A method and system for providing notifications to users for group messages transmitted over a social networking platform are disclosed. A server with one or more processors and memory obtains a group message from a first user account in the social networking platform, where the group message is to be sent to a group of user accounts in the social networking platform. For a respective user account in the group of user accounts, the server: determines a status of a group message notification function of the social networking platform for the respective user account; in accordance with a determination that the group message notification function is disabled, determines whether the respective user account is referred to in the group message; and, in accordance with a determination that the user account is referred to in the group message, sends a notification to the respective user account regarding the group message.