Articles on: Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting Notification Issues

Troubleshooting Notification Issues

Common notification problems and their solutions for in-app, email, and SMS notifications.



Overview


If you're not receiving notifications, receiving too many, or experiencing issues with notification delivery, this guide provides solutions to common problems. We'll cover troubleshooting steps for all three notification channels: in-app, email, and SMS.


Common Issues and Solutions


Issue 1: Not Receiving Any Notifications


Check Notification Preferences


Problem: Notifications are disabled in your settings


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Verify at least one channel is enabled (in-app, email, or SMS)
  3. Check that specific notification types are enabled (appointment reminders, status updates, etc.)
  4. Click "Save Preferences" after making changes


Verification: Toggle a setting off and back on, then save to force a settings refresh.


Verify Your Contact Information


Problem: Email or phone number is incorrect or unverified


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Profile or Account
  2. Check your email address is correct
  3. Verify your phone number (if using SMS)
  4. If email is unverified, click "Resend Verification Email"
  5. For phone, click "Verify Phone Number" if showing as unverified


Verification: Send yourself a test message or ask support to send a test notification.


###Issue 2: Not Receiving Email Notifications


Check Spam/Junk Folders


Problem: Emails are being filtered as spam


Solution:

  1. Check your spam/junk folder for emails from noreply@apprentice.com or notifications@apprentice.com
  2. Mark Apprentice emails as "Not Spam"
  3. Add Apprentice email addresses to your contacts or safe sender list
  4. Check again in 24 hours to see if issue is resolved


Email Provider-Specific Tips:

  • Gmail: Check "Promotions" and "Updates" tabs in addition to spam
  • Outlook: Add to safe senders in Outlook settings
  • Yahoo: Create filter to always deliver Apprentice emails to inbox
  • Apple Mail: Add to VIP list


Check Email Filters


Problem: Email rules are blocking or moving Apprentice emails


Solution:

  1. Review your email filters/rules
  2. Look for rules that might catch Apprentice emails
  3. Create a whitelist rule for @apprentice.com emails
  4. Ensure no rules automatically delete notifications


Email Delivery Delays


Problem: Emails arriving late or delayed


Solution:

  • Batching: Some emails are intentionally batched (30-second delay for chat messages)
  • Email Provider: Check with your email provider for delivery delays
  • Server Issues: Rare; check Apprentice status page for outages
  • High Volume: Emails may be delayed during peak usage times


When to Expect Delays:

  • Chat messages: Up to 30 seconds (batching)
  • Design updates: Up to 30 seconds (batching)
  • Appointment reminders: Should be immediate (within 1-2 minutes)
  • Cancellations: Should be immediate


Issue 3: Not Receiving SMS Notifications


Verify SMS is Enabled


Problem: SMS notifications are turned off


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Toggle "Enable SMS Notifications" to ON
  3. Select at least one notification type to receive via SMS
  4. Save preferences


Check Phone Number


Problem: Phone number is incorrect, unverified, or invalid


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Profile
  2. Verify phone number is correct (including country code)
  3. If unverified, click "Verify Phone Number"
  4. Enter verification code sent to your phone
  5. If no code received, click "Resend Code"


Phone Number Format:


Check for Carrier Blocking


Problem: Mobile carrier is blocking SMS from Apprentice


Solution:

  1. Check if your carrier has spam SMS filtering
  2. Contact your carrier and ask if they're blocking SMS from short codes or application services
  3. Ask carrier to whitelist Apprentice SMS (sent via ClickSend)
  4. Check carrier's spam SMS settings (some carriers have opt-in spam filters)


Carriers with Known SMS Filters:

  • T-Mobile Scam Shield
  • Verizon Call Filter
  • AT&T Call Protect


How to Whitelist:

  • T-Mobile: Scam Shield app → Settings → Allow list
  • Verizon: Call Filter app → Block List → check Apprentice isn't blocked
  • AT&T: Call Protect app → Blocked numbers → verify Apprentice isn't listed


