Notification Test
Confirm browser notifications actually reach your desktop, test a delayed alert while you switch tabs, and fix OS-level blocking.
Permission state
Not asked yetIf nothing appears even though the permission is granted:
- Windows: check that Focus Assist isn't set to "Alarms only" or "Priority only" (Settings > System > Focus assist), and that your browser is allowed under Settings > System > Notifications.
- macOS: open System Settings > Notifications and confirm your browser is allowed, and check that Focus mode isn't silencing notifications from apps.
- Do Not Disturb on phones: notifications from a mobile browser tab can be suppressed the same way as app notifications.
Quick guide: how to use the Notification Test
Takes under a minute- 1Click Request permission and choose Allow.
- 2Send a test notification and watch your desktop or lock screen.
- 3Nothing appearing usually means OS Focus, Do Not Disturb, or Quiet Hours is on.
- 4Check your system notification settings for your browser too.
Overview
Browser notifications are the small pop-up alerts that appear from your operating system's notification area, even when a website's tab isn't the one you're looking at. They're used for everything from chat message alerts to calendar reminders to shipping updates, and they only work when three separate layers all agree to let them through: the website requesting permission, the browser granting that permission, and your operating system actually displaying the alert.
This test checks the full path in one place. It requests notification permission from your browser the same way any other site would, then sends a real notification you can see immediately, and offers a delayed version so you can switch away from this tab and confirm the notification still reaches you the way it would in everyday use.
If notifications aren't showing up for an important site, like an email client, project management tool, or a messaging app, the fastest way to find out which of the three layers is failing is to run this generic test first. If it works here but not on the other site, the problem is specific to that site's own permission or code. If it fails here too, the problem is almost certainly in your browser or operating system settings, not any particular website.
Why the permission badge matters
The status badge above shows exactly what your browser currently has recorded for this site: not asked yet, granted, blocked, or unsupported. This is the single most useful piece of information when debugging notifications, because it tells you immediately whether the problem is a browser-level block before you spend time checking operating system settings.
How to read your results
- Not asked yet: the browser hasn't recorded a decision for this site. Click Allow notifications and respond to the prompt your browser shows.
- Granted, and you saw the test notification: everything is working end to end, from this website through your browser to your operating system.
- Granted, but you saw nothing: the block is almost certainly at the operating system level, most commonly Focus Assist on Windows or a Focus mode on macOS.
- Blocked: the browser itself is preventing any notification from this site regardless of what the operating system would allow. Fix the site permission first.
- Not supported: either the browser doesn't implement the Notification API, or the page isn't loaded over a secure HTTPS connection, which most browsers require for notifications.
Troubleshooting
Fixing Windows Focus Assist
Open Settings, then System, then Focus assist. If it's set to Alarms only or Priority only, notifications from your browser will be silently suppressed no matter what the website or browser permission says. Set it to Off, or add your browser to the Priority list if you use Priority only mode. Focus Assist can also turn on automatically during specific hours, when duplicating your display for a presentation, or while playing a full-screen game, so check the automatic rules tab too.
Fixing macOS Focus and Notification Center
Open System Settings, then Notifications, and make sure your browser is listed and set to allow notifications, with an alert style of Banners or Alerts rather than None. Separately, check the Focus icon in the menu bar or Control Center; if a Focus mode like Do Not Disturb, Work, or Personal is active, it can silence notifications from apps that aren't on that Focus mode's allowed list.
The permission is stuck on Blocked and Allow won't reappear
Once a site is blocked, most browsers won't show the permission prompt again automatically. You need to reset it manually through the browser's site settings, usually by clicking the padlock or information icon directly in the address bar, finding Notifications in the list, and changing it back to Ask or Allow before reloading the page.
Notifications worked yesterday but not today
A browser or operating system update can occasionally reset notification permissions or introduce new default restrictions. Re-check the permission badge above after any major update, and re-grant access if it reverted to Not asked yet or Blocked.
Notifications on mobile devices
Mobile behavior differs meaningfully from desktop. On iPhone and iPad, Safari only supports web push notifications for sites that have been added to the home screen as a web app, a restriction Apple introduced starting with iOS 16.4. If you're testing on an iPhone directly in the Safari app without adding this site to your home screen first, notifications will not work regardless of the permission state shown.
On Android, Chrome and most Chromium-based browsers support notifications directly in the regular browsing tab, and the permission flow works the same as on desktop. Samsung's own notification management settings, and any battery optimization features that restrict background activity for the browser app, can also interfere and are worth checking if notifications stop arriving reliably over time.
A note on notification etiquette for site owners
If you manage your own website and are considering adding notification prompts, keep in mind that asking for permission immediately on page load is one of the most common reasons visitors reflexively click Block, permanently closing the door on ever showing them a notification again without a manual settings change. Waiting until a visitor has taken a meaningful action, like subscribing to updates or starting a multi-step process, produces far higher acceptance rates than an immediate prompt.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I see notifications even though I allowed them?
The most common cause is an operating system focus feature silencing them, such as Windows Focus Assist or macOS Focus mode. Both can suppress browser notifications even when the site itself has permission.
What does the 5 second delayed notification test?
It gives you time to switch to another tab or another app entirely, so you can confirm notifications actually reach your desktop when the site isn't the active window. This mirrors how real notifications behave, since you're rarely staring at the tab when one arrives.
I clicked allow but nothing happened. Why?
Check that the permission actually changed to Granted in the status badge above. Some browsers silently ignore a request if it wasn't triggered by a direct user click, or if the page isn't served over HTTPS.
How do I re-enable notifications after blocking them?
Click the padlock or site information icon in your browser's address bar, find the Notifications permission, and change it from Block to Allow, then reload the page.
Does this work on my phone?
Mobile Safari on iOS requires the site to be added to your home screen before notifications work at all, due to Apple's restrictions on web notifications in the regular browser. Android Chrome supports web notifications directly in the browser.
Why do notifications work on one website but not another?
Notification permission is granted per site, not globally, so you can allow it here while another site remains blocked or unasked. Check the padlock icon on the specific site giving you trouble.
What's the difference between browser permission and OS-level blocking?
Browser permission controls whether a website is allowed to request a notification at all. Operating system settings, like Windows Focus Assist or macOS Notification Center preferences, control whether that notification is actually displayed to you even after the browser allows it.
Can a website send me notifications when the tab is closed?
Not with the basic notification shown by this tool. Persistent background notifications when a tab is fully closed require a service worker with push subscription, which is a separate, more involved feature that most sites don't use for simple alerts.
Why does Windows show a summary instead of the full notification text?
Windows sometimes groups or summarizes notifications when several arrive close together, or when Focus Assist is in a partially restrictive mode. Check Settings > System > Notifications for per-app history and full detail.
Do notifications make a sound?
That depends on your operating system's notification sound settings, not the website. Check your system sound settings if you expect an audible alert alongside the visual notification.
Is it safe to allow notifications for this site?
Yes. This page only uses notification permission to run the test described here and doesn't send anything to a server or store your data. You can revoke the permission at any time from your browser's site settings.