iOS 26.1 – Notifications stopped working again after 10 hours of updating

Hi Lobster, just to close this off and for anyone else following this epic ramble ☺....

1. So after restoring my iPhone using iTunes (Erase and Firmware reinstall), I reinstalled from recent backup prior to this action and setup using iPad. Result: Total Fail. Exactly the same problem with no notifications or badge icons.
2. Finally had to resign myself to the fact that I was going to have to completely erase, reinstall firmware again, but this time did not restore from backup. Result: Success!

I now have badge icons back and also actual sounds with notification banners!

So totally gutted that I have lost data from my Apps as a result of manually reinstalling them. Anything non cloud-based has obviously gone to oblivion. So in this case, regular iPhone backups were a total waste of time given that potential bugs are seemingly carried through into the overall backups. Now I see why people suggest not to restore backups in many other assorted threads with certain issues.

So I feel vindicated that this is totally Apple's fault and that I sorted the issue myself. Not ideal, and I know what I'll be doing for the next 72 hours.....

Thanks for reading and contributing ☺

Whether enabled or not, does that mean you do have a VPN added to your phone? If yes, DUMP the VPN. They don't play nice with iOS 26 and do nothing to protect you. If anything, they just cause connectivity issues, which even if not turned on could be your issue. Open Settings > General > VPN & Device Management - if there is a VPN Profile, remove it. Then remove any app associated with the VPN. Then Force Restart your iPhone.

iPhone 14 Pro Max, IOS 26.1, same issue with no notifications, badge icons.

eM Client is one App I use for mail - no longer getting notification badges unless the App is actually running. This has been since IOS 26.

I'm sure this is also happening on other Apps to. I have contacted the separate support companies for the Apps and they are clueless, saying everything settings wise for push notifications is correctly set, iPhone hard reset countless times and still the same problem.

This can't go on like this as presently we are totally oblivious to getting notified of potentially important events.

Another case of broken software where they put in unwanted features nobody really wanted and screw up the basic functionality - again. This is getting just like Microsoft.

And for anyone else, I have tried all the available advice, but it seems like a bug:

"Yes, numerous users are reporting issues with missing badge notifications and push email in iOS 26.1, suggesting it is a widespread bug rather than an isolated settings problem. Many have found that standard troubleshooting steps only provide temporary relief, if any."

I have tried:

Force Restart - Useless

Toggle Settings (toggle Allow Notifications off and on again) - No Difference

Background App Refresh - No Difference

Disable Focus Modes - Not Enabled

Re-add Email Account - No Difference (done multiple times)

Delete and Reinstall Apps - No Difference (done multiple times)

Use a Third-Party Email Client - Already Using

Check "Low Data Mode - Not Applicable

As this is also happening on iPad with IOS 26.1, it must be Apple's Faulty Software.

Marc007@ wrote:

As mentioned in previous post - I only wear my watch when I go out - 95% of the time it's docked with my iPhone.

This is not normal behaviour as it's only started happening since IOS 26.* The sounds of my incoming notifications are deafening by their silence - so it's not normal behaviour and again, as per my previous post - I've tried all those things on the list at the bottom of the post multiple times:

lobsterghost1 wrote:

It was a guess, but I don't know how often you wear your Apple Watch. But when you wear your Apple Watch, notifications will go to your watch, not your iPhone, unless your iPhone screen is open. That is by design and how Apple designed it to work. This link from Apple explains this part of notifications on Apple Watch --> Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Why, when you're not wearing your Apple Watch, you're not getting notifications, I can't explain. As I mentioned, iOS 26.1 didn't change notifications on any of my devices. After EVERY iOS update, the first thing I do EVERY TIME, is to Force Restart my iPhone. Did you do this after you updated and if no, give it a try as it often fixes little things --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

I have tried:

Force Restart - Useless

Toggle Settings (toggle Allow Notifications off and on again) - No Difference

Background App Refresh - No Difference

Disable Focus Modes - Not Enabled

Re-add Email Account - No Difference (done multiple times)

Delete and Reinstall Apps - No Difference (done multiple times)

Use a Third-Party Email Client - Already Using

Check "Low Data Mode - Not Applicable

At this stage I'm reluctant to set up my iPhone again at this stage given the hours of grief this will cause - especially as even AI seem to agree it's a widespread bug. I will feed this back to support and wait for a while.

I forgot to mention that WhatsApp is also not providing any Notifications!

You may not have a choice but to set up the phone again. But if I were you, I'd contact Apple Support. Your issue is not a universal issue with iOS 26.1. But something is causing you an issue. Do you by chance have a VPN installed on your iPhone?

