Where notifications live and how to find them
Notifications come from three places: your operating system (the software that runs your device), individual apps, and websites. To turn them off, you need to know which one is sending them. A text message alert comes from your phone's system. A red badge on Instagram comes from the Instagram app. A popup while you're browsing comes from a website. Each one has its own off switch, and they're not always in the same place.
The fastest way to find out what's notifying you is to pay attention to where the notification appears. Does it show up on your lock screen? That's usually your phone's system or an app. Does it appear only when you're using your computer? That's likely a website or a program running in the background. Once you know the source, you can turn it off at the source instead of chasing it through settings.
Key Takeaways
- Most phones let you turn off notifications app by app in Settings, usually under "Notifications" or "Apps," without deleting the app itself.
- On Windows, Mac, and Linux, notification settings are in System Settings or Preferences, and you can control which apps are allowed to notify you.
- Websites can send notifications through your browser even when you're not on the site — turn this off in your browser's Settings under Privacy or Notifications.
- Turning off notifications does not prevent you from using an app or receiving messages; it only stops the alerts from interrupting you.
- Some apps will not let you turn off all notifications, but you can usually silence specific types like marketing emails or game reminders while keeping urgent ones.
Turning off notifications on iPhone and iPad
On iPhone and iPad, open Settings and tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app that has ever sent you a notification. Tap the app name, and you will see toggles for "Allow Notifications," "Sounds," "Badges," and "Lock Screen." Turning off "Allow Notifications" stops all alerts from that app. You can also turn off just the sound or just the badge (the red number on the app icon) if you want to see notifications only when you unlock your phone.
If an app is not in the Notifications list, it means it has never asked permission to notify you, so it cannot send notifications yet. Some apps will ask for permission the first time you use them. When they do, you can tap "Don't Allow" instead of "Allow." If you already said yes and now regret it, go back to Settings > Notifications and turn it off there.
For messages and calls, go to Settings > Messages or Settings > Phone instead. These have their own notification controls separate from app notifications. You can turn off message previews on your lock screen, turn off sounds for certain contacts, or silence notifications from group chats while keeping them for individual messages.
Turning off notifications on Android phones
On Android, open Settings and look for "Apps," "Applications," or "Notifications" — the exact name varies by phone maker. Tap it, then find the app you want to silence. Tap the app name, then look for "Notifications" or "App Notifications." You will see toggles to turn notifications off entirely, or to control specific types like sounds, vibration, or lock screen display.
Some Android phones let you long-press an app icon on your home screen and tap "App Info" or "Notifications" to get to the same settings faster. If you see a notification from an app and want to turn it off when ready, you can also swipe it away and tap "Turn Off Notifications" if that option appears.
For text messages and calls, go to Settings > Apps > Messages (or whatever your default messaging app is called) and turn off notifications there. You can also go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings to control notifications by category — for example, turning off marketing notifications while keeping urgent ones.
Turning off notifications on Windows and Mac
On Windows 10 and 11, open Settings, go to System > Notifications, and you will see a list of apps allowed to send notifications. Toggle off any app you want to silence. You can also scroll down to see options for notification sounds, banners, and whether notifications appear on your lock screen. If you want to turn off notifications from a specific app but keep others, just toggle that one app off.
On Mac, open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), go to Notifications, and you will see a list of apps on the left. Click an app name and toggle off "Allow notifications" for that app. You can also choose whether notifications appear as banners (which disappear after a few seconds) or alerts (which stay until you close them). Some apps let you turn off notifications for specific types of messages — for example, turning off Slack notifications for channels but keeping them for direct messages.
On both Windows and Mac, some apps run in the background and send notifications even when you are not using them. If you see notifications from an app you rarely use, the fastest fix is often to uninstall it or turn off its background activity in Settings > Apps > App Permissions (Windows) or System Settings > General > Login Items (Mac).
Turning off website notifications in your browser
Websites can ask your browser for permission to send notifications that appear on your screen even when you are not on the website. These are separate from in-app notifications and can be surprisingly hard to track down. In Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, go to Settings, find Privacy or Notifications, and look for "Site Settings" or "Permissions." You will see a list of websites that have permission to notify you. Click each one and change the setting from "Allow" to "Block."
If a website asks for notification permission when you visit it, you can click "Block" instead of "Allow." If you already said yes and forgot which sites you allowed, you can find them in your browser settings. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Notifications. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions > Notifications. In Safari, go to Settings > Websites > Notifications. Each browser stores this list in a different place, but the process is the same: find the list, click the site, and change it to "Block."
Controlling notifications without turning them off completely
If you want to keep notifications but stop them from interrupting you constantly, most devices have a "Do Not Disturb" or "Focus Mode" feature that silences notifications during certain hours or when you are doing a specific task. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner and tap the Focus icon, then choose which apps are allowed to notify you during that time. On Android, go to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb. On Windows, go to Settings > System > Focus information. On Mac, click the Control Center icon in the top right and turn on Focus.
You can also set up custom rules for individual apps. Many apps let you turn off notifications for certain categories — for example, turning off marketing emails from a shopping app while keeping order updates, or silencing game notifications while keeping messages from friends. Look in the app's settings (usually a gear icon) for "Notifications" or "Alerts" and see what options are available.
What happens when you turn off notifications
Turning off notifications does not delete the app, prevent you from using it, or stop you from receiving messages. It only stops the alerts from interrupting you. You can still open the app and see what happened — messages will be there, emails will be there, everything will be waiting. You just will not get a ping, vibration, or popup telling you about it.
Some people worry that turning off notifications means they will miss something important. In practice, the things that are truly urgent — calls from family, messages from your boss, alerts from your bank — usually come through multiple channels. A call will ring even if notifications are off. A text message will still arrive. You can always check an app manually when you have time. The goal is to let you choose when to look, instead of letting notifications choose for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off notifications from one person but keep them from everyone else?
Yes, but it depends on the app. In Messages on iPhone, you can swipe left on a conversation and tap "Hide Alerts." In Gmail, you can mute a sender or conversation. In Slack, you can mute a channel or direct message. Check the app's settings or try right-clicking or long-pressing a conversation to see if there is a mute option.
Why do I still get notifications after I turned them off?
You may have turned off notifications in the app but not in your phone's system settings, or vice versa. Check both places. Also check whether the notification is coming from a website in your browser instead of an app. If notifications keep coming back after you turn them off, the app may have reset its permissions — go back and turn them off again.
Will turning off notifications affect my ability to receive calls or texts?
No. Turning off notifications silences the alert, but calls and texts still arrive. You can still see them when you unlock your phone or open the Messages app. The only difference is you will not hear a ring or see a popup unless you specifically allow notifications for that contact.
Can I schedule notifications to turn off at certain times automatically?
Yes. Use Do Not Disturb on iPhone, Focus information on Windows, Focus on Mac, or Do Not Disturb on Android. You can set it to turn on at a specific time each day, or turn it on manually when you need it. You can also choose which apps are allowed to notify you during those hours.
What if an app will not let me turn off notifications?
Some apps require notifications to be on to function, but this is rare. If an app truly will not let you turn off notifications in its settings, you can turn them off at the system level — in your phone or computer's notification settings — and the app will still work. You can also uninstall the app if it is too intrusive.