messenger:
- On Android devices, open the Messenger app and tap your profile photo in the top left. Go to Notifications > Vibrate and toggle vibration on or off for messages.
- On iPhones, go to Settings > Notifications > Messenger and toggle vibration on or off.
- You can also adjust vibration settings globally for all apps by going to your device’s main Settings app. On Android, go to Sound > Vibrate for calls and notifications. On iPhone, go to Sounds & Haptics.
Turning off vibration notifications for Messenger will stop your device from buzzing when new messages arrive, while keeping sounds and popups enabled. Some users prefer disabling vibration for select apps while keeping it on for most notifications.
Sources:
https://www.facebook.com/help/ipad-app/302202129901479
Priority Notifications
Priority notifications allow you to designate specific Facebook Messenger conversations as high priority. When you receive a new message from a priority conversation, it will override your phone’s Do Not Disturb settings so you never miss an important message.
To enable priority notifications for a chat in Messenger:
- Open the chat you want to make a priority.
- Tap the contact’s name at the top of the chat window.
- Tap “Priority notifications” to toggle it on.
You’ll see a star icon next to chats that have priority notifications enabled. You can customize your priority chats at any time by going back to the chat settings.
On Android, priority notifications will override your Do Not Disturb settings. On iPhone, they will bypass the app notification settings. This allows you to still receive important messages even if you have muted the Messenger app.
You can also enable priority notifications for specific groups in Workplace by Facebook. Just go to the group settings and toggle “Priority notifications” on (1). This will send you notifications for all activity in that group.
Priority notifications are a great way to make sure you never miss a message from your close friends or important work conversations. Just be careful not to designate too many chats as priority or it defeats the purpose of muting notifications.
Notification Settings Per Chat
Messenger allows you to customize notification settings for individual chats and contacts. This means you can set different notification sounds, popup preferences, and vibration settings per person or group chat.
To change the notification settings for a specific chat on Android, open the chat and tap the contact name at the top. Then tap “Customize notifications” and you’ll see options to enable or disable sound, popup, and vibration notifications just for that chat. You can even select a unique notification sound for that contact.
On iPhone, open the chat, tap the contact name, and scroll down to “Custom Notifications” where you can toggle sound, alerts, and vibration settings. There’s also an option to select a custom sound for notifications from that person or group.
According to Reddit and Android forums, this per chat customization is helpful if you want a unique notification for important contacts or want to mute chats from certain people (source). With granular notification settings, you can configure Messenger to best suit your needs.
Notification Settings on Mobile
Notification settings on the Facebook Messenger mobile app work similarly to the desktop browser version but with some key differences. You can customize notification settings directly within the Messenger app on both iOS and Android devices.
On the Messenger mobile app, tap your profile photo in the top left corner then select “Settings”. This will open up your account settings. Tap “Notifications” to configure notification settings.
Here you can toggle notifications on or off for different categories like Message Sounds, Message Pop-ups, Chat Heads, and Vibration. You can also set notification preferences for individual chats.
On iOS, you can granting notification access to Messenger in your device Settings > Notifications. Make sure Messenger has notification access enabled.
The Messenger app for Android also has notification channels that let you control different notification categories independently. You can manage these in your Android device’s Settings > Apps & Notifications > Messenger > Notifications.
So in summary, accessing notification settings on mobile Messenger apps is very similar to desktop but done directly within the app itself. Key settings can also be managed in your device’s main Settings app.
Summary
In summary, customizing your notification settings in Facebook Messenger allows you to control when and how you receive notifications based on your preferences. The key points are:
- You can turn sound, popup, light, and vibration notifications on or off for Messenger.
- You can set priority notifications for important people or groups.
- You can customize notifications per chat or contact.
- On mobile, notification settings are adjusted in your device settings.
Having control over your notifications is important to reduce interruptions and distractions. Set notifications to suit your needs – whether that’s muting chats when you’re busy or ensuring you never miss an important message. Just remember you can always come back and tweak these settings later on.