How to troubleshoot missing push alerts

Push notifications are how KiddyCash keeps you in the loop — whether a child’s wallet just received an allowance, a transaction code was used, or a Smart Approval request is waiting on you. When they stop arriving, you can miss time-sensitive actions. Here’s how to diagnose and fix the most common causes.

Symptoms

You may be dealing with a notification issue if:

  • Allowance deposits, wallet activity, or approval requests appear in your notification inbox but you never received a push alert for them
  • Alerts were working, then stopped after a device change, app update, or OS upgrade
  • You receive notifications inconsistently — some come through, others don’t
  • Notifications arrive late (30+ minutes after the triggering event)
  • Family members on the same account get alerts but you don’t

Common causes

1. Device-level permissions were revoked Android and iOS both prompt users to allow notifications during app install. If you denied the prompt — or if a system update reset it — KiddyCash has no channel to reach you.

2. Battery optimisation is blocking background delivery This is especially common on Android devices popular across East Africa (Tecno, Infinix, Samsung). Aggressive battery savers kill background processes, including push delivery.

3. Token registration drift Every device gets a push token when you log in. If you reinstalled the app, switched phones, or logged out and back in, the token can desync. KiddyCash can’t deliver to a stale token.

4. Notification preferences were turned off in-app KiddyCash lets you control which events trigger alerts. If a family admin or a previous session toggled off certain categories — transactions, approvals, badge awards — those pushes will be silenced.

5. Network-related delays (common on mobile data) Pushes are delivered via Firebase Cloud Messaging. Congested mobile networks or extended offline periods (common in areas with patchy coverage) can delay or drop messages entirely.

Solutions, step by step

Step 1 — Verify device permissions On iOS: Settings → KiddyCash → Notifications → Allow Notifications: On. On Android: Settings → Apps → KiddyCash → Notifications → All notifications: Enabled.

Step 2 — Disable battery optimisation for KiddyCash On Android: Settings → Battery → Battery optimisation → KiddyCash → Don’t optimise. The exact path varies by manufacturer, but the principle is the same — exclude KiddyCash from power management.

Step 3 — Force a token refresh Log out of KiddyCash completely, then log back in. This re-registers your device and issues a fresh push token. If you recently switched phones, also make sure the old device is signed out from Account → Active sessions.

Step 4 — Review your in-app notification settings Head to https://kiddy.cash/notifications and check which categories are enabled. If you’re a family admin, verify that approval-related alerts are on — these are what power the Smart Approval workflow. For context on what Smart Approval covers, see what’s new in Smart Approval in KiddyCash and a closer look at Smart Approval in KiddyCash.

Step 5 — Check your notification inbox directly If pushes are failing but the underlying events are still being recorded, you’ll find them by reading your unread notifications inside the app. This confirms whether the issue is delivery only, or whether the events aren’t firing at all.

Step 6 — Rule out network timing If you’re primarily on mobile data — say, Safaricom in Nairobi or an M-Pesa-linked KiddyCash account — connect to Wi-Fi and trigger a test transaction (even a small KES transfer to a child’s wallet). If the notification arrives immediately on Wi-Fi, the issue is network-side, not account-side.

If you’ve worked through all six steps and alerts are still missing, contact KiddyCash support with your device model, OS version, and the approximate time of a missed notification so the team can check server-side delivery logs.

  • /kb/how-to-open-your-notification-inbox
  • /kb/how-to-read-an-unread-notification
  • /blog/what-s-new-in-smart-approval-in-kiddycash
  • /blog/a-closer-look-at-smart-approval-in-kiddycash