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Desktop notifications

Zulip offers visual and audible desktop notifications. You can customize whether channel messages, direct messages and mentions trigger desktop notifications.

  • Instructions for all platforms

  1. Click on the gear () icon in the upper right corner of the web or desktop app.

  2. Select Personal settings.

  3. On the left, click Notifications.

  4. Toggle the checkboxes for Channels and DMs, mentions, and alerts in the Desktop column of the Notification triggers table.

Notification sound

You can select the sound Zulip uses for audible desktop notifications. Choosing None disables all audible desktop notifications.

Change notification sound

  • Instructions for all platforms

  1. Click on the gear () icon in the upper right corner of the web or desktop app.

  2. Select Personal settings.

  3. On the left, click Notifications.

  4. Under Desktop message notifications, configure Notification sound.

To hear the selected sound, click the to the right of your selection.

Unread count badge

By default, Zulip displays a count of your unmuted unread messages on the desktop app sidebar and on the browser tab icon. You can configure the badge to only count direct messages and mentions, or to include messages in followed topics but not other channel messages.

Configure unread count badge

  • Instructions for all platforms

  1. Click on the gear () icon in the upper right corner of the web or desktop app.

  2. Select Personal settings.

  3. On the left, click Notifications.

  4. Under Desktop message notifications, configure Unread count badge.

Disable unread count badge

  • Instructions for all platforms

  1. Click on the gear () icon in the upper right corner of the web or desktop app.

  2. Select Personal settings.

  3. On the left, click Notifications.

  4. Under Desktop message notifications, select None from the Unread count badge dropdown.

Testing desktop notifications

This does not make an unread count badge appear.

  • Desktop/Web

  1. Click on the gear () icon in the upper right corner of the web or desktop app.

  2. Select Personal settings.

  3. On the left, click Notifications.

  4. Under Desktop message notifications, click Send a test notification. If notifications are working, you will receive a test notification.

Troubleshooting desktop notifications

Desktop notifications are triggered when a message arrives, and Zulip is not in focus or the message is offscreen. You must have Zulip open in a browser tab or in the Zulip desktop app to receive desktop notifications.

Visual desktop notifications appear in the corner of your main monitor. Audible desktop notifications make a sound.

To receive notifications in the desktop app, make sure that Do Not Disturb mode is turned off.

Check notification settings for DMs or channels

If you have successfully received a test notification, but you aren't seeing desktop notifications for new messages, check your Zulip notification settings. Make sure you have enabled desktop notifications for DMs or for the channel you are testing. Messages in muted topics will not trigger notifications.

Check platform settings

The most common issue is that your browser or system settings are blocking notifications from Zulip. Before checking Zulip-specific settings, make sure that Do Not Disturb mode is not enabled on your computer.

  • Chrome
  • Firefox
  • Desktop app

  1. Click on Secure to the left of the URL bar. It should be green and have a lock icon next to it.

  2. Set Notifications and Sound to Allow.

Alternate instructions:

  1. Open the Chrome Edit menu. Select Preferences.

  2. On the top left, select the menu icon (). Select Advanced, and then Privacy & Security. Click on Content settings (partway down the page), and select Notifications.

  3. If the Zulip URL for your organization is listed under Blocked, select the menu icon () to its right, and click Remove.

  4. Next to Allow, click Add.

  5. Paste the Zulip URL for your organization into the site field, and click Add.

  1. Open the Firefox Edit menu. Select Preferences.

  2. On the left, select Privacy & Security. Scroll to the Permissions section and select the Settings button next to Notifications.

  3. Find the URL for your Zulip organization, and adjust the Status selector to Allow.

Windows

  1. Click the Start button and select Settings. Select System, and then Notifications & actions.

  2. Select Zulip from the list of apps.

  3. Configure the notification style that you would like Zulip to use.

macOS

  1. Open your Mac System Preferences and select Notifications.

  2. Select Zulip from the list of apps.

  3. Configure the notification style that you would like Zulip to use.

Don't see an answer to your question? Contact this Zulip server's administrators for support.