Android SMS Notifications No Longer Working For Some Users

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It looks like Google has effectively broken Android SMS notifications for many users, which is immediately apparent upon reading the most recent reviews of the Android Messages app on the Google Play store. The problem appears to be with version 2.5.207 of the app, which Google started pushing out on Thursday. So if you aren’t running that version of the Android Messages app, we advise you not to update the app until it becomes clear that the problem has been fixed.

It seems not every user of Android Messages has stopped receiving text notifications, but it will take some time to determine the pattern and whether only certain phone models are affected. If you’re one of the many people who use their mobile carrier’s text messaging app or another app for text messages, the good news is that you probably won’t be affected.

It’s also important to note that it sounds like affected users are still receiving their text messages. The problem is that they’re no longer receiving notifications that they have gotten a text message, so they must keep checking the app to see whether they’ve received one because their devices are not notifying them.

It isn’t clear what’s causing the bug with Android SMS Notifications, and Google hasn’t yet formally admitted that there’s a problem. There is a thread about problems with receiving texts on the Android Messages app on the Google Product Forums, but it seems to be specific to users of Project Fi, Google’s wireless service. In that case, the user said it started happening after the update on Aug. 30, and he was on version 2.4.036 of the app.

The current problem with text messages on Android Messages is actually about receiving notifications that a text has been received rather than texts not arriving at all. From reading Google’s Product Forums, it seems that this same issue pops up from time to time, so it’s nothing new.

Unfortunately, at this time, we can’t offer anything that will definitively fix the problem if you’ve stopped receiving Android SMS notifications, but please drop us a line if you discover a fix. The only thing we can say is that you could try another texting app. Wireless carriers and some smartphone makers usually include their own text messaging app on their phones, so you might consider trying those out if you have one or look for another replacement. Google will probably be working on a fix for this as well, so if you are affected, keep checking for an update to the Android Messages app.

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