Distill.io Notifications Not Showing in Chrome on Android in India
Distill’s desktop Chrome extension and Android app handle notifications differently. Check the monitor action, app permissions, and test notification to find where delivery is failing.
If Distill.io notifications are not appearing on an Android phone in India, first check which alert you expect. Distill documents its Chrome product as a browser extension and Android as a separate mobile app; its documentation does not describe the desktop extension running inside Chrome for Android. To receive Distill push alerts on your phone, configure a Push Notification action for the monitor and allow notifications for the Distill Android app in Android settings. The research reviewed for this article found no India-specific cause.
First identify the notification you mean
Three different things can be described as a “Chrome notification,” and their settings are not interchangeable:
- Distill extension alert: an alert associated with the browser extension on the computer where it runs.
- Distill mobile push: a notification delivered through the Distill Android app. This is the documented route for Distill alerts on a phone.
- Chrome website notification: an alert from a website, controlled by Chrome’s site notification permission on Android. This is separate from a Distill monitor’s push action.
Distill lists browser extensions and Android apps as separate platforms. Its extension FAQ says the Chrome extension relies on the device’s browser to make checks. A desktop extension detecting a change does not by itself prove that a mobile push action was configured or sent. See Distill’s supported platforms and Chrome extension documentation.
Fix Distill push notifications on Android
- Confirm the Distill Android app is installed and signed in. Use the app associated with the account that owns or receives the monitor alerts. If you are signed out or using a different account, sign in to the right one.
- Check the monitor’s actions. Open the affected monitor’s options and choose Actions. Confirm that Push Notification is configured. Distill notes that available alert methods can depend on the subscription plan, so check the plan’s current entitlements if the action is unavailable. Do not assume an upgrade will fix a device delivery problem.
- Allow notifications in Android settings. Find Distill in the phone’s app notification settings and make sure notifications are allowed. Android menu labels and paths vary by device and OS version; use Settings search for “Distill” or “App notifications” if needed. Also review any notification channel settings shown for the app.
- Run Distill’s in-app test. Distill support describes the Android app path as menu → Settings → Test Notification. Note whether the app reports success and whether a notification actually appears on the phone. These are separate observations: a successful test request does not guarantee the phone displayed it.
- Check the monitor’s action log after a real change. Verify that the monitor detected the change and that a push action was recorded. If no action appears, revisit monitor setup. If an action is recorded but the phone gets nothing, focus on app sign-in, permissions, and device delivery.
- Update or reinstall if the basics do not help. Distill support suggests checking sign-in and updating or reinstalling the Android app for persistent problems. Sign back in and repeat the test after reinstalling.
For setup details, use Distill’s Chrome extension guide and overview of how Distill works. Alert options and app interfaces can change, so check the current documentation and plan details.
Check whether the monitor is local or cloud-based
A local monitor runs on your device and depends on the browser or app being open for checks. A cloud monitor runs on Distill’s servers and can check while your device is off. Either way, the intended notification action still needs to be configured, and mobile delivery still depends on the app and phone settings.
| Monitor or alert | Where it operates | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Local browser-extension monitor | Your computer and browser | Browser availability, monitor status, and configured alert action |
| Cloud monitor | Distill’s servers | Monitor status and configured alert action; the phone does not need to stay on for checking |
| Distill Android push | Distill app on your phone | App sign-in, Android notification permission, test result, and monitor action log |
| Chrome website alert | Chrome for Android | Chrome’s notification permission for that site |
If you mean notifications from a website in Chrome
If the missing alert is from a website you opened in Chrome, troubleshoot Chrome separately from Distill. In Chrome for Android, review Site settings → Notifications and the permission for the specific site. Google says Chrome notifications are not received in private browsing, and Chrome may remove permissions from sites that have not been visited for a while. Test in a regular browsing session and revisit the site if its permission has been cleared. See Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts on Android.
Does being in India explain the problem?
The reviewed Distill documentation and support reports do not establish an India-specific availability problem, carrier cause, or regional incident. Treat the location as context, not a diagnosis. First determine whether Distill recorded the push action, then test the app and phone permissions. If those checks pass but delivery still fails, provide Distill support with your account email, Android device and app details, test result, and action-log result.
Troubleshooting by symptom
| Symptom | Likely area to investigate | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| The monitor detects changes, but there is no push entry in its action log | Monitor action configuration or alert availability on the plan | Open monitor options → Actions, add or confirm Push Notification, then check current plan entitlements. |
| The log records a push action, but the phone shows nothing | App sign-in, Android app permission, or device delivery | Confirm the account, allow Distill notifications in Android settings, and run the in-app test. |
| The in-app test says it succeeded, but no notification appears | Phone notification permission or device display settings | Check app notification settings and channels in Android settings; repeat in a normal device session. |
| Only alerts from a particular website are missing | Chrome’s site-level permission or private browsing | Review that site’s notification permission in Chrome and test outside private browsing. |
| Alerts stop after a period without opening a site | Chrome may have removed an unused site permission | Revisit the site and check its notification permission in Chrome. |
| The extension checks stop when the computer is closed | The monitor may be local | Check whether it is a local monitor; Distill documents cloud monitoring for checks while your device is off. |
| All basic checks pass but delivery still fails | Account-specific or app issue | Contact Distill support with the evidence below so they can investigate the account. |
What to send Distill support
If the steps do not resolve the issue, include:
- The email address on the Distill account.
- Your Android device model and Android version, plus the Distill app version if available.
- Whether the app is signed in to the account you expect.
- Whether the Test Notification reports success and whether the phone displays it.
- Whether the affected monitor has a Push Notification action and whether its action log records an attempt.
- Whether you are troubleshooting Distill app push or a website notification in Chrome.
These details help distinguish a monitor configuration problem from delivery to the phone. Forum reports show that some cases have required account-level investigation, but they do not establish a current broad outage or a general failure rate.
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FAQ
Can I install the Distill desktop Chrome extension in Chrome on Android?
The reviewed Distill documentation describes the Chrome extension and Android app as separate platforms and does not document an installation workflow for the desktop extension in Chrome for Android.
Does a desktop change alert automatically send a phone push?
No. Check that Push Notification is configured for the monitor and that the action log records it.
Will switching to a cloud monitor fix missing phone notifications?
Cloud monitoring changes where checks run. It does not replace configuring the notification action or allowing the Android app to notify.
Is there a confirmed Distill notification outage in India?
No India-specific cause or broad current outage was established by the sources reviewed for this article.
