How to Fix iPhone Calendar Alerts Not Working

Posted by Brian Davis on Jan 23, 2025 • Category: iOS & iPhone Tips
5 mins read

Imagine this: you meticulously plan your week, filling your iPhone Calendar with reminders for meetings, birthdays, and that all-important coffee with a friend - only to miss every single one because your alerts stayed silent. Frustrating, right?

Calendar notifications are like the backstage crew of your life, quietly keeping everything running on time. But when they stop working, the show comes to a halt. To fix the issue of iPhone calendar alerts not working, we summarize this solution list that will help you bring the excellent crew back to your life.

iphone calendar alerts not working

Part 1. Why Are My iPhone Calendar Alerts Not Working?

First of all, we should learn why your iPhone calendar does not alert you. As for how to check those reasons, we will discuss it in the next part. Here are some common reasons for the iPhone calendar alert issue.

1. Notifications Disabled: Calendar notifications are often accidentally turned off or misconfigured.

2. Silent Mode or Focus Mode Enabled: Many users unintentionally leave their device in silent mode or enable Focus modes like "Do Not Disturb," which suppress alerts.

3. Alert Style Misconfigured: If the alert styles like banner are off, notifications might not be visible or audible.

4. Default Alert Times Not Set: Without default alert times configured, new events might not trigger alerts.

5. Battery Saver Mode: Low Power Mode can interfere with background processes, including notifications.

6. Outdated iOS Version: Compatibility issues in older iOS versions can lead to unreliable calendar notifications.

7. System Bugs or Glitches: Occasional bugs in iOS can disrupt notifications, especially after a recent system update.

Part 2. How to Fix iPhone Calendar Alerts Not Working

If you also have a similar calendar issue on your iPhone and are bothered for your calendar without alerts, the following solutions would be helpful for you to fix it. From the common to the advanced solutions, all of them have a detailed tutorial.

Fix 1. Enable Calendar Notifications

Notifications might be disabled for your Calendar app, which is a common reason for missed alerts. Re-enabling notifications ensures that the app can alert you properly.

Step 1. Go to Settings > Notifications > Calendar.

Step 2. Turn on Allow Notifications.

Step 3. Enable Alerts, Sounds, and Badges.

iphone calendar notification settings

Fix 2. Check Silent Mode or Focus Mode

Silent mode or Focus mode can suppress notifications to minimize distractions and disable the calendar alerts. Disabling these modes can restore alert functionality.

Step 1. Check the physical Mute/Silent switch on the side of the iPhone and ensure it is off.

iphone mute switch

Step 2. Open Control Center and ensure Focus modes like Do Not Disturb are turned off.

iphone disable do not disturb

Step 3. Go to Settings > Focus to check for automation that might enable these modes unintentionally.

focus settings

Fix 3. Verify Alert Style

If your alert style is set to none or is not configured for visibility, you might not notice your calendar notifications. Adjusting these settings ensures they appear as intended.

Step 1. Go to Settings > Notifications > Calendar.

Step 2. Choose a visible alert style like Banners or Alerts.

Step 3. Enable Sounds and set a tone for calendar notifications.

iphone calendar alert style

Fix 4. Set Default Alert Times

Default alert times determine whether notifications are sent for calendar events. Without these settings, some events might not generate alerts.

Step 1. Go to Settings > Calendar > Default Alert Times.

Step 2. Set default alerts for Birthdays, Events, and All-Day Events.

iphone calendar default alert times

Fix 5. Disable Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode limits background activity to conserve battery life. Disabling it ensures that notifications are delivered as expected. Go to Settings > Battery to turn off Low Power Mode if it is enabled.

low power mode

Fix 6. Update iOS

An outdated iOS version can cause compatibility issues with apps, including Calendar. Updating to the latest version often fixes bugs and normalize your iPhone.

Step 1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Step 2. Download and install any available updates.

update ios

Fix 7. Reset Notification Settings

If misconfigured settings are causing iPhone calendar alerts not working, resetting them can restore functionality without affecting other apps. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset to Reset All Settings. This does not delete your data.

reset all settings

Fix 8. Restart the iPhone

Temporary glitches in the system can sometimes cause notifications to fail. Restarting the device often resolves such issues.

Step 1. Press and hold the Side Button (or the Volume Down + Side Button on newer models) until the power-off slider appears on your iPhone screen.

Step 2. Slide to power off, wait a few seconds, and turn the phone back on.

restart iphone

Fix 9. Fix iPhone Calendar Alerts Not Working in a Minute

Fail to fix calendar alerts not working iPhone? Don't panic. The last solution is coming. At this time, this issue may be caused by system issues so you can use TunesKit iOS System Recovery to fix it. It is the final fix but may be the most effective one.

TunesKit iOS System Recovery is a powerful iOS system repair tool. It works for more than 150+ iOS issues including calendar issues on iPhone, iPhone stuck on the screen, and iPad white screen. At the same, it is also a free iTunes repair tool. So if there is any error when you use iTunes, this tool can also help you fix it.

tuneskit ios system recovery

Characteristics of TunesKit iOS System Recovery:

  • Fix iPhone calendar alerts not working without data loss
  • Repair different iOS issues by yourself
  • Provide Standard Mode and Advanced Mode
  • Supports downgrading iOS 18 to iOS 17
  • Easy to use with friendly interface
Try It Free safe 600,000+ Downloads
Try It Free safe 600,000+ Downloads

Now let's begin fixing iPhone calendar alerts not working via TunesKit iOS System Recovery.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to PC

Download and install iOS system recovery tool on your computer. Then, connect your iPhone to your computer.

Enter the tool to select the iOS System Repair feature and then click the Start button to start the fixing process.

connect iPod to PC

Step 2. Select repair mode

In this window, you should select Standard Repair as your first choice, which will not clear up your iPhone data.

select standard mode

Step 3. Download firmware package

After confirming your iPhone info, click the Download button to download firmware package for your iPhone.

download firmware

Step 4. Fix iPhone calendar alerts not working

When you finish all three steps above, you can click the Repair button to fix your iPhone calendar right now.

fix black and white lines on ipod screen

Part 3. Conclusion

The issue of iPhone calendar alerts not working can be solved in many different ways. However, not all of them are suitable for you. To fix it, you should try those methods and get the right way. For a quick solution, you can take TunesKit iOS System Recovery as your first selection to fix your calendar issue in a minute.

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