# Gmail nudges not working: how to turn them on, and what they will never catch > Gmail nudges not working: where the two nudge settings live on web, Android and iPhone, why nudges do not appear, and what they can never track for you. Source: https://askmomo.app/gmail/nudges-follow-up-reminders ยท Updated 16 October 2026 Nudges are Gmail's built-in reminders. One kind resurfaces an email you forgot to answer; the other resurfaces a sent email that got no reply. They are free, quiet and worth switching on. They are also a guess, not a tracker. Here is where the settings live on each platform, why nudges often do not show up, and when you need something that keeps an actual list. ## Why are Gmail nudges not working? Usually one of three things: nudges are off, conversation view is off, or Gmail did not judge the thread worth a nudge. Both nudge types sit in Settings. On the web they are on the `General` tab under `Nudges`, with two options, `Suggest emails to reply to` and `Suggest emails to follow up on`. Google's help page says conversation view must be on before nudges appear. Even when everything is on, nudges only surface the threads Gmail guesses are important, so some will be missed. ## Turn on nudges on the web Both options are described on [Google's help page](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6585). The suggestion itself appears on the thread at the top of your inbox. 1. Open Gmail on a computer and click the Settings gear, then `See all settings`. 2. On the `General` tab, make sure `Conversation view` is on. 3. Scroll to `Nudges`. 4. Tick `Suggest emails to reply to` to be reminded about mail you may have forgotten to answer. 5. Tick `Suggest emails to follow up on` to be reminded about sent mail that got no reply. 6. Click `Save Changes` at the bottom. ## Turn on nudges on Android The setting is per account, so if you have a personal and a work Gmail in the app, set it in each. 1. Open the Gmail app, tap `Menu` at the top left, then `Settings`. 2. Tap the account you want to change. 3. Under `Nudges`, tap `Reply and follow up`. 4. Select `Suggest emails to reply to`, `Suggest emails to follow up on`, or both. ## Turn on nudges on iPhone or iPad As on the web, conversation view has to be on for nudges to show. On iPhone that lives in the same `Settings` screen. 1. Open the Gmail app, tap `Menu` at the top left, then `Settings`. 2. Under `Inbox`, tap `Inbox customizations`, then `Nudges`. 3. Select `Suggest emails to reply to`, `Suggest emails to follow up on`, or both. ## Why it isn't working Work down this list in order; the first three fix most cases. - Conversation view is off. Google states this as a requirement. Turn it on and give Gmail a few days. - Only one of the two options is on. `Suggest emails to reply to` and `Suggest emails to follow up on` are separate settings; the follow-up one is the one most people actually want. - You are looking in the wrong account. The setting is per Gmail account on every platform. - Gmail did not think the thread mattered. Nudges are a heuristic based on signals Gmail does not publish. They tend to appear on a few threads, not on every unanswered email, and you cannot force one on a specific thread. - You already dealt with the thread elsewhere. If you replied from another client, archived it, or the other person replied in a new thread, Gmail has no reason to nudge. - You want a list. Nudges appear one at a time at the top of the inbox and disappear when you act. They never show you everything you are waiting on in one place. ## Nudges vs search vs snooze vs a tracker Nudges are the zero-effort option and the least complete. A sent-mail search finds every candidate but takes a few minutes and some reading; [how to see every email you're still waiting on a reply to](/blog/gmail-emails-waiting-for-reply) walks through the exact search. Snoozing a thread when you send it is reliable but only for threads you remember to snooze; see [Gmail snooze vs reminders](/gmail/snooze-vs-reminders). A tracker is the only one that keeps a full list, counts the days, and tells you the moment a reply arrives. Keep nudges on regardless; they cost nothing and catch a few things you would have missed. ## The AI shortcut [Momo AI's follow-up tracking](/follow-up-tracking) does what nudges hint at. It finds every thread you sent that got no answer, keeps them in one list with the number of days waiting, drops a thread the moment the reply lands, and after the number of days you set drafts the nudge in your own writing style to Gmail Drafts. The same list arrives in your morning brief, so you see who owes you a reply before you open the inbox. You read the draft and tap Send. ## Questions ### What are nudges in Gmail? Reminders Gmail shows at the top of the inbox for emails you may have forgotten to reply to, and for sent emails that may need a follow-up. They are controlled by two settings under `Nudges`. ### How do I turn on follow-up reminders in Gmail? Open Settings, then `See all settings`, and under `Nudges` on the `General` tab tick `Suggest emails to follow up on`. Conversation view must be on. ### Why don't I get nudges on every unanswered email? Nudges are a guess based on signals Gmail does not publish. They surface a few threads it judges important, not a complete list of unanswered mail. ### Do Gmail nudges work on the mobile app? Yes. On Android they are under `Settings`, your account, `Nudges`, `Reply and follow up`. On iPhone they are under `Settings`, `Inbox customizations`, `Nudges`. ## Related - [Know who hasn't replied, before you forget you asked](https://askmomo.app/follow-up-tracking) - [Gmail how-tos, checked against Google's own help pages](https://askmomo.app/gmail) - [How to snooze an email in Gmail, and when a reminder is the better tool](https://askmomo.app/gmail/snooze-vs-reminders) - [How to schedule send in Gmail, and what to check before you trust it](https://askmomo.app/gmail/schedule-send) - [How to see every email you're still waiting on a reply to in Gmail](https://askmomo.app/blog/gmail-emails-waiting-for-reply) --- Momo AI (Ask Momo, askmomo.app) is a personal AI assistant and chief of staff for Gmail and Google Calendar, built in India. It triages your inbox, drafts replies in your voice to Gmail Drafts, tracks who hasn't replied and what you promised, schedules meetings over email, and sends a morning brief. Every email and cancellation waits for your approval.