Where to find notification settings on your iPhone

Open Settings on your home screen, then tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app installed on your phone, organized alphabetically. Each app shows whether notifications are currently on or off. From this single screen, you can turn notifications off for individual apps, or adjust how each one behaves.

If you want to silence notifications without changing settings — for example, during a meeting or while you sleep — use Focus modes instead. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to open Control Center, then tap and hold the bell icon to see your Focus options. Focus modes let you pause notifications temporarily without deleting the settings you have already created.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings > Notifications to see every app and turn notifications off individually.
  • You can turn off all notifications from an app, or keep notifications but silence the sound and banner.
  • Focus modes let you pause notifications for a set time without changing your permanent settings.
  • Notifications that arrive while a Focus mode is active will still appear in the app itself — they just will not alert you.
  • Some system notifications from Apple (like low battery) cannot be turned off, but you can silence them.

Turn off notifications for a single app

Open Settings, tap Notifications, then find the app you want to change. Tap the app name. At the top of the screen, toggle Allow Notifications off. This stops that app from sending you any alerts, sounds, or badges (the red numbers on app icons).

If you want to keep notifications but change how they arrive, keep Allow Notifications on and adjust the options below it. You can turn off Sounds, turn off Badges, or change Notification Style from Banner to None. This way the app can still notify you, but it will not interrupt you with sound or a pop-up.

Silence notifications without changing settings

Use Focus modes when you want notifications off temporarily. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center, then press and hold the bell icon. You will see your Focus options — Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work, Personal, and any custom Focus modes you have created.

Tap any Focus mode to turn it on. While it is active, notifications will not alert you with sound or vibration, and banners will not appear on your screen. The notifications still arrive and stay in your apps — you just will not be interrupted. When you turn the Focus mode off, notifications will alert you normally again.

Create a custom Focus mode for specific times

If you want a Focus mode that matches your routine, create a custom one. Open Settings, tap Focus, then tap the plus sign in the top-right corner. Name your Focus (for example, "Bedtime" or "Meetings"), then tap Customize.

Choose which contacts and apps can notify you while this Focus is on. You can allow calls and messages from specific people — like family members — while blocking everything else. Tap Add Schedule or Automation to make this Focus turn on automatically at a set time each day, or when you arrive at a location. Once you save it, the Focus will appear in Control Center and turn on automatically when the time comes.

Turn off notifications from Apple system apps

Some built-in Apple apps — like Mail, Calendar, Reminders, and Messages — can have notifications turned off the same way as third-party apps. Open Settings > Notifications, find the app, and toggle Allow Notifications off.

System notifications from iOS itself, like low battery warnings or software update alerts, cannot be fully turned off. However, you can silence them by turning on a Focus mode. If you do not want to see these alerts at all, the only option is to use a Focus mode that blocks all notifications except those you specifically allow.

Stop badge numbers from appearing on app icons

Badge numbers are the red circles with numbers that appear on app icons to show you have unread messages or updates. To remove them, open Settings > Notifications, find the app, and toggle Badges off. The app will still send notifications, but the red number will not appear on the icon.

You can turn off badges for individual apps while keeping notifications on, or turn off badges for all apps at once by going through each one. This is useful if you want to know about important messages but do not want the visual reminder on your home screen.

Manage notifications on your lock screen

Notifications appear on your lock screen by default. To change this, open Settings > Notifications, find the app, and scroll down to Lock Screen. You can choose to show notifications, hide them, or show them only when your phone is unlocked.

If you choose Hide Previews under Lock Screen, the notification will still appear but will not show the message content — only that the app sent something. This is useful for apps like email or messages where you want to know something arrived but do not want the content visible to someone looking at your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off notifications for just one contact in Messages?

No, you cannot silence individual contacts in Messages through notification settings. However, you can mute a conversation by opening Messages, swiping left on the conversation, and tapping the bell icon. The conversation will stay in your inbox but will not send notifications.

Will I still see notifications if I turn them off?

No. If you toggle Allow Notifications off for an app, you will not receive alerts, sounds, or badges. However, you can still open the app and see what happened. If you want to be notified but silently, keep notifications on and turn off only the sound and banner.

What is the difference between turning off notifications and using Do Not Disturb?

Turning off notifications in Settings is permanent until you change it back. Do Not Disturb is a Focus mode that temporarily silences all notifications — when you turn it off, notifications alert you normally again. Use Settings to permanently change which apps notify you, and use Focus modes for temporary pauses.

Can I turn off notifications for all apps at once?

No, you have to turn off notifications for each app individually in Settings. However, you can use a Focus mode to silence all notifications at once without changing your permanent settings. This is faster if you only need notifications off temporarily.

Why do some apps keep sending notifications even after I turned them off?

Check that you toggled Allow Notifications all the way off — the toggle should be gray, not green. Also check that no Focus mode is overriding your settings. If notifications still arrive, restart your iPhone and check the app's own settings, as some apps have notification controls inside the app itself.