Microsoft Outlook notifications not working on Windows 11/10

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Some users have reported that they are not receiving email notifications as Desktop Alerts, even after having Outlook configured correctly. So, whenever there’s a new message from someone, it is visible under the ‘Inbox’ folder, but the Action Center doesn’t pop up the notification with sound. If Microsoft Outlook fails to display email notifications as Desktop Alerts, then this post will help you fix the problem on Windows 11/10.

Microsoft Outlook notifications not working

Related Article: Instant Search is not available when Outlook is running with administrator permissions

Microsoft Outlook notifications not working on Windows 11/10? Here’s how to fix if you’re seeing Outlook notifications not working on Windows 11/10, don’t worry. There are a few steps you can take to fix the issue.

  • Enable Outlook notification in Windows Settings
  • Check Outlook notifications settings
  • Check Office OCT/MSP file
  • Check notifications settings in Outlook
  • Turn off the Battery saver
  • Disable Focus assist
  • Check notifications rules

Enable Outlook notification in Windows Settings

When you have Outlook notification issues on Windows 10 or Windows 11, the first thing you need to check is your Windows Settings. If notifications are blocked in Windows Settings, you will not receive any mail updates.

Firstly, this issue can be caused by the Outlook App not being registered correctly with Windows 11/10 at installation time, or by the registry key becoming corrupted. If you have ‘Display a Desktop Alert’ enabled in the Mail options, you may not see it as a result.

If the problem persists, you may need to check your messages by manually updating the folder. Here’s a registry tweak that can help you get past this problem.

Scroll down to find the option “Get notifications from these senders.” Find Outlook and turn the toggle to “On.”

Check Outlook notifications settings

Before you try other solutions, make sure you’ve verified your Windows 11 and Windows 10 notification settings for the app in question. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.
  • Go to System > Notifications.
  • Click on the arrow icon associated with Outlook.
  • Tick the Show notifications banners and Show notifications in the notification center.
  • Toggle the Play a sound when a notification arrives to turn it on.
  • Also, choose a priority level (Top, High, or Normal).

After that, check if these changes solve your issue or not.

Here’s how the settings look in Windows 10.

If your Outlook notifications aren’t appearing under getting notifications from these senders, try this method.

Check Office OCT/MSP file

The shortcuts in Outlook are generated by an Office customization file (OCT/MSP file). This file customizes the shortcuts on the Desktop and groups them into a folder in the Start menu. If you experience some strange issues, the broken icons may appear in the folder.

C:\Windows\Installer\{90160000-0011-0000-0000-0000000FF1CE}

We’ve found the following workaround for this issue: Try doing a fresh install of Office on another Windows 10 PC, without any admin file.

After that, try pulling the shortcuts from a default install and copying them over the shortcuts in the Start Menu folder, which can be found under:

C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\

This action generates the shortcuts with a different target path than the default setup.

Now, simply perform a restart process, and the Outlook notifications should be working again.

Check notifications settings in Outlook

There are several options in Outlook for managing notifications for new emails. You will need to verify these as well. To do so, follow these steps:

  • Open the Outlook app on your computer.
  • Click on the File menu on the top menu bar.
  • Click on the Options.
  • Switch to the Mail tab from the left side.
  • Head over to the Message arrival section.
  • Tick all the checkboxes.
  • Click the OK button.

After that, you should start receiving email notifications on your computer.

Disable Focus assist

Disable Focus assist to fix Outlook notifications not passing through If you’re having problems with Outlook notifications not passing through Focus assist, you’ll need to disable Focus assist to fix the issue.

Check notifications rules

You can disable all your Outlook rules at once to see if that solves your problem. If it does, then turn them back on one at a time to figure out which one is causing the issue.

How do I get pop-up Notifications in Outlook on Windows 11/10?

Open Windows Settings, go to System > Notifications, and click on Outlook. Then, find out the arrow icon and click on it to open all the notifications-related settings. Tick the Show notification banners checkbox.

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