Turn off notifications for individual apps

The fastest way to stop a specific app from interrupting you is to change its notification settings in System Settings. Open System Settings from your Apple menu, then click Notifications in the sidebar. You will see a list of every app that sends notifications.

Find the app you want to silence and click it. A panel opens on the right showing that app's options. To stop all notifications from that app, click the toggle next to Allow notifications to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray, and that app will no longer send alerts, badges, or sounds.

If you want to keep notifications but just remove the sound, scroll down in that same panel and look for Sound. Click the dropdown menu next to it and select None. The app will still show badges on its icon and send alerts to your notification center, but your Mac will not make a sound.

Key Takeaways

  • You can turn off notifications for one app at a time through System Settings > Notifications, or silence all notifications at once using Focus modes.
  • Removing just the sound from an app keeps visual notifications but stops audio interruptions.
  • Focus modes let you create schedules so notifications silence automatically during work, sleep, or other times you choose.
  • Do Not Disturb is the quickest temporary fix when you need silence right now, and you can set it to turn off automatically after a set time.

Use Focus modes to silence notifications on a schedule

Focus modes let you create different notification rules for different times of day or activities. Open System Settings, click Focus in the sidebar, and you will see built-in options like Work, Sleep, Personal, and Fitness. Click any of these to set it up, or click the plus sign to create your own.

When you select a Focus, the first option is Allowed Notifications. By default, no one can reach you. Click Add people to let specific contacts through — for example, your family or your boss. You can also click Add apps to choose which apps are allowed to send notifications while that Focus is active.

Once you have set up a Focus the way you want it, scroll down to Turn on automatically. You can set it to turn on at a specific time, when you arrive at a location, or when you open a certain app. For example, you could set Work Focus to turn on automatically at 9 a.m. and turn off at 5 p.m., so notifications silence themselves without you having to do anything.

set up Do Not Disturb for when ready silence

When you need to silence everything right now, Do Not Disturb is the quickest option. Click the Control Center icon in the top right corner of your screen — it looks like a rectangle with sliders. Find the Do Not Disturb button and click it. Your Mac will stop all notification sounds and visual alerts when ready.

By default, Do Not Disturb stays on until you turn it off manually. If you want it to stop automatically, click and hold the Do Not Disturb button in Control Center. A menu appears with options to turn it off after 1 hour, until this evening, or until tomorrow morning. Choose the time that fits what you are doing.

While Do Not Disturb is on, notifications still arrive — they just do not interrupt you with sounds or alerts. You can check them later in your notification center by clicking the time in the top right corner of your screen.

Adjust notification style for less intrusive alerts

If you want notifications to arrive but not interrupt your work, you can change how they appear. Go back to System Settings > Notifications and click the app you want to adjust. Look for Notification style and you will see two options: Banners and Alerts.

Banners appear briefly at the top right of your screen and disappear on their own after a few seconds. Alerts stay on screen until you click them. If you switch an app from Alerts to Banners, notifications will still arrive and you will still see them, but they will not force you to respond when ready.

You can also turn off Badges — the red numbers that appear on app icons — by clicking the toggle next to that option. This removes the visual reminder that you have unread notifications from that app.

Silence notifications while screen sharing or presenting

When you are sharing your screen in a video call or giving a presentation, notifications can appear for everyone to see. Your Mac can hide them automatically. Open System Settings, click Notifications, and scroll to the bottom of the list.

Look for When mirroring or sharing the display and make sure the toggle is turned on. With this setting active, notifications will not appear on your screen while you are screen sharing, even if they arrive on your Mac. They will still be waiting in your notification center once you stop sharing.

Control notification grouping and sorting

If you receive many notifications, grouping them by app keeps your notification center from looking chaotic. Open System Settings > Notifications and scroll to the bottom. Look for Notification grouping and click the dropdown menu.

You can choose Automatic, which groups notifications by app when there are many of them; By app, which always groups them; or Off, which shows each notification separately. Most people find By app easiest to scan through quickly.

Just below that, you can set Sort notifications to show the newest first or oldest first. Newest first is the default and usually most useful, since the notification you just received appears at the top.

Silence notifications from Mail, Messages, and Calendar

Some apps have their own notification settings inside the app itself, separate from System Settings. Mail, Messages, and Calendar are the most common ones. If you have already turned off notifications in System Settings but an app is still sending them, check inside the app.

For Mail, open the app, click Mail in the menu bar, then Settings. Click the General tab and look for notification options. For Messages, click Messages in the menu bar, then Settings, and look for Notifications. For Calendar, click Calendar in the menu bar, then Settings, and find the notification controls there.

Turning off notifications in System Settings usually stops these apps, but checking their internal settings ensures nothing slips through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I miss important notifications if I turn them all off?

Notifications still arrive on your Mac — they just do not make sounds or pop up on your screen. You can check them anytime by clicking the time in the top right corner to open your notification center. If you need certain people to reach you, use a Focus mode and add them to the allowed contacts list.

Can I silence notifications from just one contact?

System Settings does not let you block notifications from a single person. However, you can use Focus modes to allow only specific contacts through. Set up a Focus, click Allowed Notifications, then Add people and select only the contacts you want to hear from.

How do I stop notification sounds but keep the visual alerts?

Go to System Settings > Notifications, click the app, and find the Sound dropdown. Select None. The app will still send badges and alerts to your notification center, but your Mac will not play any sound.

What is the difference between Do Not Disturb and a Focus mode?

Do Not Disturb is a quick temporary fix that silences everything when ready. Focus modes are more flexible — you can set them to turn on automatically at certain times, let specific people through, and allow certain apps. Use Do Not Disturb when you need silence right now; use Focus modes for recurring situations like work hours or sleep time.

Can I silence notifications on my Mac but still receive them on my iPhone?

Yes. Notification settings are separate for each device. Changing them on your Mac does not affect your iPhone or iPad. However, if you use the same Apple ID on both devices, you may see some notifications synced across them depending on your iCloud settings.