iPhone badges are the small red circles, numbers, and dots that appear on your app icons to grab your attention
A badge on iPhone is a visual marker that tells you something in an app needs your attention right now. The most common type is a red circle with a white number inside it — that number tells you how many unread messages, emails, or notifications are waiting for you. You see these most often on Mail, Messages, and social media apps.
Badges serve one purpose: to interrupt you. Apple designed them to make sure you notice when something arrives that the app thinks matters. Without badges, you might open Mail three days later and discover 47 unread messages. With a badge showing "47" on the Mail icon, you know when ready that something is waiting.
Not every app uses badges the same way. Some apps show a number that counts up as new items arrive. Others show just a red dot with no number — that dot means "something new is here, but we're not counting it." A few apps show a small badge with a specific symbol instead of a number, like a green dot on FaceTime when someone is available to call.
Key Takeaways
- A red circle with a number on an app icon means that many unread items are waiting inside the app.
- A red dot with no number means something new has arrived, but the app does not track how many items.
- You can turn badges off for any app in Settings, which removes the red circle entirely.
- Badges reset to zero when you open the app and read or dismiss the items inside.
- Some apps let you choose whether to show a number, a dot, or nothing at all in their notification settings.
How badges count and when they disappear
The number on a badge increases every time a new message, email, or notification arrives. If you have 5 unread emails and 3 more arrive, the badge changes from "5" to "8". The number stays on your home screen even if you do not open the app — it is there to remind you that something is waiting.
The badge disappears or resets when you open the app and read the items inside. Open Mail with a badge showing "8", read all 8 emails, and the badge vanishes. Some apps reset the badge as soon as you open them, even if you have not read anything yet. Others only reset when you actually read or dismiss each item. This depends on how the app developer programmed it.
If you close an app without reading the items, the badge stays put. This is intentional — the badge is supposed to nag you until you actually deal with what is inside.
Red dots versus numbers: what the difference means
A red dot (with no number) means "something new is here" but the app is not counting individual items. You see this on apps like Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat, where "unread" is harder to define. Did you miss one post or fifty? The app does not say — it just puts a dot there to let you know something has changed since you last looked.
A numbered badge means the app is counting specific items that need action: unread emails, unread text messages, missed calls, or friend requests. These apps track each item separately, so the number tells you exactly how many are waiting.
Some apps let you choose which type you want. In Settings, you can often tell an app to show a number, show only a dot, or show nothing at all. This is useful if a badge is distracting you — you can turn it off without turning off the app's other notifications.
Where to find badge settings for each app
To change how badges work on your iPhone, open Settings and tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app that can send you notifications. Tap the app you want to change.
Look for a toggle labeled "Badge App Icon" or similar wording. Turn it on to see badges for that app, or turn it off to hide them. Some apps have additional options below that toggle — you might see choices like "Show as Dot" or "Show as Number". Choose whichever you prefer.
If you turn off the badge toggle entirely, the red circle will disappear from that app's icon, but the app can still send you other notifications like sounds or banners. Turning off badges does not silence the app — it just hides the counter.
Why some apps show badges and others do not
Not every app uses badges. Some apps, like Games or News apps, do not have a clear definition of "unread" — there is always new content, so a badge would be pointless. Other apps, like Maps or Camera, do not need to alert you to anything, so they never show badges.
Communication apps almost always use badges because they track specific messages or calls that need a response. Mail, Messages, FaceTime, Slack, and Discord all use badges because each message is a discrete item you can read and dismiss.
Some apps show badges only for certain types of notifications. Reminder might show a badge only for overdue tasks, not for tasks due later today. Calendar might show a badge only for events starting within the next hour. The app developer decides what counts as urgent enough for a badge.
Clearing badges manually when they get stuck
Occasionally a badge will not disappear even after you have read everything inside the app. This usually happens when the app crashes or loses connection before it can update. The badge is stuck showing a number that no longer matches reality.
To clear a stuck badge, open the app and wait a few seconds for it to sync with the server. If that does not work, close the app completely (swipe up from the bottom of the screen and swipe the app away), wait 10 seconds, and open it again. This forces the app to refresh and usually clears the badge.
If the badge still will not clear, you can force-close the app by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tapping the app name, and tapping "Offload App". Wait a moment, then tap "Reinstall App". This is a last resort and will erase any data the app stored on your phone, but it almost always fixes a stuck badge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off badges for just one app?
Yes. Open Settings, tap Notifications, find the app, and toggle off "Badge App Icon". The badge will disappear for that app only. Other apps will still show badges if you have them turned on.
Why does my badge show a number that seems wrong?
The badge count sometimes lags behind reality if the app has not synced recently or if you read items in a different app (like reading an email on your Mac). Open the app and wait a few seconds for it to update, or close and reopen it to force a refresh.
Do badges use battery or data?
Badges themselves use almost no battery or data — they are just a visual display. The notifications that trigger badges do use some battery and data, but turning off badges does not stop the app from checking for new items.
What is the difference between a badge and a notification?
A badge is a number or dot on the app icon. A notification is a sound, banner, or alert that pops up on your screen. You can have one without the other — an app can send you notifications without showing a badge, or show a badge without making any sound.
Can I customize what the badge number means?
No. The app developer decides what the badge counts. You can only turn badges on or off, or choose whether to see a number or a dot. You cannot tell Mail to count only important emails, for example — it counts all unread messages.