Obvious/Help Center

Notification Preferences

Published March 4, 2026 · Last updated March 7, 2026 · 4 min read

This guide covers how to control when and where Obvious notifies you — from browser alerts and in-app toasts to Slack, SMS, and Telegram messages.

Browser Notifications

Browser notifications appear as system-level alerts when an agent finishes work in a project you're not currently viewing. They only fire when the Obvious tab is in the background.

To turn them on:

  1. Open the project you want notifications for.

  2. Click the bell icon in the project header, next to the project name.

  3. If your browser asks for permission, click Allow. The bell icon fills in to confirm notifications are active.

Obvious remembers this setting per project. You can enable notifications for the projects that matter most and leave the rest quiet.

Note: If you've denied browser notification permission, you'll need to reset it in your browser settings before the toggle will work.

In-App Toasts

In-app toasts are the small pop-up alerts that appear inside Obvious while you're using it. They show up when something happens in a different project — like an agent completing a task or a scheduled task starting or failing.

Toasts appear automatically when:

  • An agent finishes work in another project.

  • A scheduled task starts or fails.

  • You're added to a new workspace, team, or project.

Toasts dismiss on their own after a few seconds, or you can close them manually. Each one includes an Open button that takes you straight to the relevant project.

Muting a Project

If a project generates more toast activity than you want to see:

  1. Open the project.

  2. Click the ⋯ (more menu) in the project header.

  3. Select Mute activity.

Muted projects won't trigger in-app toasts or task-run alerts. To unmute, open the same menu and select Unmute activity.

The Notification Bell

The bell icon inside a project (in the toolbar, top-right area) shows comment-related notifications — like when someone mentions you or replies to a comment thread. An accent dot appears on the bell when you have unread notifications.

Click the bell to open the notifications panel, then click any notification to jump to the relevant comment.

External Contact Methods

Obvious can reach you outside the app via Slack, SMS, or Telegram. Set these up in Settings → Notifications.

  1. Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner, then select Settings.

  2. Open the Notifications tab.

Slack

The Slack section shows your workspace's Slack connection status. What you see depends on how things are set up:

  • Slack isn't connected to the workspace yet. You'll see a message letting you know. A workspace admin needs to connect Slack in the workspace's connector settings before individual notifications can be enabled.

  • Slack is connected, but your account isn't linked. Click Connect via Slack to link your Slack identity. This is a one-time step that lets Obvious know where to send your notifications.

  • Slack is connected and your account is linked. You'll see a Connected label and a toggle to turn Slack notifications on or off. Flip the toggle to start receiving notifications in Slack when Obvious needs to reach you outside the app.

SMS

Enter your phone number in the Text Message field and flip the toggle to enable. Obvious sends text notifications to this number when it needs to reach you outside the app.

Telegram

Click Connect via Telegram → to link your Telegram account. Once connected, you'll see a Connected ✓ label and a toggle to enable or disable messages. To disconnect, click the × button next to the toggle.

Troubleshooting

Slack notifications aren't arriving. Confirm your workspace has Slack connected — a workspace admin can check this in Settings → Connectors. If the workspace is connected but you're not receiving messages, disconnect and reconnect your account via the Connect via Slack button.

Browser notifications stopped working. Check your browser's notification permissions for app.obvious.ai. If permission is blocked, clear it and re-enable via the bell icon in your project header.

SMS or Telegram not delivering. Verify the phone number or account linked in Settings → Notifications. If the issue persists, contact help@obvious.ai.

Next Steps

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