Where to find notification settings on your Android phone

Open Settings on your Android phone. Scroll down and tap Apps or Applications — the exact name depends on your phone's manufacturer and Android version. You will see a list of every app installed on your device.

From here, you have two paths: turn off notifications for one specific app, or change how notifications behave across your entire phone. Both start in the same place, but they branch depending on what you want to silence.

How to turn off notifications from a single app

Find the app in your Settings list and tap it. Look for Notifications — it is usually near the top of the app's settings page. Tap Notifications to open that app's notification controls.

You will see a toggle or switch labeled something like Allow notifications or Show notifications. Turn it off. Some phones show this as a single switch; others let you turn off notifications for specific channels within the app — for example, Gmail might let you silence promotional emails while keeping important messages on.

If you see channel options, tap the ones you want to silence individually. You do not have to turn off all notifications from an app if you only want to stop certain types. Once you have made your choices, go back — the changes save automatically.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings, then Apps, find the app you want to silence, tap Notifications, and toggle off the switch that says Allow or Show notifications.
  • Some apps let you turn off only certain types of notifications — like promotional messages — while keeping others on, so check for channel options before turning off everything.
  • If you want to silence notifications across your whole phone, use Do Not Disturb mode instead of going app by app.
  • Turning off notifications does not uninstall the app or stop it from working; it only stops the alerts from appearing on your screen.

Using Do Not Disturb to silence everything at once

If you want to turn off most notifications without touching individual apps, use Do Not Disturb mode. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the full quick settings panel, then look for Do Not Disturb and tap it. Your phone will stop showing notifications on your lock screen and will not make sounds or vibrate.

You can set Do Not Disturb to turn on automatically at certain times. Go back to Settings, search for Do Not Disturb, and tap Schedules or Automatic rules. Create a schedule for bedtime, work hours, or any other time you want notifications silenced. You can also allow calls or messages from specific contacts to come through even when Do Not Disturb is on.

The difference between turning off notifications and muting sound

Turning off notifications completely removes the alerts from your phone. Muting sound keeps the notifications but stops the noise and vibration. If you want to see notifications when you look at your phone but do not want them interrupting you with sounds, mute instead of turning them off.

To mute sound only, go to the app's notification settings and look for options like Sound, Vibration, or Importance level. You can turn off the sound while leaving the visual notification on. Some phones also let you set a custom vibration pattern or choose silence for certain apps while keeping sound on for others.

Controlling notifications from your lock screen

Android shows notifications on your lock screen by default. If you want to see notifications when you unlock your phone but hide them from the lock screen itself, go to Settings, search for Lock screen, and look for an option like Notifications on lock screen or Show notifications. You can usually choose to hide sensitive content, show all notifications, or hide notifications entirely from the lock screen while keeping them in your notification panel.

This is useful if you share your phone or want privacy without completely silencing apps. Notifications will still appear in your notification panel when you swipe down, but strangers or family members will not see them when your phone is sitting on a table.

Stopping notification badges and dots on app icons

Many Android apps show a small number or dot on their icon to tell you how many unread messages or alerts you have. These badges can be distracting even if you have turned off sounds. To remove them, go to Settings, search for Notifications, and look for App icon badges or Notification badges. Turn this off to stop the dots and numbers from appearing.

If you want to keep badges for some apps but remove them from others, some phones let you control this per app. Go to the individual app's notification settings and look for an option like Show badge or Badge count. Turn it off for apps where the badge bothers you most.

What happens when you turn off notifications

Turning off notifications does not affect how the app works. Messages will still arrive, emails will still be sent to your inbox, and updates will still happen — you straightforward will not be alerted about them. The next time you open the app, you will see everything that came in while notifications were off.

If you are worried about missing something important, consider turning off notifications only for certain apps or only during certain hours. You can also turn notifications back on at any time by following the same steps and toggling the switch back on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off notifications for just one contact in an app like Messages?

It depends on the app. Some messaging apps let you mute individual conversations while keeping notifications on for others. Open the conversation, look for a menu or settings icon, and search for options like Mute, Mute notifications, or Notification settings. If your app does not have this feature, you will need to turn off notifications for the entire app.

Why do I still see notifications even though I turned them off?

Some apps have multiple notification channels, and you may have turned off only one. Go back to the app's notification settings and check whether there are separate toggles for different types of alerts. You may also need to restart your phone for changes to take effect, especially if you just updated an app.

How do I turn notifications back on?

Follow the same steps: Settings, Apps, find the app, tap Notifications, and toggle the switch back on. If you used Do Not Disturb mode, swipe down twice and tap Do Not Disturb again to turn it off. Changes take effect when ready.

Can I schedule notifications to turn off only at night?

Yes, use Do Not Disturb with a schedule. Go to Settings, search for Do Not Disturb, tap Schedules, and create a rule for your sleep hours. You can also set it to allow calls from favorites or specific contacts even when Do Not Disturb is on.