Alex Ruben
How To Restore Lock Screen Notifications on Your Samsung Galaxy in 2025
Lock screen notifications on Samsung Galaxy phones can be a real lifesaver — instead of unlocking all the time just to see if you got messages or alerts, it shows you everything at a glance. But of course, sometimes these just vanish, and you’re left wondering what happened. Maybe you accidentally turned something off, or an update changed settings, or apps stopped showing notifications on lock screen altogether. This guide is all about making sure those notifications come back, so you don’t miss important stuff, like messages, reminders, or app alerts. Hopefully, following these steps will get your lock screen notifications showing again without any weird hiccups.
How to Fix Lock Screen Notifications on Samsung Galaxy
Access the Notification Settings for Lock Screen
First step, obviously, you gotta get into the right place. On most Samsung Galaxies, it’s not super hidden, but not exactly obvious either. Pull down the notification shade from the top and tap on the gear icon for Settings. From there, you want to find the path that leads to notifications and lock screen options.
- Go to Settings
- Scroll down to Notifications
- Tap on Lock Screen
If you don’t see it directly, sometimes it’s under Privacy or Lock Screen menu depending on your OS version, so poke around if needed. On some devices, you’ll have to go to Settings > Lock Screen directly.
Make Sure Lock Screen Notifications Are Turned On
This is kinda where a lot of folks miss out — notifications might be enabled for apps, but not on the lock screen. On your Samsung, look for options like Notifications on Lock Screen. On newer versions, it might be called something like Show Notifications, Content or All. If it’s set to Don’t Show or Hide Content, that’s your problem.
- Select Show All Notification Content
This helps because it makes sure notifications not only appear but show the full message, not just a generic icon or ‘You have a message’ placeholder. If you see options like Hide Content, switch to Show All Content. Also, check if the toggle for Notifications is ON
Ensure App Notifications Are Enabled and Set Correctly
Even if your lock screen settings are all good, individual app permissions could block notifications from showing. Head back into Settings > Notifications, then check each app that you want to receive alerts from. Make sure notifications are turned on for those apps and that they’re allowed to show on lock screen.
- Go to Apps
- Select the app (like Messages, WhatsApp, Gmail, whatever is relevant)
- Tap on Notifications
- Ensure Show Notifications is enabled
- Check if the app has its own lock screen notification settings, sometimes they’re separate, especially with newer Android versions; ensure they are set to show on lock screen too.
Sometimes a dead simple reboot helps because Android and Samsung software aren’t always perfect at applying new settings instantly. Restart if you changed a bunch of options — worked for some folks, not for others, but it’s easy enough.
Additional Checks: Do Not Disturb & Software Updates
One sneaky reason notifications don’t appear? Having Do Not Disturb mode enabled. If that’s on, toggle it off temporarily and see if your notifications reappear. Also, check if your device is running the latest software. Sometimes bugs in older versions mess with notifications, and an update might fix it.
- Go to Settings > Software Update
- Tap Download and Install if an update is available
Extra Tips & Common Snags
Oh, and just in case — some apps have their own hideaways or permissions that block lock screen notifications. If you’re still missing alerts, go into Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Notifications and double-check the toggle there. Because of course, Samsung has to make it harder than it needs to be sometimes.
Also, on some setups, the lock screen notification might be set to show but only if you turn on Show Sensitive Content in the lock screen notification settings. This is particularly relevant if you find notifications appear with an icon but no message preview.
Wrap-up
Getting your lock screen notifications back isn’t too complicated once you know where to look. The main thing is to double-check the overall lock screen notification permission, ensure individual apps are allowed, and make sure nothing’s blocking the content. On some setups, a quick reboot can help, and keeping software up-to-date never hurts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren’t my notifications showing up on the lock screen?
This usually happens because of misconfigured settings, app permissions, or sometimes software glitches. Double-check your lock screen notification settings, app permissions, and whether Do Not Disturb is active.
Can I customize which notifications show on my lock screen?
Yep, you can pick and choose which apps show notifications there and whether they show the message content or just an icon. Just adjust the options in Settings > Notifications > Lock Screen.
How do I turn off lock screen notifications if I don’t want them anymore?
To block them entirely, go into Settings > Notifications > Lock Screen and select Don’t Show Notifications. That way, no alerts appear on your lock screen, which is handy if you value your privacy or just want less clutter.
Summary
- Check lock screen notification preferences in Settings
- Make sure app notifications are enabled and set to show on the lock screen
- Restart your device after making changes
- Update your phone software if things keep acting up
- Verify no Do Not Disturb mode is active
Final thoughts
Getting notifications to show again can be a bit finicky, but once you straighten out these settings, it generally stays that way. Hopefully, this helps you avoid missing out on those tiny but important alerts. Fingers crossed this helps — it worked for a bunch of folks on different devices, so give it a shot.