Where to find notification settings on each device

Notification controls live in different places depending on what you're using. On an iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and you'll see every app that can send you alerts. On Android, the path is Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications. On Windows, open Settings > System > Notifications. On a Mac, it's System Settings > Notifications.

Each system shows you a list of apps and what kind of alerts they're allowed to send. Some let you turn notifications off entirely for an app. Others let you keep some types of alerts (like messages from people you know) while blocking others (like promotional content). The granular controls vary by device, but the basic principle is the same: find the app, then choose what it can and cannot do.

You can also control notifications from within many apps themselves. Open the app, look for Settings or a gear icon, and search for "notifications" or "alerts". Sometimes the app-level controls are easier to navigate than the device-wide settings, especially if you want to silence just one type of alert from that app.

Key Takeaways

  • iPhone notifications are managed in Settings > Notifications; Android uses Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications; Windows uses Settings > System > Notifications; Mac uses System Settings > Notifications.
  • You can turn off all notifications from an app, or keep some types (like messages) while blocking others (like promotions).
  • Many apps have their own notification settings inside the app, which can be faster than using device-wide controls.
  • Do Not Disturb or Focus modes let you silence notifications on a schedule without deleting the settings, so alerts return when you turn the mode off.
  • Notification badges (the red numbers on app icons) can be turned off separately from sound and banner alerts.

Turning off notifications completely versus selectively

You have two main choices: silence an app entirely, or keep some notifications while blocking others. Turning off all notifications from an app is the quickest option if you never want to hear from it. On iPhone, open Settings > Notifications, tap the app name, and toggle off Allow Notifications. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications, find the app, tap Notifications, and toggle off Show notifications.

If you want to keep some alerts but block others, use the granular controls. For example, you might want text messages from your contacts but not from unknown numbers. On iPhone, this means keeping Allow Notifications on but turning off Badges or Sounds individually. On Android, you can often choose which notification channels to silence — a channel might be "Messages" versus "Promotions" or "Updates".

The selective approach takes more time to set up but gives you finer control. You won't miss urgent messages, but you also won't see notifications about app updates or special offers. Most people find a middle ground: turn off notifications from apps they rarely use, keep them on for messaging and communication apps, and silence everything else.

Using Do Not Disturb and Focus modes to pause notifications temporarily

Do Not Disturb (on iPhone and Android) and Focus modes (on newer iPhones) let you silence notifications on a schedule or manually, without changing your settings. When you turn on Do Not Disturb, all notifications are muted — no sounds, no vibrations, no banners on your screen. The alerts still arrive in the background; they just don't interrupt you. When you turn Do Not Disturb off, notifications resume as normal.

Focus modes go further. On iPhone, you can create a custom Focus (like "Work" or "Sleep") that allows notifications only from specific people or apps. For example, your Work Focus might let through calls and messages from your boss and your team, but silence everything else. You can set a Focus to turn on automatically at certain times or locations — your Sleep Focus could set up at 10 p.m. every night.

Android's equivalent is called Bedtime mode or Do Not Disturb scheduling. You set the hours when you want notifications silenced, and the phone handles it automatically. This is useful if you want to stop notifications during work hours or sleep without having to remember to turn a setting on and off each day.

Controlling notification badges, sounds, and banners separately

A notification has three parts: the badge (the red number on the app icon), the sound or vibration, and the banner or pop-up that appears on your screen. You can turn off any of these independently. On iPhone, open Settings > Notifications, tap an app, and you'll see toggles for Badges, Sounds, and Banner Style. You might keep badges so you know an app has new content, but turn off sounds so your phone doesn't make noise.

On Android, the controls depend on the app and your version of Android, but you typically find them under Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications for that app. Look for options like "Show notifications", "Sound", and "Vibration". Some apps let you choose a specific sound for their notifications, so you can tell which app is alerting you without looking at your phone.

Banners are the alerts that pop up on your screen and disappear after a few seconds. On iPhone, you can choose between Temporary (they fade away) and Persistent (they stay until you dismiss them). Turning off banners entirely means notifications arrive silently in your notification center, which you can check whenever you want instead of being interrupted.

