Two different things can go wrong here, and the fix depends on which one you're seeing. If a new order shows up on the device but there's no chime, that's the in-app sound setting or the phone being on silent. If the device stays quiet and shows nothing at all when the app is closed, that's the phone's notification permission for MenuDock. The sound and the push notification are separate mechanisms, so work out which symptom you have before changing anything.
First, is the app open or closed?
When the app is open on the Orders tab, the list updates in real time and the chosen alert sound plays. No push notification is needed for that. So if orders only fail to alert you when the app is closed or in the background, the problem is push notifications, not sound.
When the app is closed or backgrounded, you rely on a push notification from your phone. That needs the OS notification permission to be granted. Reopening the app resyncs the order list, so even a missed push won't lose an order. See How live updates work.
No sound
If orders appear on screen but you hear nothing, the order itself is arriving fine. Check the sound, in this order:
- Open the Settings tab, tap Order Sounds, and confirm a sound is selected and not set to No Sound. Tapping a sound previews it, so you'll know straight away whether the device can play it.
- Check the phone or tablet isn't on silent, isn't in Do Not Disturb, and has the volume up.
- On Android, check the New Orders notification channel isn't muted at the system level. A channel can be silenced in the phone's settings even when the app's notifications are otherwise allowed. Open Settings, go to Apps, find MenuDock, tap Notifications, then check the New Orders channel.
The sound setting lives on each device, not on your account. If you use more than one phone or tablet, set the sound on every one of them. A device you've just added starts with the default. See Sound alerts.
No notifications when the app is closed
If the device shows nothing at all when MenuDock is closed, the notification permission was most likely declined. On first launch the app asks whether it can send notifications, and if anyone tapped "Don't allow", the app can't ask again. Turn it on in the phone's settings:
- iPhone and iPad: open Settings, go to Notifications, find MenuDock, and switch Allow Notifications on. Check that sounds and banners are enabled too.
- Android: open Settings, go to Apps, find MenuDock, tap Notifications, and make sure they're allowed. Check the New Orders channel as well.
After you change the permission, open the app once. That lets the device re-register so future orders can reach it. If the device was signed out, sign back in for the same reason. See Push notifications, and Install and sign in if you need to get back into the app.
Notifications are late or unreliable
If pushes do come through but arrive minutes late, or some land and some don't, the cause is usually the network or a battery setting rather than a permission.
On Android, battery optimisation and "deep sleep" modes can hold notifications back or stop them while the screen is off. Exclude MenuDock from battery optimisation so it can receive pushes in the background. A Do Not Disturb schedule will also mute alerts during its hours, so check that isn't running over a shift.
Either way, reopening the app resyncs the Orders tab and catches up on anything that came in while the device was quiet, so a delayed push won't lose an order. See How live updates work.
Related articles
Need a hand?
If you've set a sound, allowed notifications, and ruled out silent mode and battery settings, and the device still stays quiet, email support@menudock.co.uk with your store name and the device you're using, and we'll look into it.