Where to find Gmail notification settings

Gmail notifications appear in different places depending on what device you use. On your phone, they show up as alerts on your lock screen or in your notification center. On your computer, they appear as pop-ups in the corner of your screen or as badge numbers on your Gmail tab. To turn them off, you need to go into the settings for each device separately — turning off notifications on your phone does not turn them off on your computer.

The fastest way to silence notifications temporarily is to use your device's built-in Do Not Disturb or Focus mode. But if you want to stop Gmail notifications permanently, or stop only certain types of notifications, you need to change the settings inside Gmail itself or in your device's notification panel.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail notifications on your phone are controlled in the Gmail app settings, not in your phone's main settings.
  • On a computer, you can turn off notifications in Gmail settings or in your browser settings, depending on whether you use the website or an app.
  • You can silence all notifications or choose to receive alerts only for emails from specific people.
  • Turning off notifications on one device does not affect notifications on your other devices.

Turning off notifications in the Gmail app on Android

Open the Gmail app and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the top left corner. Scroll down and tap Settings. Tap the email account you want to change. Tap Notifications. You will see a toggle switch next to Notifications — tap it to turn notifications off completely.

If you want to keep notifications but change when they arrive, you can adjust the sound, vibration, and light settings on this same screen. You can also choose to receive notifications only for emails marked as important or only from your contacts. If you have multiple email accounts in Gmail, you need to repeat these steps for each account separately.

Turning off notifications in the Gmail app on iPhone

Open the Gmail app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left. Tap Settings. Tap the email account you want to change. Tap Notifications. Toggle off Notifications to stop all alerts for that account.

On iPhone, you can also control Gmail notifications through your phone's main Settings app. Go to Settings > Notifications > Gmail. From here you can turn notifications off entirely, change the notification style (banner, alert, or badge), or allow notifications only when your phone is unlocked. Changes you make in your phone's Settings app will override what you set inside the Gmail app.

Turning off notifications on Gmail's website

Open Gmail in your web browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Click See all settings. Click the Notifications tab. Under Desktop Notifications, select Off from the dropdown menu. Scroll down and click Save Changes.

If you use Gmail in a web browser, your browser may also ask permission to show notifications. If you see a notification pop-up in the corner of your screen, you can click the X to dismiss it, or you can go into your browser's settings to block Gmail notifications at the browser level. In Chrome, click the lock icon next to the web address, then click Notifications and select Block.

Turning off notifications in Gmail on Windows or Mac

If you use the Gmail app on your computer (not the website), the steps depend on whether you are on Windows or Mac. On Windows, right-click the Gmail icon in your system tray and look for a settings or preferences option. On Mac, click the Gmail icon in your menu bar and look for preferences. From there, find the notification settings and toggle them off.

If you use Gmail through Outlook or another email client on your computer, you need to change the notification settings in that program instead. Open the program, go to settings or preferences, find the section for notifications or alerts, and turn off notifications for your Gmail account.

Stopping notifications from specific senders

If you want to receive most Gmail notifications but silence alerts from certain people or mailing lists, you can create filters. Open Gmail and click the gear icon, then click See all settings. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab. Click Create a new filter. Type the email address or sender name you want to filter in the From field.

Click Create filter. Check the box next to Skip the Inbox (Archive) or Mute. Click Create filter. Emails from that sender will no longer trigger notifications, though they will still arrive in your account. This method works on both the website and the mobile app.

Using Do Not Disturb to pause notifications temporarily

If you want to silence all notifications for a set amount of time without changing your settings, use your device's Do Not Disturb or Focus mode. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner and tap the crescent moon icon. On Android, swipe down twice from the top and tap Do Not Disturb. On Windows, click the notification icon in the system tray and click Focus information. On Mac, click the Control Center icon and select Focus.

When Do Not Disturb is on, Gmail notifications will not appear until you turn it off. You can set it to turn off automatically after a certain amount of time, or you can turn it off manually whenever you are ready to receive notifications again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off Gmail notifications stop emails from arriving?

No. Turning off notifications only stops the alerts — your emails will still arrive in your inbox normally. You just will not see a pop-up or alert when they come in. You can still check your inbox whenever you want.

Can I turn off notifications for just one email account if I have multiple accounts?

Yes. In the Gmail app, go to Settings, select the specific account, and turn off notifications for only that account. Your other accounts will keep their notification settings. On the website, you can only change notification settings for the account you are currently signed into.

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

Check that you turned off notifications in the right place. If you changed settings in the Gmail app but also use Gmail in your web browser, you need to turn off notifications in both places. Also check your phone or computer's main notification settings — they may be overriding your Gmail settings.

Can I turn off notifications just during work hours or at night?

Yes, using Do Not Disturb or Focus mode. You can set it to turn on and off automatically at specific times. Some phones also let you create different Focus modes for different times of day — for example, a Work focus that silences notifications during business hours.