Pouncify
Guide

OfferUp notifications not working? How to fix them in 2026

OfferUp search alerts that never reach your phone, or only turn up when you open the app, often come down to OfferUp's notification settings or your phone's. Work through the checks below — and if you want every new listing while it is still available, the last section shows how.

Check these first

  1. A search alert is set. OfferUp can notify you when new listings match a search — make sure you set a search alert for it.
  2. Look in your OfferUp Inbox. OfferUp always delivers notifications to the Notifications tab of your Inbox, in the app and on OfferUp.com. Push and email copies are extra and can be switched off.
  3. Push and email are on for search alerts. In OfferUp, open Account → Account Settings, scroll to Notifications, tap Manage Notifications, and tap Edit next to the notification you want to change.
  4. Your phone allows OfferUp to notify you. See the iPhone and Android steps below.

Fix it on iPhone

  1. Open Settings → Notifications → OfferUp 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 OfferUp — 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 OfferUp is switched on in the list.
  5. Still nothing? Delete the OfferUp 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 → OfferUp and make sure notifications are on — including every category OfferUp lists, if it lists its notifications in categories.
  2. Open Settings → Apps → App battery usage → OfferUp and choose Unrestricted, so OfferUp can run more freely in the background.
  3. Open Settings → Modes → Do Not Disturb (just Do Not Disturb on older versions) and allow OfferUp 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 OfferUp use data without restriction.
  5. Update OfferUp from Google Play, or clear its cache in Settings → Apps → OfferUp → 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.

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 yourself. If new listings show up but no alert came, the search is fine and the alert is the problem.

Why OfferUp's alerts can still feel late

OfferUp's search alerts are delivered to your Inbox inside the app, and OfferUp's push and email messages point you to alerts waiting there. If a push is switched off or held back by your phone, the alert simply waits in the app until you open it — by which time a good listing may be gone.

Every new listing on your phone, within minutes — with Pouncify

Pouncify does not wait for you to open the OfferUp app. 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 — OfferUp together with Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
  • Alerts where you want them — the free Pouncify app for iPhone and Android, or Telegram, email or Discord.
  • No account or login needed — Pouncify watches OfferUp without a login.
  • 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

Where do OfferUp search alerts go?

To the Notifications tab of your OfferUp Inbox, in the app and on OfferUp.com. OfferUp can also send them as push notifications and by email, which you control in Account Settings under Notifications.

How do I change OfferUp's notification settings?

Open Account, then Account Settings, scroll to Notifications, tap Manage Notifications, and tap Edit next to the notification you want to change.

How fast are OfferUp alerts with Pouncify?

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

Does Pouncify need an OfferUp account?

No. Pouncify watches OfferUp without an account or login.

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

Related: all guides · about Pouncify. Last reviewed: September 26, 2026.