It was a guess, but I don't know how often you wear your Apple Watch. But when you wear your Apple Watch, notifications will go to your watch, not your iPhone, unless your iPhone screen is open. That is by design and how Apple designed it to work. This link from Apple explains this part of notifications on Apple Watch --> Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Why, when you're not wearing your Apple Watch, you're not getting notifications, I can't explain. As I mentioned, iOS 26.1 didn't change notifications on any of my devices. After EVERY iOS update, the first thing I do EVERY TIME, is to Force Restart my iPhone. Did you do this after you updated and if no, give it a try as it often fixes little things --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

Marc007@ wrote:

iPhone 14 Pro Max, IOS 26.1, same issue with no notifications, badge icons.

eM Client is one App I use for mail - no longer getting notification badges unless the App is actually running. This has been since IOS 26.

I'm sure this is also happening on other Apps to. I have contacted the separate support companies for the Apps and they are clueless, saying everything settings wise for push notifications is correctly set, iPhone hard reset countless times and still the same problem.

This can't go on like this as presently we are totally oblivious to getting notified of potentially important events.

Another case of broken software where they put in unwanted features nobody really wanted and screw up the basic functionality - again. This is getting just like Microsoft.

iOS 26.1 didn't interfere with notifications on my devices and I have 4 on 26.1. By chance do any of you who are noticing an issue with notifications wear Apple Watch?

As mentioned in previous post - I only wear my watch when I go out - 95% of the time it's docked with my iPhone.

This is not normal behaviour as it's only started happening since IOS 26.* The sounds of my incoming notifications are deafening by their silence - so it's not normal behaviour and again, as per my previous post - I've tried all those things on the list at the bottom of the post multiple times:

lobsterghost1 wrote:

It was a guess, but I don't know how often you wear your Apple Watch. But when you wear your Apple Watch, notifications will go to your watch, not your iPhone, unless your iPhone screen is open. That is by design and how Apple designed it to work. This link from Apple explains this part of notifications on Apple Watch --> Notifications on your Apple Watch - Apple Support

Why, when you're not wearing your Apple Watch, you're not getting notifications, I can't explain. As I mentioned, iOS 26.1 didn't change notifications on any of my devices. After EVERY iOS update, the first thing I do EVERY TIME, is to Force Restart my iPhone. Did you do this after you updated and if no, give it a try as it often fixes little things --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

I have tried:

Force Restart - Useless

Toggle Settings (toggle Allow Notifications off and on again) - No Difference

Background App Refresh - No Difference

Disable Focus Modes - Not Enabled

Re-add Email Account - No Difference (done multiple times)

Delete and Reinstall Apps - No Difference (done multiple times)

Use a Third-Party Email Client - Already Using

Check "Low Data Mode - Not Applicable

At this stage I'm reluctant to set up my iPhone again at this stage given the hours of grief this will cause - especially as even AI seem to agree it's a widespread bug. I will feed this back to support and wait for a while.

I forgot to mention that WhatsApp is also not providing any Notifications!

VPN is not enabled.

I've since now reinstalled firmware via iTunes, and no change. So this is defo an Apple issue - and although it may not be universal, it certainly seems more prevalent on slightly older devices (15 and earlier).

Sent myself a WhatsApp from Desktop and sure enough - no badge

Same for eM Client (third party email client)

All since IOS 26.1 and of course, we're all buggered because we can't downgrade to IOS 18 now.

Hi,

I noticed the same issue. Restarted my phone several times and disable/Unable Notifications, still not working.

• Model: iPhone 17 Pro max (256 GB)
• iOS version: 26.1 (official release)
• Update time: 10 PM, November 4th 2025
• Issue started: around 5 PM, November 15 2025
• Free storage: 150 GB

Yes, I have Apple Watch, but can't see what difference this would make - I only wear my Watch when going out (for Apple Pay), the rest of the time it's docked and this wouldn't affect iPad either that has nothing to do with my Watch.....?

I've already consulted the Magic 8-Ball and a defrocked psychic; my standards are currently lower than a limbo bar in H*ll, so yes, I'll try anything

I'm sorry you had to go through this, but your app data, should still be in your apps, even if you had to download them from the cloud, assuming you are using the same Apple Account as you were previously. Plus any data you synced with iCloud, such as photos, notes, messages, etc., will redownload from the cloud, again using the same Apple Account.

Clearly something went wrong with your update. But this is not the case for millions upon millions of other users. What went wrong, we can't know.

At least you've got it sorted and I feel bad you have to reconstruct things on your iPhone. I had to do that once. It's not fun, but then anything can go wrong on occasion.

Unfortunately that doesn't work for some apps that do not store their data in the cloud - it's only local on-device storage (health data), so will have to start again, but nothing I can do about that now. No Christmas card for Tim this year....

Since yesterday WhatsApp seems (finger crossed) working again correctly. I tryed everything but the change doesn't seem related to anything as I had stopped trying since a few days before. Spotify instead is still not delivering notifications of podcast releases.

same thing for my iPhone.

FaceIdOnAtomaticIphone11Promax