Why won t my system UI notification go away?

A system UI notification is an alert or message that comes from core Android system apps and services. These types of notifications provide information about the status of your device, network connectivity, battery levels, and other system events. They usually appear briefly in the notification shade and then disappear on their own after conveying the message.

However, sometimes a system UI notification can get “stuck” and persist in the notification shade rather than going away after a short time. This can be inconvenient and annoying for users who expect notifications to clear automatically. A notification that won’t go away may indicate a minor software glitch or other issue preventing the system from dismissing it as intended.

Check Notification Settings

The first step is to open your device’s notification settings to see if the persistent notification is enabled. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Notifications to view and manage notifications for all apps. As Apple Support notes, you can tap an app under “Recently Sent” to check its notification settings. Choose whether you want alerts, sounds, or badges enabled for that app.

On Android devices, open Settings > Notifications to view recently sent or snoozed notifications. Tap an app to adjust its notifications. As described in Google’s support page, you can choose between the alerting and silent notification channels for each app. Disabling certain notification channels for an app may stop the persistent notification.

Checking the notification settings will confirm if the app is allowed to send notifications. If the unwanted notification remains enabled, you can turn it off here. This should prevent the app from continually sending the persistent alert.

Restart the Device

Restarting the device is often the quickest and simplest way to clear any notification glitches or bugs. A restart will clear the device’s memory and reload the operating system, essentially giving your system a fresh start. This can resolve many issues caused by apps freezing or notifications getting stuck.

According to discussions on Apple’s support forums, a forced restart by pressing and quickly releasing the volume buttons can fix an iPhone notification badge glitch (source). Users on Microsoft’s forums also report a Windows 10 notification glitch being temporarily fixed after a PC restart, though the problem may return after some time (source).

Before restarting your device, make sure to save any open and unsaved work. Then power your device off completely and turn it back on. This clears any temporary glitches and resets the operating system. If the notification still doesn’t disappear after a restart, you may need to try some of the other solutions covered here.

Check App Notifications

To troubleshoot a persistent notification, an important step is to check the app’s individual notification settings.

On Android, open the Settings app and go to Apps & Notifications > Notifications. Under “Recently Sent,” tap the app with the notification issue. You can toggle notification categories on or off for that specific app.

As Google Support explains, this allows you to control notifications per app on Android.

On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and select the app. You can toggle Allow Notifications on or off for that app. Additionally, you can customize notification options like sounds, badges, notification grouping, and more.

As outlined by Apple Support, customizing notification settings per app can resolve unwanted notifications on iPhone.

Checking the app’s individual notification settings is an important troubleshooting step before resorting to more extreme measures like uninstalling the app. Toggling notifications on or off for that specific app may resolve the stubborn notification.

Update Apps and OS

One of the most common solutions to fix notification issues is to update your apps and operating system software. Apps and OS software can become outdated over time as developers release new versions. Outdated software is more prone to bugs and glitches that can prevent notifications from displaying properly.

For iOS devices like iPhones, you should update to the latest version of iOS in the Settings app. Go to General > Software Update to check for and install the newest iOS updates. This ensures you have the most stable and optimized version of the operating system.

You should also update your apps in the App Store app. Tap your profile icon at the top right and select Updates to check for app updates. Download and install any available updates. App developers often release bug fix and optimization updates that can resolve notification problems.

For Android devices, open Settings and go to System > System update. Check for and install any pending OS updates. Also open the Play Store app, tap your profile icon > Manage apps & device > Updates available to update your Android apps.

Keeping your software updated prevents bugs and optimizes performance. Update apps and OS regularly to help ensure notifications can be delivered reliably.

Sources:
https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-fix-it-when-notifications-are-not-showing-up-on-android-5191032
https://www.androidpolice.com/android-notification-problems-fixes/

Clear App Cache and Data

One common solution for a notification that won’t go away is to clear the app’s cache and data. This removes temporary files stored by the app and resets the app back to its default settings. To clear cache and data for the problematic app on an iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, select the app, and tap “Offload App” then “Offload” to clear the data and cache [1]. On Android, go to Settings > Apps, select the app, tap “Storage”, then “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data” [2]. This forces the app to start fresh which often resolves issues like stuck notifications.

Uninstall and Reinstall the App

One potential solution is to uninstall the app and then reinstall it. This essentially gives the app a fresh start which can often resolve issues with notifications getting stuck. According to discussions on the Apple Support Communities forum, some users have found that uninstalling and reinstalling an app after updating to iOS 14.4.1 allowed notifications to work properly again:

It seems you need to delete an app and reinstall it with the 14.4.1 update to get notifications. I don’t want to lose my text messages so I guess I’ll live without text notifications.

Likewise, answers on Apple Stack Exchange recommend uninstalling and reinstalling as a fix when apps suddenly stop sending notifications on iOS:

The usual recommendation is to uninstall the app and install it again, to give the push notification servers a chance to resynchronise.

The same advice applies to Android as well. Uninstalling and reinstalling the app essentially resets things and provides an opportunity for the notification servers to re-sync with the fresh install.

Factory Reset

As a last resort, if no other troubleshooting steps have resolved the notification issue, a factory reset may be necessary. This will erase all data and settings from the device and restore it to the original factory settings.

Before performing a factory reset, be sure to backup any important data, photos, or files. A factory reset will delete everything on the device.

To factory reset an Android device:

1. Go to “Settings” and tap “General management.”
2. Tap “Reset.”
3. Tap “Factory data reset.”
4. Tap “Reset” to confirm.

This will erase all data on the device and restore default settings. After resetting, set up the device again and test if notifications are now working properly. If the issue persists, you may need to contact the device manufacturer or app developer for further troubleshooting.

A factory reset should only be done as a last attempt to resolve notification issues if no other troubleshooting options have worked. It will delete all your personal data and customized settings.

Contact Developer

If the persistent notification is coming from a third-party app, contacting the developer may help resolve the issue. Most major app platforms provide ways to get in touch with developers. For iOS apps, go to the app’s App Store page and scroll down to “Ratings & Reviews.” Tap “App Support” to view the developer’s contact information and send them an email (Source). For Android apps, go to the Play Store listing and scroll down to “Developer contact information” where you can find an email address or link (Source). Explain the persistent notification problem in detail. The developer should look into what might be causing their app to generate notifications that don’t dismiss. They can issue a fix via an app update.

Conclusion

In summary, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take if a notification won’t go away on your device:

First, try adjusting your notification settings, restarting your device, and checking app-specific notifications. Updating your apps and OS can also help resolve glitches.

If the notification persists, clearing the app’s cache and data or uninstalling/reinstalling the problematic app may fix it. As a last resort, a factory reset can wipe all data and notifications.

The most common fixes are typically restarting your device, adjusting notification settings, and updating apps/OS. But often the issue is caused by a buggy app, in which case clearing cache/data or reinstalling the app will eliminate the stubborn notification.

With some troubleshooting and patience, you should be able to resolve the stuck notification without totally resetting your device. If all else fails, contact the developer for further support.