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Slack Troubleshooting

Fix common Slack desktop issues including broken notifications, slow performance, and audio problems in huddles

Slack's desktop app works well most of the time, but notifications can silently break, performance can degrade after months of use, and huddle audio can stop cooperating. Here is how to fix the most common issues on each platform.

Clear the cache (fixes most issues):

  1. Click Help in the menu bar at the top of your screen
  2. Go to Troubleshooting and click Clear Cache and Restart
  3. Slack will close and reopen with a fresh cache

If Slack is frozen or will not open, quit it completely first (right-click the Dock icon and select Quit), then reopen it and try again.

Fix notifications:

  1. Open System Settings > Notifications and find Slack in the list
  2. Make sure Allow Notifications is turned on and the alert style is set to Banners or Alerts
  3. In Slack, click your profile picture and go to Preferences > Notifications
  4. Set "Notify me about" to your preferred level (start with All new messages to test)
  5. Check that you are not on Do Not Disturb (look for the paused bell icon next to your name)

If you use Focus modes on macOS, go to System Settings > Focus and make sure Slack is allowed through your active Focus profile.

Slow performance or high memory:

  1. Close channels and DMs you are not actively using. Slack keeps them all in memory
  2. Clear the cache using the steps above
  3. If Slack is still sluggish, quit and reopen it. Slack can accumulate memory usage over multi-day sessions
  4. Check Activity Monitor for Slack's memory usage. If it regularly exceeds 1-2 GB, a reinstall may help

Audio and video in huddles:

  1. Go to Preferences > Audio & Video and confirm the correct microphone and speakers are selected
  2. Check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and make sure Slack has permission
  3. Do the same for Camera if video is not working
  4. If others cannot hear you, try toggling your mute on and off, or leave and rejoin the huddle

Nuclear option (reinstall):

  1. Quit Slack completely
  2. Drag Slack from Applications to the Trash
  3. Open Finder, press Shift + Cmd + G, go to ~/Library/Application Support/Slack and delete that folder
  4. Empty the Trash and reinstall Slack from slack.com/downloads or the App Store

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Slack notifications stop working after a while?▾

This is almost always caused by a system-level Focus mode, Do Not Disturb, or notification schedule. On Mac, check System Settings > Focus. On Windows, check Settings > System > Focus. Also check Slack's own notification schedule in Preferences > Notifications > Notification schedule, which can silently mute you outside set hours.

How do I fix Slack using too much memory?▾

Slack is an Electron app, so it uses more memory than you might expect. Close workspaces and channels you are not using, clear the cache via Help > Troubleshooting > Clear Cache and Restart, and restart the app regularly instead of leaving it running for days. If it is consistently above 2 GB, reinstalling can help reset accumulated bloat.

Can I use Slack in a browser instead of the desktop app?▾

Yes. Go to your workspace URL (like yourcompany.slack.com) in any modern browser. The web version has most of the same features, including huddles. You lose some notification reliability compared to the desktop app, but it uses less memory and does not require installation.

How do I check if Slack itself is down?▾

Visit status.slack.com in your browser. It shows real-time status for messaging, connections, and other Slack services. If there is an active incident, the issue is on Slack's end and you just need to wait.