Where to find notification settings for each app
Push notifications on iPhone are controlled app by app, not all at once. When you first install an app, iOS usually asks whether you want to allow notifications — but you can change that answer anytime, and different apps can have different settings.
To turn on notifications for a specific app, open Settings on your home screen, then tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app installed on your phone. Find the app you want to receive notifications from and tap its name.
Once you open that app's notification settings, you will see a toggle labeled Allow Notifications. If it is gray and switched to the left, notifications are off. Tap it once to turn it on — the toggle will turn green and move to the right.
Key Takeaways
- Push notifications are turned on or off separately for each app through Settings > Notifications, not through a single master switch.
- The Allow Notifications toggle must be green and switched right for an app to send you any notifications at all.
- Once notifications are on for an app, you can customize how they appear — as banners, sounds, badges, or lock screen alerts — without turning them completely off.
- If an app does not appear in your Notifications list, it either has no notification feature or you have not opened it yet since installing.
Choosing how notifications look and sound
After you turn on Allow Notifications, more options appear below it. These let you decide whether you see a banner at the top of your screen, hear a sound, see a red number badge on the app icon, or get alerts on your lock screen.
The most common choice is Banner — a notification slides down from the top, you can read it, and it disappears on its own. If you tap Alert instead, the notification stays on screen until you dismiss it. None means the app can send notifications but you will not see or hear them — useful if you want the red badge number but nothing else.
Below those options, you will find toggles for Sound, Badge (the red number on the app icon), and Show on Lock Screen. You can turn any of these on or off independently. For example, you might want to see a banner and a badge but hear no sound.
What to do if an app is not in your Notifications list
If you cannot find an app in Settings > Notifications, it usually means one of two things: the app does not have a notification feature, or iOS has not added it to the list yet.
Open the app at least once, then go back to Settings > Notifications. The app should now appear in the list. If it still does not show up after opening it, that particular app straightforward does not send notifications — you cannot turn on something that does not exist.
Some apps also hide their notification settings inside the app itself rather than in iOS Settings. If you see a notification from an app but cannot find it in Settings > Notifications, open the app, look for a menu or settings icon (usually three horizontal lines or a gear), and search for notification options there.
Turning notifications back off for an app
If an app is sending too many notifications, you have two choices: turn off notifications completely, or customize which types of notifications you see.
To turn off all notifications from an app, go to Settings > Notifications, tap the app name, and switch Allow Notifications back to gray. The app will no longer send you any notifications at all, but it will continue to work normally.
If you want to keep some notifications but reduce them, stay in that app's settings and turn off individual toggles instead. For example, you might turn off Sound and Badge but keep Banner on, so you see the notification but it does not interrupt you with noise or a red number.
Notifications on your lock screen and home screen
When Show on Lock Screen is on, notifications appear on your lock screen even when your phone is asleep. This is useful for time-sensitive messages like texts or calendar reminders, but you may not want it for every app.
If you turn off Show on Lock Screen, you will still see notifications when you unlock your phone and open it — they just will not appear while the phone is locked. This is a good middle ground if you want to know about notifications but do not want them visible to someone looking at your locked phone.
Notifications also appear in your Notification Center, which you can open by swiping down from the top of your screen. This is where older notifications collect, and you can review them anytime without changing any settings.
Why an app might not send notifications even when they are on
Sometimes you turn on notifications for an app but still do not receive them. The most common reason is that your iPhone is in Do Not Disturb mode, which silences all notifications except from people in your Favorites.
Check the top right corner of your screen — if you see a crescent moon icon, Do Not Disturb is on. Swipe down from the top right to open Control Center and tap the crescent moon to turn it off.
Another reason is that the app itself may have notification settings inside it. Some apps let you choose which types of messages send notifications — for example, a messaging app might let you turn off notifications for group chats but keep them on for direct messages. Check the app's own settings menu to see if you have narrowed notifications too much there.
Managing notifications from multiple apps at once
If you want to turn off notifications for many apps quickly, you can do it from the Notifications settings list without opening each app individually. Go to Settings > Notifications and scroll through the list. Tap each app you want to change and switch Allow Notifications off.
You can also organize your notifications by sorting them. At the top of Settings > Notifications, you will see options to sort by Recent or Alphabetical. Sorting by Recent shows you which apps have sent notifications lately, which can help you identify the ones bothering you most.
If you want to silence notifications temporarily without changing your settings, use Focus modes instead. Go to Settings > Focus and create a custom Focus that allows notifications only from certain apps or people. When you turn on that Focus, only those notifications will come through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn on notifications for an app that never asked for permission?
Yes. Go to Settings > Notifications, find the app, and switch Allow Notifications on. If the app does not appear in the list, open it once first, then return to Settings. iOS will add it to the list.
What is the difference between Banner and Alert?
A Banner slides down from the top, shows your notification, and disappears automatically. An Alert stays on screen until you dismiss it by tapping a button. Banners are less disruptive; Alerts make sure you see the notification before moving on.
If I turn off notifications for an app, will it stop working?
No. The app will work normally — you just will not receive notifications from it. You can still open the app and use it anytime. Turning off notifications only stops the alerts; it does not affect the app's other features.
Why do I see notifications on my lock screen if I turned off Show on Lock Screen?
If you turned off Show on Lock Screen but still see notifications there, check that you are looking at the right setting. Go back to Settings > Notifications > [App Name] and confirm the toggle is actually off. If it is off and notifications still appear, restart your iPhone.
Can I set different notification sounds for different apps?
iOS does not let you choose custom sounds from Settings. Some apps have their own sound settings inside the app itself — open the app, find its settings or preferences, and look for notification sound options there.