Pouncify
Guide

Facebook Marketplace notifications not working? How to fix them in 2026

Facebook Marketplace notifications that arrive late, skip listings or stop altogether are one of the most common complaints among local deal hunters. Work through the checks below — your phone first, then Facebook, then the search itself. And if you need every new listing while it is still for sale, the last section shows how.

Check these first

  1. Your phone allows Facebook to notify you. Notifications for the Facebook app are switched on in your phone's settings.
  2. No Focus or Do Not Disturb is silencing it. A sleep, work or driving mode can hold notifications back until it ends.
  3. Marketplace notifications are on inside Facebook. Marketplace has its own notification settings in Facebook, with a switch for each type.
  4. The Facebook app is up to date. Update it from the App Store or Google Play if a newer version is waiting.

Fix it on iPhone

  1. Open Settings → Notifications → Facebook and turn on Allow Notifications. Under Alerts, turn on Lock Screen, Notification Center and Banners.
  2. Open Settings → Focus and choose each Focus you use (Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work). Under Apps, allow notifications from Facebook — or make sure the Focus is off while you are hunting.
  3. Turn off Low Power Mode in Settings → Battery (under Power Mode on newer iPhones) while you wait for a deal: it turns off Background App Refresh.
  4. Open Settings → General → Background App Refresh, make sure it is on, and that Facebook is switched on in the list.
  5. Still nothing? Delete the Facebook app, reinstall it, sign in, and allow notifications when your iPhone asks.

Menu names can differ slightly between iOS versions.

Fix it on Android

  1. Open Settings → Notifications → App notifications → Facebook and make sure notifications are on — including the Marketplace category, if Facebook lists its notifications in categories.
  2. Open Settings → Apps → App battery usage → Facebook and choose Unrestricted, so Facebook can run more freely in the background.
  3. Open Settings → Modes → Do Not Disturb (just Do Not Disturb on older versions) and allow Facebook among the apps that may notify you.
  4. If Data Saver is on, apps get background data only over Wi-Fi — turn it off, or let Facebook use data without restriction.
  5. Update Facebook from Google Play, or clear its cache in Settings → Apps → Facebook → Storage & cache.

These are the names on Google Pixel phones; other phone makers use similar names, and your phone's settings search finds each one quickly.

Fix it inside Facebook

  1. Open Settings & privacy → Settings → Notifications → Marketplace and switch on the notification types you want.

Check your search itself

  1. The location is right — especially after you move or travel.
  2. The keywords are not too narrow. Use the words a seller would write: “couch” as well as “sofa”, “bike” as well as “bicycle”.
  3. The price range and filters still match what you are looking for.
  4. Try it by hand. Run the same search in Marketplace. If new listings show up there but no notification came, the search is fine and the notification is the problem.

Why Facebook's alerts can still arrive late

Even with every setting right, Facebook decides when to send a Marketplace notification, and it does not promise one for every new listing that matches what you want. Your phone can add its own delay on top: Low Power Mode turns off Background App Refresh, and battery saving can limit what apps do in the background. That is why many deal hunters do not rely on Facebook's notifications alone for items that sell fast.

New listings on your phone, within minutes — with Pouncify

Pouncify does not wait for Facebook to send a notification. It checks your search itself, on the schedule you choose, and sends every new matching listing straight to your phone within minutes of it going live — with the photo, the price and where it is.

  • Every new match, delivered — photo, price, location and a link straight to the listing.
  • One search, every marketplace — Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, plus OfferUp in the United States and Kijiji in Canada.
  • Alerts where you want them — the free Pouncify app for iPhone and Android, or Telegram, email or Discord.
  • No password to hand over — your Facebook login is optional; Pouncify watches Marketplace without one, and signing in finds more, fresher listings.
  • Private by design — no account with us; your logins, listings and location stay on your computer.

Pouncify runs on your Windows or Mac computer and pairs with your phone by scanning a QR code. It is free to start.

Download Pouncify free

Questions

Why are my Facebook Marketplace notifications late?

Facebook decides when to send Marketplace notifications, and your phone can delay them further with Low Power Mode, battery saving or a Focus. Work through the iPhone or Android steps above. If you need new listings within minutes, Pouncify checks your search itself and alerts your phone within minutes of a match going live.

Why do I get notifications for some listings but not others?

Facebook does not promise a notification for every matching listing. Make sure your search is broad enough and Marketplace notifications are on. To hear about every new match, use a watcher such as Pouncify.

How fast does Pouncify alert me about a new listing?

Within minutes of it going live on Marketplace. You choose how often Pouncify checks and during which hours, and each alert arrives with the photo, price and location.

Do I need a Facebook login for Pouncify?

No. Pouncify watches Facebook Marketplace without a login. Signing in is optional and finds more, fresher listings over a bigger radius; you do it once inside the app, and the session stays on your computer.

Is Pouncify free?

Yes, it is free to start, with no account and no card. One saved search covers Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp and Kijiji.

Download Pouncify Free to start · no account · Windows and macOS

Related: all guides · about Pouncify. Last reviewed: October 4, 2026.