SMS Delivery Delays


Problem: SMS arriving late


Solution:

  • Carrier Issue: SMS delivery depends on carrier; some have delays during high traffic
  • International SMS: May take longer to deliver (up to 10 minutes)
  • Network Issues: Ensure you have cellular service or Wi-Fi calling
  • Retry: SMS are retried up to 3 times if initial delivery fails


Expected Delivery Times:

  • US Domestic: Instant to 2 minutes
  • International: 2-10 minutes
  • Peak Times: May be slightly delayed


Issue 4: Not Receiving In-App Notifications


Check Browser Permissions


Problem: Browser is blocking notifications


Solution:

  1. Click the lock icon or site settings icon in your browser address bar
  2. Check that notifications are set to "Allow" for Apprentice
  3. If blocked, change to "Allow" and reload the page
  4. For mobile, check app notification permissions in device settings


Browser-Specific Steps:

  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Site Settings → Notifications → Allow
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Notifications → Settings
  • Safari: Safari → Preferences → Websites → Notifications → Allow
  • Edge: Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions → Notifications → Allow


Refresh the Page


Problem: Notification system not connected


Solution:

  1. Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
  2. If notifications still don't appear, clear browser cache
  3. Log out and log back in
  4. Try a different browser to isolate the issue


Check Real-Time Connection


Problem: Real-time updates not working


Solution:

  1. Open browser developer console (F12)
  2. Look for WebSocket connection errors
  3. If errors appear, check your network/firewall isn't blocking WebSocket connections
  4. Try disabling VPN or proxy temporarily
  5. Contact IT if on corporate network (WebSockets may be blocked)


Issue 5: Receiving Too Many Notifications


Adjust Notification Types


Problem: Receiving notifications for things you don't care about


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Disable specific notification types you don't want
  3. Consider disabling:
  • Marketing emails (if you don't want promotional content)
  • Chat message emails (if you use in-app chat)
  • Design update emails (if you prefer checking manually)
  1. Save preferences


Enable Quiet Hours


Problem: Receiving notifications at inconvenient times


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Toggle "Enable Quiet Hours" to ON
  3. Set start time (e.g., 10:00 PM)
  4. Set end time (e.g., 8:00 AM)
  5. Save preferences


During Quiet Hours:

  • In-app: No sound/alerts (still visible)
  • Email: Batched and sent after quiet hours end
  • SMS: Only critical notifications (cancellations)


Disable Specific Channels


Problem: Too many emails or SMS


Solution:

  1. Keep in-app notifications enabled (least intrusive)
  2. Disable email for non-critical notification types
  3. Disable SMS except for:
  • Appointment reminders
  • Cancellations
  • Urgent alerts


Issue 6: Duplicate Notifications


Receiving Same Notification Multiple Times


Problem: Same notification showing up 2-3 times


Cause: Usually a temporary system issue or browser/device synchronization


Solution:

  1. Refresh the page to clear duplicate notifications
  2. Mark all notifications as read to clear the queue
  3. If duplicates persist, clear browser cache
  4. Contact support if issue continues beyond 24 hours


Receiving Across Multiple Devices


Problem: Notifications appearing on multiple devices simultaneously


Solution:

  • This is normal behavior—notifications sync across all logged-in devices
  • To prevent this, disable in-app notifications on devices you don't actively use
  • Email and SMS will always deliver regardless of device


Issue 7: Notification Delivery Timing Issues


Late Appointment Reminders


Problem: Appointment reminder arrives late or not at all


Solution:

  1. Check that appointment reminders are enabled in notification preferences
  2. Verify appointment date/time is correct in the appointment details
  3. Check your timezone settings (Settings → Profile → Timezone)
  4. Ensure your device time is correct


Reminder Schedule:

  • 24 hours before appointment (should arrive at appointment time the day before)
  • 1 hour before appointment (should arrive exactly 1 hour prior)


