Why you might want push notifications on
Push notifications are messages that apps and websites send to you even when you are not actively using them. They appear as banners on your phone, pop-ups on your computer, or badges on app icons. Turning them on is useful when you want real-time updates from specific apps — a messaging service letting you know someone replied, a weather app alerting you to severe storms, a calendar reminding you of an appointment in 15 minutes.
The trade-off is attention: each notification interrupts what you are doing. The goal is to allow notifications only from apps that genuinely need to reach you urgently, not from every app that wants your attention. This guide covers how to turn notifications on for specific apps, so you control which ones can interrupt you.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications, find the app, and toggle on "Allow Notifications" to receive messages from that app.
- On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Notifications, select the app, and toggle on "Allow notifications" or "Show notifications".
- On Windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications, find the app, and toggle on "Notifications" to let it send alerts.
- On Mac, go to System Settings > Notifications, select the app, and check "Allow notifications" to enable them.
- Allowing notifications at the system level does not mean you will be flooded — you can still control the style, sound, and frequency for each app separately.
How to allow notifications on iPhone
Open the Settings app and tap Notifications. You will see a list of all apps installed on your phone. Find the app you want to receive notifications from and tap its name.
At the top of that app's settings page, you will see a toggle labeled Allow Notifications. Tap it to turn it on. The toggle will turn green, and the app can now send you messages. Below that toggle, you can choose how notifications appear: as a banner at the top of your screen, as a list in your notification center, or silently (the app sends the notification but does not interrupt you). You can also choose whether the app shows a red badge with a number on its icon, and whether it plays a sound.
If you want to allow notifications but silence them during certain hours, scroll down to Scheduled Summary and toggle it on. Your phone will collect notifications from that app and show them all at once at a time you choose, rather than interrupting you throughout the day.
How to allow notifications on Android
Open the Settings app and go to Apps or process Manager (the exact name varies by phone maker). Find the app you want to receive notifications from and tap it. Look for a section called Notifications or App notifications.
You will see a toggle labeled Allow notifications or Show notifications. Tap it to turn it on. Once enabled, you can control whether the app shows a notification badge on its icon, whether it plays a sound, and whether it vibrates your phone. Some apps let you choose a notification category — for example, a messaging app might let you turn on notifications for direct messages but turn off notifications for group chats.
If your phone has a Do Not Disturb mode, you can set it to allow notifications from specific apps even when the mode is on. Go to Settings > Sound and vibration > Do Not Disturb, then choose which apps can interrupt you during those hours.
How to allow notifications on Windows
Open the Settings app and go to System > Notifications. Scroll down to the section labeled Notifications from apps and other senders. You will see a list of every app installed on your computer.
Find the app you want to receive notifications from and toggle on the switch next to its name. Once enabled, that app can send you notifications. You can also control whether notifications appear on your lock screen, whether they show a sound, and whether they show a banner or just appear in your notification center (the panel that opens when you click the time in the bottom right corner).
If you want to allow notifications from an app but only during work hours, go back to the main Notifications page and toggle on Quiet hours. Set the time range, and Windows will silence notifications during those hours — though you can still choose which apps are allowed to interrupt you even during quiet hours.
How to allow notifications on Mac
Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings. Go to Notifications. You will see a list of all apps on your Mac in the left sidebar.
Find the app you want to receive notifications from and click it. At the top of the right panel, you will see a checkbox labeled Allow notifications. Click it to turn it on. Below that, you can choose whether notifications appear as banners (which disappear after a few seconds) or alerts (which stay until you dismiss them). You can also control whether the app plays a sound and whether it shows a badge on its icon.
If you want to allow notifications but have them appear silently, uncheck the Sound option. If you want to allow notifications only during certain hours, go back to the main Notifications page, click Focus in the left sidebar, and set up a custom focus that allows notifications from specific apps.
What happens after you allow notifications
Once you turn notifications on for an app, it can send you messages whenever it wants — unless you have set up quiet hours or focus modes. The first time an app tries to send you a notification, your phone or computer may ask you to confirm that you want to allow it. Tap or click Allow to proceed.
If an app is sending you too many notifications, you do not have to turn off all notifications from it. Instead, go back to that app's notification settings and adjust the style: turn off the sound, turn off the badge, or switch from banners to silent notifications. You can also turn off notifications for specific categories within the app — for example, allowing notifications for direct messages but not for likes or comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between allowing notifications and turning on notifications?
Allowing notifications means you are giving the app permission to send you messages. Turning on notifications usually refers to enabling a specific type of notification — like sound or badges — within that app's settings. You must allow notifications first before you can receive any messages from that app.
If I allow notifications, will I get spammed?
Not necessarily. Allowing notifications gives the app permission to send them, but how many you receive depends on the app's design and your settings within that app. You can turn off sound, badges, and banners for any app, or set up quiet hours so notifications arrive silently and all at once instead of interrupting you throughout the day.
Can I allow notifications from an app but only for certain types of messages?
Many apps let you control notifications by category. For example, a messaging app might let you turn on notifications for direct messages but turn off notifications for group chats. Check the app's notification settings — usually found in the app itself under Settings or Preferences, not just in your phone's system settings.
Do I have to allow notifications to use an app?
No. Apps can function normally without notifications enabled. Allowing notifications is optional and only affects whether the app can send you messages. You can use any app with notifications turned off.
What if I allow notifications but then change my mind?
You can turn off notifications for any app at any time by going back to your phone or computer's notification settings and toggling off the app's permission. The app will no longer be able to send you messages, but it will continue to work normally.