UpAlerts Not Working? How to Fix It, and What to Use Instead
If UpAlerts has stopped sending you Upwork jobs, or the alerts arrive long after the job was posted, the cause is usually one of a few settings. Try the fixes below in order. Most take under a minute.
If none of them work, or you would rather save yourself the trouble and switch to the better alternative, sign up for Vibeworker free, or skip to the second half of this page to see how it compares.
1. Turn off battery optimisation for the app
This is the most common cause of late or missing alerts on Android. Phone makers like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Samsung and Infinix stop apps running in the background to save battery, and an alert app that cannot run in the background cannot alert you.
- Open Settings → Apps → UpAlerts → Battery
- Set it to Unrestricted (or "No restrictions")
- On Xiaomi, also turn on Autostart for the app
- Do not swipe the app away from your recent apps list
2. Check notification permission
Open Settings → Apps → UpAlerts → Notifications and confirm notifications are allowed, including the job alert category. On iPhone, check Settings → Notifications → UpAlerts, and make sure a Focus mode is not silencing it.
3. If you use WhatsApp alerts, message the bot
UpAlerts' WhatsApp alerts only keep arriving if you have sent the bot a message recently. If you have not messaged it in the last 24 hours, the alerts stop. Send it any message and they should resume.
4. Check your subscription or trial
UpAlerts does not show jobs without an active trial or subscription. If your trial has ended or a payment failed, the alerts stop with it. If you were charged more than you expected, see how to cancel UpAlerts and get a refund. Check the subscription in the app, and in Google Play → Payments & subscriptions or App Store → Subscriptions on iPhone.
5. Loosen your filters for a test
If your filters are very narrow, it can look like the app is broken when there are simply no matching jobs. Widen one filter for an hour and see whether alerts arrive.
6. Update or reinstall
Update the app from the Play Store or App Store. If that does not help, uninstall it, reinstall it, log in again, and repeat steps 1 and 2, because a reinstall resets those settings.
Still not working?
If you have been through every step and alerts are still late or missing, you are not the only one. UpAlerts averages 4.0 stars on Google Play, so plenty of people are happy with it. But the same complaints come up again and again in its reviews.
Late or missing alerts:
"send notification very late after 40 or 50 minutes ... more than 10 notifications at one time. I already add all settings for notification like battery optimisation and also done setting for don't kill my app. Other apps working fine" Google Play review, March 2024
"No alerts, no updates, nothing. I did all the settings, and still, nothing." Google Play review, September 2024
"Doesn't give notifications plus pathetic customer support" Google Play review, November 2024
Support that does not answer:
"They never reply to your message and disappear" Google Play review
"Reported a bug 20 days ago and it isn't fixed yet" Google Play review, July 2024
"Support says, we are fixing and not replying now" Google Play review, March 2024
Paying extra for proposals on top of the subscription:
"when it just write an average proposal and even to write it you need to pay extra" Google Play review, July 2024
The first reviewer had already done everything in steps 1 and 2 above. If you have too, more settings will not fix it. At that point the tool is the problem, not your phone.
An alternative: Vibeworker
Vibeworker sends real-time Upwork job alerts to your phone, ranked against your profile so the jobs that fit you are at the top. Here is how it compares.
Lower price, everything included
Vibeworker costs less. In Pakistan it is $12/month, or $119/year. UpAlerts charges $18.99/month, the same in Pakistan as in the US, and sells credit packs on top of the subscription.
Vibeworker's price includes everything: unlimited alerts, unlimited filters, unlimited AI proposals, every notification channel, and API and webhook access. There are no credits and nothing else to buy.
You can also browse the full job feed for free, with no card, for as long as you like. UpAlerts shows no jobs until you start a trial or pay.
Mobile apps on Android and iPhone
Vibeworker has native apps for Android and iPhone. Alerts go straight to your lock screen as push notifications. You do not need to keep a bot alive or use a VPN.
If you want a second channel, alerts can also go to Telegram, an RSS reader, or a webhook for your own automation.
Filters that do more than match keywords
Every job is ranked against your profile, so a job that fits your skills and the kind of work you want sits above one that just contains the right keyword. On top of that ranking you can filter by:
- Budget: separate minimums for hourly and fixed-price jobs, and hide jobs with no budget posted
- Client quality: payment verified, minimum rating, minimum amount spent, minimum hire rate, minimum number of hires
- Client location: hide specific countries, or show only the countries you choose
- Keywords: include, require, or exclude
- Connects: set a maximum connects cost
- Job type, experience level, and how recently it was posted
You can save several filters, each with its own alert channels. For example, one filter for high-budget fixed-price jobs that alerts your phone, and a broader one that only goes to your feed.
Support from the founder
Vibeworker support is me, the founder. There is no ticket queue and no chatbot. You can reach me directly on Telegram, email or WhatsApp. If you are paying and something is broken, I will usually fix it the same day.
Quick comparison
| Vibeworker | UpAlerts | |
|---|---|---|
| Price in Pakistan | $12/mo, everything included | $18.99/mo plus credit packs |
| Browse jobs free | Yes, no card, no time limit | No, requires trial or subscription |
| Android and iPhone apps | Yes | Yes |
| Alert channels | Push, Telegram, RSS, webhook | Push, WhatsApp, webhook |
| Support | Founder, direct on Telegram, email or WhatsApp | Not published |
For a longer breakdown, see the full Vibeworker vs UpAlerts comparison.
Try it next to UpAlerts
Start by browsing the Vibeworker job feed for free, no card needed. Set up the same filters you use in UpAlerts and compare the jobs each one shows you.
When you want the alerts on your phone, subscribe and run both side by side for a few days. See which one reaches you first. Subscribe on the website and you get a 14-day refund, no questions asked, so if UpAlerts wins, you get your money back. Your subscription works in the Android and iPhone apps too.
Vibeworker is $12/month in Pakistan with everything included, and a 14-day refund if it is not for you. Start on the web →, then get the Android app for your alerts.
Michael Watkins
Founder of Vibeworker. Helping freelancers win the Upwork game through speed and data.
Stop missing the jobs that matter
Vibeworker watches the Upwork feed and alerts you the moment a high-fit job appears — before the proposals pile up.
Get started free →Keep reading
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