Example:

  • Appointment: January 15 at 2:00 PM
  • 24h reminder: January 14 at 2:00 PM
  • 1h reminder: January 15 at 1:00 PM


Batched Notifications Delayed


Problem: Chat or design update notifications arriving in batches


Solution:

  • This is intentional batching to prevent notification spam
  • Chat messages batched after 30 seconds of inactivity
  • Design updates batched after collaboration session ends
  • To disable batching, use in-app chat (always real-time)


Batching Only Applies To:

  • Email notifications for chat messages
  • Email notifications for design collaboration updates
  • Email notifications for waitlist position changes


Never Batched:

  • Appointment cancellations (always immediate)
  • Booking confirmations (always immediate)
  • Waitlist "your turn" (always immediate)


Advanced Troubleshooting


Clear Browser Cache and Cookies


When to use: If notifications are completely broken or not loading


Steps:

  1. Close all Apprentice tabs
  2. Clear browser cache and cookies:
  • Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Clear Browsing Data
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy → Clear Data
  • Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data → Remove All
  1. Restart browser
  2. Log back in to Apprentice
  3. Check if notifications are working


Test with Different Browser/Device


When to use: To isolate if issue is browser-specific or account-specific


Steps:

  1. Try logging in with a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
  2. Or try on a different device (phone, tablet, different computer)
  3. If notifications work in other browser/device, issue is browser-specific
  4. If notifications don't work anywhere, issue is account-specific (contact support)


Check Network/Firewall Settings


When to use: If on corporate network or using VPN


Common Issues:

  • WebSocket connections blocked (needed for real-time notifications)
  • Email ports blocked (may prevent email delivery)
  • SMS short codes blocked by carrier


Solution:

  • Contact your IT department if on corporate network
  • Temporarily disable VPN to test
  • Check firewall settings (allow *.apprentice.com)


Verify Email Domain isn't Blocked


When to use: Using corporate or school email address


Problem: Organization may block external emails


Solution:

  1. Ask IT to whitelist @apprentice.com emails
  2. Add Apprentice to organization's safe sender list
  3. Consider using personal email address instead


When to Contact Support


Contact Apprentice support if:


  • ✅ You've tried all troubleshooting steps above
  • ✅ Issue persists for more than 24 hours
  • ✅ You're missing critical notifications (appointments, cancellations)
  • ✅ You suspect a system-wide issue affecting multiple users
  • ✅ You're receiving error messages related to notifications


What to Include in Support Request:

  1. Your account email address
  2. Description of the issue
  3. What notification types are affected (in-app, email, SMS, all)
  4. When the issue started
  5. What troubleshooting steps you've already tried
  6. Screenshots of error messages (if any)
  7. Browser/device information


See Contacting Support for how to reach support.


Testing Your Notifications


Request a Test Notification


To verify notifications are working:


  1. Test In-App: Ask another user to send you a message
  2. Test Email: Request password reset email (checks email delivery)
  3. Test SMS: Contact support to send a test SMS
  4. Test All: Schedule a test appointment and verify you receive reminders


Use Notification History


Check notification history to see what was sent:


  1. Click the notification bell icon in the header
  2. View recent notifications
  3. Check timestamps to verify delivery times
  4. Look for patterns (e.g., emails work but SMS doesn't)


Prevention Tips


Keep Contact Information Updated


  • ✅ Update email address if you change it
  • ✅ Update phone number if you get a new one
  • ✅ Verify contact information after updating
  • ✅ Test notifications after updating contact info


Review Settings Periodically


  • ✅ Check notification preferences quarterly
  • ✅ Adjust settings as your needs change
  • ✅ Re-enable notifications if you previously disabled them for a specific reason


Monitor Notification Delivery


  • ✅ Pay attention to when notifications arrive
  • ✅ Report delays or missed notifications promptly
  • ✅ Keep track of patterns (e.g., "I never receive SMS reminders")


Updated on: 16/01/2026

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