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Android’s Notification History can bring back a notification you accidentally dismissed—but you need to turn it on before the alert disappears. On Pixel phones, it keeps dismissed notifications from the last 24 hours. The setting’s location and retention can differ on other Android devices.
Turn on Notification History before you need it
Notification History is a record of alerts your phone has received. It is not a way to restore notifications from before the feature was enabled. Google’s Pixel instructions say to enable it first to find past alerts.
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Find Notification History on a Google Pixel
- Open Settings.
- Tap Notifications > Notification history.
- Turn on Use notification history.
- To revisit past alerts, return to Settings > Notifications > Notification history. You can also swipe down to open the notification shade, scroll to the bottom, and tap History.
- Tap a notification in the list to open the app it came from.
Google says an enabled Pixel keeps dismissed notifications from the last 24 hours. The setting may not show alerts that were never delivered as notifications by their apps.
Find the setting on a Samsung Galaxy
- Open Settings.
- Tap Notifications > Advanced settings > Notification history.
- Turn on the Notification history switch.
Samsung says the history appears on that screen going forward. If it is empty, check again after the phone receives new notifications. Samsung’s Galaxy notification guidance notes that screens and settings can vary by model, software version, and carrier.
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Look for it on other Android phones
Open Settings > Notifications and look for Notification history. If you do not see it, search Settings for that exact phrase. Android’s notification help warns that some devices may not include the feature and that settings vary, so a menu path that works on Pixel or Galaxy may not match your phone.
What the 24-hour limit means
Google documents a last-24-hours list of dismissed notifications for Pixel. The Android Open Source Project describes 24 hours as the default retention period, while noting that device makers can change it. That makes 24 hours a useful expectation, not a guarantee for every Android phone.
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Turning Notification History off also has a consequence: in the AOSP implementation, all saved history items are deleted and new notifications stop being logged until the feature is enabled again. See the Android Open Source Project documentation, last updated June 17, 2026.
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- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
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