Slack Thread Notifications Not Working? How Following Works
Slack notifies you about thread replies only in threads you follow. We tested following, unfollowing and the channel switch Follow every thread in the web app; here is where each one is and what it does.
Slack only notifies you about thread replies in threads you follow. You follow a thread when you start it, reply to it, or are mentioned in it, and every thread in a one-to-one DM counts. To follow any other thread, hover over the parent message, click More actions (the three dots) and choose Get notified about new replies. To follow every thread in one channel, click the bell icon in the channel header, then More options, Advanced settings, and turn on Follow every thread.
We checked each of these steps in Slack's web app on October 5, 2026, in a test workspace, and read the result back from Slack's API after every click. The menus below are screenshots from that test.
What we tested, and what Slack did
We started two threads in a new channel. In each thread we posted a keyword that a Slackbot automated message answers, so a second account (Slackbot) replied inside the thread.
| Step | What Slack recorded |
|---|---|
| Start a thread, Slackbot replies in it | Thread followed; Threads view shows 1 unread thread in the channel |
| More actions, Turn off notifications for replies | Thread no longer followed |
| More actions, Get notified about new replies | Followed again |
| Unfollow, then post your own reply in the thread | Followed again, with no click |
| Open the thread | Threads unread count back to 0 |
| Channel Follow every thread on | Saved as a per-channel setting; a thread you had unfollowed stayed unfollowed |
The fourth row explains a common complaint. If you mute a thread and then reply to it, you are back in it and its replies notify you again. Mute it once more after you reply.
When Slack notifies you about thread replies
| Situation | Notified of new replies? |
|---|---|
| Thread in a one-to-one DM | Yes |
| You started the thread | Yes (tested) |
| You replied in the thread | Yes (tested) |
| You were mentioned in the thread | Yes |
| You only read the channel | No, unless you follow it |
| You chose Turn off notifications for replies | No, until you reply again (tested) |
| Channel set to Follow every thread | Yes, every new thread |
@channel, @here and @everyone do not notify anyone when used inside a thread, per Slack's help center; see @here vs @channel vs @everyone.
Follow or unfollow one thread
On desktop or in the browser, hover over the parent message and click More actions. The menu shows Turn off notifications for replies when you follow the thread and Get notified about new replies when you do not. The same menu has Delete message…, but on a parent it leaves the replies in place; see how to delete a thread in Slack.
On mobile, tap the thread, tap the three dots below the original message, and choose Get Notified about New Replies (from Slack's help center; we did not test the mobile app).
Followed threads appear under Threads at the top of the sidebar, with unread ones first. When a thread is finished, unfollowing it is the closest thing to closing it, since Slack has no way to resolve a thread outside Enterprise admin tools.
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Follow every thread in a channel
The old More notification options dialog with "Get notified about all replies" is gone from the web app. The switch now sits one level deeper:
- Open the channel and click the bell icon in the channel header (its label is Edit notifications).
- Click More options, then Advanced settings.
- Turn on Follow every thread. Slack describes it as "Get notified about every new thread and its replies."
- • Do Not Disturb is on, or a notification schedule paused you; see Slack Do Not Disturb.
- • The channel is set to Mute and hide or Just mentions. By Slack's own labels, both notify you only when someone mentions you.
- • Your default is "Nothing" or mentions only, under Preferences > Notifications.
- • Desktop notifications are off for the channel in Advanced settings, or your browser or computer blocks Slack's notifications. In our test the browser had not granted permission, and Slack showed a "Slack needs your permission to enable notifications" bar.
The same bell menu sets the channel level. All new posts covers "messages and threads you follow". Just mentions notifies only for @you, @channel and @here. Mute and hide only badges the channel when someone mentions you, so replies in a muted channel stay silent unless they mention you. Turn on Follow every thread only in small, important channels; in a busy one it sends a notification for every reply.
Replies that should be in the channel
If people miss your reply because it is "not in the thread" view they watch, use the Also send to #channel box under the thread composer. Ticked, the reply goes to the thread and also shows in the channel. It is off by default for each reply. To take the channel copy back later, use Remove reply from channel, which keeps the thread copy; our Also send to channel test shows each step.
Still no thread notifications?
The full checklist is in Slack notifications not working. If threads show unread but you cannot clear them, see Slack keeps showing unread messages.
FAQ
Does replying to a thread I muted turn its notifications back on?
Yes. In our test, posting a reply in an unfollowed thread made Slack follow it again at once. Choose Turn off notifications for replies again after you reply.
Does Follow every thread change threads I already unfollowed?
No. We unfollowed a thread, then turned on Follow every thread for its channel, and the thread stayed unfollowed.
Where did "Get notified about all replies" go?
In the web app it is now Follow every thread, under the channel's bell icon > More options > Advanced settings.
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