Silencing notifications means you stop getting alerts, but the messages stay in your app
When you silence notifications on Messages, your phone stops buzzing, dinging, or lighting up when new texts arrive. The messages themselves remain in your conversation thread — you can still read them whenever you open the app. You are just choosing not to be interrupted by alerts. This is different from muting a conversation, which some phones call the same thing, and completely different from deleting messages, which removes them entirely.
The steps to silence notifications depend on which messaging app you use and whether you have an iPhone or Android phone. The most common setup is the default Messages app that came with your phone, but many people use third-party apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or Google Messages instead. Each one has its own menu for controlling notifications.
Key Takeaways
- Silencing notifications stops alerts but leaves messages in your app — you can still read them later.
- On iPhone, you can silence one conversation or all Messages notifications from the Settings app.
- On Android, the process varies by phone brand and which messaging app you use, but usually lives in Settings or the app itself.
- You can silence notifications for specific people while keeping alerts on for others.
- Silencing is temporary and reversible — you can turn notifications back on at any time.
How to silence notifications on iPhone Messages
On iPhone, you can silence one conversation at a time or turn off all Messages notifications. To silence a single conversation, open the Messages app, find the conversation you want to quiet, swipe left on it with your finger, and tap the bell icon with a slash through it. That conversation will no longer send you notifications, but you will still see new messages when you open the app.
To silence all Messages notifications at once, go to Settings, scroll down and tap Messages, then tap Notifications. From there, you can turn off "Allow Notifications" entirely, or keep notifications on but change the alert style to "None". You can also turn off the banner that appears at the top of your screen, the badge number on the Messages app icon, or the sound that plays when a message arrives — each one is a separate toggle.
If you want notifications back on later, follow the same steps and toggle the setting back to on. Your messages are never deleted or hidden, only the alerts change.
How to silence notifications on Android Messages
On Android, the exact steps depend on your phone brand and which messaging app you use. If you use Google Messages (the default on most newer Android phones), open the app, tap your profile picture in the top right, go to Notifications, and toggle off "Show notifications". You can also choose to silence notifications from specific conversations by long-pressing the conversation, tapping the bell icon, and selecting "Mute".
If you use Samsung Messages on a Samsung phone, open the app, long-press the conversation you want to silence, tap the three dots menu, and select "Mute notifications". On other Android phones, the process is similar: find the conversation, look for a mute or silence option (usually in a menu or by long-pressing), and select it.
For third-party apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, open the app, find the conversation, long-press it, and look for a mute or silence option in the menu that appears. The exact wording and location vary, but the concept is the same across all messaging apps.
The difference between silencing, muting, and archiving
Silencing and muting are usually the same thing — both stop notifications from that conversation or app. Some phones and apps use the word "mute" instead of "silence", but the result is identical. You stop getting alerts, but the messages stay where they are.
Archiving is different. When you archive a conversation, it disappears from your main message list but is still stored in an archive folder. You can search for it or unarchive it later. Archiving does not change notifications — you can archive a conversation and still get alerts from it, or silence it and keep it in your main list.
Deleting is the most permanent action. When you delete a message or conversation, it is gone. You cannot read it again unless you have a backup. Silencing and muting never delete anything — they only control whether you get notified.
Silencing notifications for one person while keeping others on
Most messaging apps let you silence individual conversations without affecting others. This is useful if you want to stay in touch with someone but do not need when ready alerts from them. On iPhone, swipe left on that one conversation and tap the bell icon. On Android, long-press the conversation and select mute.
The person you silenced will not know you have done this. They will still be able to send you messages, and you will still see them when you open the app. The only change is that your phone will not alert you when their messages arrive. If they send you something urgent, you can still see it the next time you check Messages.
When to silence notifications and when to turn them back on
You might silence notifications from a group chat that sends many messages throughout the day, or from a conversation with someone you check regularly without needing alerts. You might also silence notifications during work, sleep, or when you need to focus, then turn them back on later.
Some people silence notifications from everyone except close family or work contacts. Others silence everything and check their messages on their own schedule. There is no right answer — it depends on how you want to use your phone and what interruptions bother you most.
If you silence notifications and then realize you need them back, the process is reversible. On iPhone, swipe left on the conversation again and tap the bell icon without the slash. On Android, long-press the conversation and select unmute. Your messages are never affected — only the alerts change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I silenced their messages?
No. Silencing notifications is invisible to the other person. They will not receive any notification or indication that you have turned off alerts from them. Your phone straightforward stops alerting you when their messages arrive.
Can I silence notifications from one person but not others in a group chat?
No. On most messaging apps, you silence or mute the entire conversation, not individual people within it. If you silence a group chat, you will not get alerts from anyone in that group. You can only silence individual conversations with single people.
Do silenced messages disappear from my phone?
No. Silencing only stops the alerts. The messages remain in your conversation thread and you can read them whenever you open the app. Nothing is deleted or hidden from view.
Can I silence notifications at certain times of day automatically?
Yes, but this is a phone-wide setting, not a messaging app setting. On iPhone, use Focus modes (Settings > Focus) to silence all notifications during specific times or activities. On Android, use Do Not Disturb (Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb). These affect all apps, not just Messages.
What if I silence notifications and then forget I did it?
You can check which conversations are silenced by looking for a bell icon with a slash or a mute indicator next to the conversation name. If you are not getting alerts from someone and wonder why, that is usually the reason. straightforward unmute the conversation to turn alerts back on.