Managing notifications on your computer

Windows and Mac both have notification centers where alerts from apps and websites collect. On Windows, click the notification icon in the bottom right corner of your taskbar to see all recent alerts. Open Settings > System > Notifications to control which apps can send notifications and what they look like. You can turn off notifications from specific apps, or turn off all notifications from the Action Center.

On Mac, open System Settings > Notifications and you'll see a list of apps on the left. Click an app to control whether it can send notifications, what sound it makes, and whether alerts appear as banners or in the notification center. You can also set Do Not Disturb to silence notifications during work hours or when you're presenting.

Browser notifications — the alerts that websites send — are handled separately. In Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, go to Settings > Privacy or Websites and look for Notifications. You'll see a list of websites that have permission to send alerts. You can block all website notifications or remove individual sites from the list.

Stopping notifications from specific apps and websites

Some apps are worse offenders than others. Social media apps, shopping apps, and games often send frequent notifications designed to pull you back in. If an app sends too many alerts, you have three options: turn off all notifications from it, uninstall it, or use the app's own settings to be more selective.

Many apps have a Notification Preferences section inside their settings. Open the app, look for Settings or a menu icon, and search for "notifications" or "alerts". You might find options like "Marketing emails", "Product recommendations", "New followers", or "Daily digests". Turning off the categories you don't want is often faster than going through your device settings.

For websites, the process is similar. When a website asks permission to send notifications, you can click Block instead of Allow. If you already allowed a site and now regret it, go to your browser's notification settings and remove it from the list. Most browsers let you block notifications from a site without blocking anything else from that site.

Notification settings you might have missed

Some notification controls are hidden in less obvious places. On iPhone, Settings > Focus lets you create custom modes that silence notifications from everyone except specific people. Settings > Do Not Disturb has a schedule option so notifications mute automatically at night. Settings > Screen Time can limit notifications from certain apps during downtime.

On Android, Settings > Digital Wellbeing shows which apps send the most notifications and lets you set app timers that will silence notifications after you've used an app for a set amount of time. Some Android phones also have a Notification History that shows every alert you've received, useful if you want to see what you missed.

On Windows, Settings > System > Focus information (or Quiet hours on older versions) lets you silence notifications automatically during certain hours or when you're using full-screen apps. On Mac, System Settings > Focus works similarly to iPhone's Focus modes.

What happens when you turn off notifications

Turning off notifications does not delete messages or prevent apps from working. It only stops the alerts from reaching you. If someone texts you while notifications are off, the message still arrives and sits in your messages app. You'll see it the next time you open the app or when you turn notifications back on. The same applies to emails, social media messages, and app updates.

Some people worry that turning off notifications means they'll miss important alerts. In practice, you won't miss anything urgent if you check your phone regularly or if you use Focus modes to allow notifications from specific people (like family or your boss). The key is being intentional: turn off notifications from apps you check yourself, and keep them on for apps where you need to be alerted when ready.

If you turn off notifications and later decide you want them back, the process is reversible. Go back to the same settings and toggle notifications back on. Your notification preferences are stored on your device, so changing them doesn't affect other devices you own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I miss important messages if I turn off notifications?

No. Messages still arrive and stay in your app; you just won't be alerted. If you need to catch urgent messages, use Focus modes to allow notifications from specific people (like family or work contacts) while silencing everything else. This way you get alerts that matter and ignore the rest.

Can I turn off notifications from one app but keep them from another?

Yes. Go to your notification settings, find the app, and toggle notifications off for just that app. Other apps keep their settings unchanged. You can also be selective within an app — for example, allowing notifications from messages but not from promotions.

What's the difference between Do Not Disturb and turning off notifications?

Do Not Disturb temporarily silences all notifications without changing your settings. When you turn it off, notifications resume. Turning off notifications in settings removes them permanently until you turn them back on. Do Not Disturb is better for temporary breaks; changing settings is better for apps you never want to hear from.

How do I stop website notifications in my browser?

When a website asks permission to send notifications, click Block. If you already allowed a site, go to your browser's settings, find the Notifications section, and remove the website from the list. The process is the same in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Can I schedule notifications to turn off at night automatically?

Yes. On iPhone, use Focus > Sleep and set it to set up at your bedtime. On Android, use Do Not Disturb scheduling in your notification settings. On Windows and Mac, use Focus information or Focus modes with a schedule. Your phone will silence notifications automatically at the time you set.