How do I reset notification settings on my Samsung phone?

To reset notification settings on your Samsung phone, go to Settings > Apps, select the app you want to adjust, then tap Notifications to turn them off or modify them. For a full reset across all apps, you can clear notification access permissions or use the Reset app preferences option under General Management. This article walks through exactly where to find these settings, what each reset actually does, and what to try if notifications are still misbehaving afterward.

Where do notification settings live on a Samsung phone?

On a Samsung phone, notification settings live in two main places: the Settings app under Notifications for a bird's-eye view of all apps, and under Settings > Apps for per-app control. You can also reach notification settings quickly by long-pressing any notification banner that appears on your screen and tapping the settings icon that appears.

Here is a quick breakdown of where to find what:

• Settings > Notifications: See all apps that have permission to send you notifications, sorted by most recent or by app name. You can toggle entire categories on or off from here.
• Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Notifications: Drill into one specific app to control exactly which types of alerts it can send, whether it can show on your lock screen, and whether it makes a sound.
• Long-press a notification banner: The fastest shortcut. A small gear or settings icon appears, letting you silence or adjust that app without opening Settings at all.
• Settings > General Management > Reset: This is where the full reset option lives, which is covered in detail below.

Samsung's One UI keeps these controls fairly consistent across Android versions, so whether you are running a Galaxy S series phone or a mid-range Galaxy A model, the path above should look familiar.

What does resetting notification settings on a Samsung actually do?

Resetting notification settings on a Samsung phone restores Android notification permissions for all apps back to their default state. This means any custom choices you made, such as silencing a specific app, blocking certain notification categories, or granting special notification access to third-party apps, are wiped and returned to factory defaults.

It is worth knowing what changes and what does not:

• What gets reset: Per-app notification permissions, notification channel settings (like sound, vibration, and importance level), and any special notification access you granted to apps like screen readers or parental control tools.
• What does not get reset: Your apps themselves, your personal data, your photos, your contacts, or any other phone settings outside of app preferences. This is a targeted reset, not a factory reset.
• Why it helps: Over time, Android notification settings can become tangled, especially after app updates or a software upgrade. A reset clears out any corrupted or conflicting permission states that might be causing notifications to stop working or behave unexpectedly.

Think of it as tidying up the permissions drawer rather than clearing out the whole house.

How do you reset all notification settings on a Samsung phone?

To reset all notification settings on a Samsung phone, go to Settings > General Management > Reset > Reset app preferences, then tap Reset to confirm. This restores notification permissions, default apps, and background data restrictions to their original defaults across every installed app at once.

Follow these steps carefully:

1. Open the Settings app on your Samsung phone.
2. Scroll down and tap General Management.
3. Tap Reset.
4. Select Reset app preferences.
5. Read the summary of what will be reset, then tap Reset to confirm.

One thing to keep in mind: this option resets more than just notifications. It also resets your default app choices (for example, which browser or messaging app opens links), disabled apps, and background data permissions. Your actual app data and personal files remain completely untouched. After the reset, some apps may ask you to re-grant permissions the first time you open them, which is normal.

If you want a lighter touch, you can also go to Settings > Notifications and manually toggle off any apps that are misbehaving, rather than resetting everything at once.

How do you reset notifications for just one app on Samsung?

To reset notifications for a single app on Samsung, go to Settings > Apps, select the app, tap Notifications, and then toggle off any channels you want to disable or adjust. To fully restore that app's notification settings to default, tap Clear data under Storage in the same app menu, though this also clears the app's saved data.

For most situations, the gentler approach works better:

1. Open Settings and tap Apps.
2. Find and tap the app you want to fix.
3. Tap Notifications.
4. Review the notification categories listed. You can toggle individual channels on or off, change the alert style, or block the app entirely from sending notifications.
5. To reset a specific channel to default, tap on that channel and adjust the sound, vibration, and importance settings manually.

Samsung's One UI also lets you long-press a notification from that app while it is visible on screen. A small settings icon appears next to it. Tap that icon to jump directly to the notification settings for that specific app, which saves several taps compared to navigating through the full Settings menu.

Why are notifications still not working after a reset on Samsung?

If Android notifications are still not working after a reset on your Samsung phone, the most likely causes are Battery Optimization blocking the app, Do Not Disturb mode being active, or a deeper software glitch that a simple preference reset does not address. Each of these requires a different fix.

Work through these checks one by one:

• Battery Optimization: Samsung's power-saving features can put apps to sleep in the background, which stops them from delivering notifications. Go to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits and make sure the app is not listed under sleeping or deep sleeping apps.
• Do Not Disturb: Check that Do Not Disturb is not turned on. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the quick settings panel and look for the Do Not Disturb tile. If it is highlighted, tap it to turn it off.
• App-level notification toggle: Some apps have their own in-app notification settings separate from Android's system settings. Open the app itself, go into its own settings menu, and check whether notifications are enabled there too.
• Software update: An outdated version of One UI or a specific app can cause notification bugs. Go to Settings > Software update to check for any pending Samsung updates, and update individual apps through the Galaxy Store or Google Play.
• Restart the phone: A simple restart clears temporary system states that can interfere with notification delivery, and it is often the fastest fix after any settings change.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, the problem may be tied to a specific app rather than your system settings. Try uninstalling and reinstalling the app in question to give it a completely fresh start.

How SamMobile helps with Samsung notification issues

Dealing with notification problems on your Samsung phone can be frustrating, especially when the fix is not immediately obvious. That is exactly the kind of everyday Samsung question we cover here at SamMobile. Whether you are troubleshooting a stubborn app, trying to understand a new One UI feature, or just want to know what a setting actually does, we break it down in plain language without the technical jargon.

Here is what you can expect from us:

• Practical how-to guides written for everyday Samsung users, not tech specialists
• Up-to-date coverage of One UI changes and Samsung software updates that affect how your phone behaves
• Honest, straightforward answers to the questions you are actually searching for
• No sales pressure: just reliable information to help you get more out of your Samsung device

If you have a question we have not covered yet, you are always welcome to get in touch with us. And for the latest Samsung news and updates, including One UI tips and feature breakdowns, visit SamMobile and bookmark it for whenever your Samsung phone throws you a curveball.