Where to find email notification settings

Email notifications live in different places depending on what you're using — your phone's settings, your email app, or the website itself. Most people need to change settings in more than one place to fully stop the alerts, because your phone, your email provider, and individual apps all have their own notification controls.

Start by deciding what you want to stop: Do you want to silence notifications from one email account, one app, or all email on your device? The answer changes where you look. If you use Gmail on your phone, for example, you can turn off notifications in the Gmail app itself, in your phone's notification settings, or in Gmail's web settings — and each one controls something slightly different.

Key Takeaways

  • Email notifications are controlled in three separate places: your phone's settings, your email app, and your email provider's website, and you may need to change all three to fully stop them.
  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and find your email app; on Android, go to Settings > Apps > Notifications and select your email app.
  • Inside Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail, look for Settings or Preferences, then find the Notifications section to turn off alerts for new messages.
  • If you want to keep email but silence notifications during certain hours, use your phone's Do Not Disturb or Focus mode instead of turning notifications off completely.
  • Turning off notifications does not delete your email or stop it from arriving — it only stops the alerts on your screen and sound.

Turning off notifications on iPhone

On iPhone, open Settings and tap Notifications. Scroll down and find the email app you use — Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, or another one. Tap the app name.

You will see an option that says "Allow Notifications" with a toggle switch next to it. Turn that toggle off. The switch will turn gray, which means notifications are now off for that app. If you want to keep some notifications but silence others, you can instead keep the toggle on and scroll down to choose which types of alerts you want — for example, you might turn off sounds but keep the badge (the red number on the app icon).

If you have multiple email accounts in the same app, turning off notifications in Settings will turn them off for all accounts at once. To silence only one account, you usually need to go into the email app itself and find its settings.

Turning off notifications on Android

On Android, open Settings and look for Apps or process Manager (the exact name varies by phone brand). Find your email app in the list — Gmail, Outlook, or whatever you use. Tap it.

Look for Notifications or Notification Settings. You will see a toggle or button that says something like "Show Notifications" or "Allow Notifications." Turn it off. Some Android phones also let you tap "Notifications" and then choose which notification channels to turn off — for example, you might silence "New Mail" alerts but keep "Account Alerts."

Like iPhone, turning off notifications in Settings affects all accounts in that app. If you want to silence only one email account, go into the app itself and look for Settings or Preferences.

Turning off notifications inside your email app

If you want more control — for example, silencing notifications from one email account but not another — open your email app and find Settings or Preferences. The location varies: in Gmail, tap your profile picture in the top right, then Settings. In Outlook, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and find Settings. In Apple Mail on iPhone, go to Settings > Mail > Notifications.

Once you are in Settings, look for a section called Notifications, Alerts, or Sounds. You will usually see options like "Notify Me," "Sound," or "Vibration." Turn off the ones you do not want. Some apps let you set different rules for different accounts — for example, you might turn off notifications for your work email but keep them on for your personal email.

If your email app has a section called "Notification Channels" or "Notification Types," you can often choose to turn off only certain kinds of alerts — like new messages — while keeping others, like security warnings.

Turning off notifications in Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail on the web

If you use email through a web browser instead of an app, the settings are in a different place. In Gmail, click the gear icon in the top right, then Settings. Go to the Notifications tab. You will see options for Desktop Notifications and Email Notifications — turn off whichever ones you want to stop.

In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon and go to View All Outlook Settings. Find Notifications in the left menu. You can turn off notifications for new mail, meeting invitations, or other events.

In Apple Mail on a Mac, go to Mail > Settings (or Preferences on older versions). Click Notifications and turn off the alerts you do not want. On a Mac, you can also control notifications through System Settings > Notifications > Mail.

Using Do Not Disturb or Focus mode instead

If you want to keep notifications but silence them during certain hours — like nights or work meetings — use your phone's built-in Do Not Disturb (iPhone) or Focus mode (newer iPhones) or Do Not Disturb (Android) instead of turning notifications off completely.

On iPhone, go to Settings > Focus and create a new Focus (or go to Settings > Do Not Disturb on older versions). You can set a schedule, choose which apps are allowed to notify you, and even let calls or messages through from specific people. On Android, go to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and set a schedule.

This way, your email still arrives and you can check it whenever you want, but you will not be interrupted by alerts during the times you choose.

What happens when you turn off notifications

Turning off email notifications does not delete your email, stop it from arriving, or prevent you from seeing it. It only stops the alerts — the sounds, vibrations, and pop-ups that tell you a new message came in. Your email will still be in your inbox waiting for you whenever you open the app or website.

If you turn off notifications and later want to turn them back on, go back to the same settings and toggle them on again. The process is the same whether you are using iPhone, Android, or a web browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off notifications stop my email from arriving?

No. Turning off notifications only stops the alerts on your screen and sound. Your email will still arrive in your inbox normally. You can open your email app or website anytime and see all your messages.

Can I turn off notifications for one email account but keep them on for another?

Yes, if you go into your email app's settings instead of your phone's settings. Most email apps let you control notifications separately for each account. Open the app, find Settings or Preferences, and look for per-account notification options.

Why am I still getting notifications after I turned them off?

You may need to turn off notifications in more than one place. Check your phone's notification settings, your email app's settings, and your email provider's website settings. Also check that you turned off the right notification type — some apps have separate controls for sounds, badges, and banners.

How do I turn off notifications just at night?

Use Do Not Disturb (iPhone) or Focus mode (newer iPhone) or Do Not Disturb (Android) instead of turning notifications off completely. You can set a schedule so notifications are silenced automatically at bedtime and turn back on in the morning.

Can I turn off notifications for new emails but keep alerts for important messages?

It depends on your email app. Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all let you create filters or rules that silence certain messages while allowing others through. Check your app's Settings for options like "Priority Inbox," "Focused Inbox," or "VIP Alerts."