How to set up OfferUp alerts

OfferUp has two kinds of alerts, both free and both push notifications: a search alert, set from a search, and a similar item alert, set from one listing. The steps below are from OfferUp's own help page. The thing to know before you set one is what OfferUp says it will send you: for a search alert on "iPhone 15", "other iPhone models, and items related to iPhones like phone cases or screen protectors" as well. The last section covers alerts that only fire for the item you named.

Set a search alert

1. Open the OfferUp app and log in.
2. On the Home page, type your search term into the search bar and submit it.
3. On the results page, tap the Bell icon in the top right corner, or the floating Set Search Alert button in the feed.
4. You will see a "Search Alert Set" confirmation, and the bell turns green with a check mark.

To delete one: tap your profile picture (top right) → Search Alerts → Delete next to the term → Delete again to confirm.

Set a similar item alert

1. Open a listing for an item you are interested in.
2. Scroll below the description to Get Notified About Similar Items and tap Set Alert.
3. You will see an "Alert Set" confirmation, and the message changes to "You'll be notified about similar items."

To remove it: open the same listing, scroll to that message, tap Remove Alert. Or, when a similar-item notification opens the feed, tap the bell in the top right to remove it.

Source: OfferUp Support, Get notified about items you want, updated April 10, 2025. Checked October 26, 2026.

Make sure the notifications can arrive

The alert is set inside OfferUp, but the notification still has to get through your phone. iPhone: Settings → OfferUp → Notifications, Allow Notifications on; take OfferUp out of Scheduled Summary; check Focus. Android: Settings → Apps → OfferUp → Notifications on; Battery → Unrestricted. Inside OfferUp: profile picture → Account → Settings → Notifications, with search alerts on. If alerts stop, see OfferUp notifications not working.

What OfferUp's alerts fire for

OfferUp says it in its own help page: a search alert is for "a certain kind of item" when you "aren't looking for a specific color, brand, size, or model," and it also sends "related items or accessories." A similar item alert is the closer match for a particular model, but it is set from one listing at a time and still decides "similar" for you. Neither has a low price limit, so the $8 case arrives with the $600 phone, and OfferUp does not say how often alerts are re-checked. For a specific item in a price range, most of what buzzes is noise.

Alerts for the exact item, in your price range

Deal Scanner watches OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for a search you set, on our servers, around the clock. A relevance filter drops most accessories and lookalikes, a low and high price and a radius from your town keep the rest honest, and every alert shows when we found the listing, with a Deal Score when it is a clear bargain. An alert for "PS5" is a PS5. No OfferUp login. $3.99 a month for three searches, cancel anytime. More on OfferUp alerts.

FAQ

Can you set alerts on OfferUp?

Yes. Search alerts from the bell on a results page, and similar item alerts from the Set Alert button below a listing's description. Both are free push notifications.

How do I see my OfferUp search alerts?

Tap your profile picture in the top right, then Search Alerts. Delete any from there.

Why does my OfferUp alert send me the wrong items?

By OfferUp's own description, a search alert includes related models and accessories, and there is no low price limit. For alerts that match only the item, use an app with a relevance filter and a price range, such as Deal Scanner.

How often does OfferUp check a search alert?

OfferUp does not say.

Do OfferUp alerts work on iPhone and Android?

Yes, as push notifications, as long as the OfferUp app has notification permission on your phone and search alerts are on under profile → Account → Settings → Notifications.

Sources checked

OfferUp Support, "Get notified about items you want". Checked October 26, 2026.