The fastest way to clear every notification at once

Open the Notification Center by swiping down from the top of your screen. At the top right of the Notification Center, you will see an "Edit" button. Tap it, then tap the red minus sign next to "Notifications" at the very top of the list. A "Clear All" button will appear — tap that, and every notification badge and alert disappears in one action.

If you do not see an Edit button, your iPhone is running an older version of iOS. In that case, swipe left on individual notification groups and tap the trash icon, or go to Settings > Notifications and turn off "Show Notifications" for apps you no longer want to hear from. The Notification Center will still exist, but nothing new will pile up there.

The difference between clearing notifications and turning them off matters: clearing removes what is already there, while turning off notifications prevents new ones from arriving. Most people need to do both — clear the backlog now, then decide which apps should be allowed to notify you going forward.

Key Takeaways

  • Swipe down from the top of your screen, tap Edit, then tap the red minus sign next to "Notifications" and select "Clear All" to remove every notification at once.
  • Clearing notifications removes the badges and alerts you see now, but does not stop new ones from arriving tomorrow unless you also turn off notifications in Settings.
  • You can clear notifications from a single app by swiping left on that app's notification group and tapping the trash icon.
  • If your iPhone does not show an Edit button, go to Settings > Notifications and turn off "Show Notifications" for apps you want to silence.

Clearing notifications from a single app instead of all at once

If you only want to clear notifications from one app — say, email or a social media platform — swipe down to open the Notification Center, then swipe left on that app's notification group. A trash icon will appear on the right side. Tap it, and only those notifications vanish. The rest stay in your Notification Center.

This approach is useful when you have been ignoring one app's notifications for weeks but still want to see alerts from others. You can also tap and hold on a notification group to see options like "Manage" or "Turn Off", which lets you silence that app without clearing the notifications that are already there.

Why clearing notifications is different from turning them off

Clearing notifications removes the red badges and alert summaries you see right now. Turning off notifications prevents new ones from arriving in the future. If you clear all notifications but do not turn off the apps that were bothering you, those same apps will start sending you alerts again tomorrow.

Think of it this way: clearing is like emptying your inbox. Turning off notifications is like unsubscribing from the mailing list. You usually need to do both. Go to Settings > Notifications, scroll through the list of apps, and tap each one you want to silence. Turn off "Allow Notifications" or choose "Sounds and Badges" instead of "Banners" if you want to see them only when you open the app.

How to stop notifications from specific apps without clearing everything

Open Settings and tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app on your phone. Tap the app you want to change — for example, "Messages" or "Instagram". You can then choose whether to allow notifications at all, or change how they appear.

Your options usually include: "Allow Notifications" (on or off), "Sounds and Badges" (you see a red number but no alert), "Banners" (a popup appears at the top), and "Lock Screen" (notifications show only when your phone is locked). Different apps may offer slightly different wording, but the idea is the same: you control whether and how each app can interrupt you.

If an app is sending you dozens of notifications a day and you do not use it, the simplest move is to turn off "Allow Notifications" entirely. You can always turn it back on later if you change your mind.

Clearing notifications on the lock screen versus in the Notification Center

Notifications can appear in two places: on your lock screen (the screen you see before you unlock your phone) and in the Notification Center (which you open by swiping down). Clearing one does not clear the other.

To clear notifications from your lock screen, swipe left on any notification and tap the trash icon. To clear them from the Notification Center, use the Edit and Clear All method described at the top of this article. If you want to stop notifications from appearing on your lock screen altogether, go to Settings > Notifications, tap an app, and turn off "Lock Screen" under the "Notifications" section.

What happens to notifications you clear

Once you clear a notification, it is gone. You cannot retrieve it from the Notification Center. If the notification was important — like a text message or a calendar reminder — the actual message or event still exists in the app itself. Clearing the notification just removes the alert you see on your home screen or lock screen.

If you are worried about missing something important, do not clear notifications from apps like Messages, Mail, or Calendar until you have read them. For apps like social media or news, clearing notifications is usually safe because the content is still there if you open the app later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing notifications delete my text messages or emails?

No. Clearing a notification removes only the alert badge or popup you see on your screen. Your actual messages, emails, and other content stay in the app. You can still find them by opening the app and looking through your inbox or message thread.

Can I clear notifications from multiple apps at once without clearing everything?

Not with a single button. You have to swipe left on each app's notification group individually and tap the trash icon. If you want to silence many apps at once, it is faster to go to Settings > Notifications and turn off "Allow Notifications" for each one.

Why do I still see a red badge number on an app after clearing notifications?

The red badge (the number in the red circle) is separate from notifications. It shows unread items in the app itself. To remove it, open the app and mark items as read, or go to Settings > Notifications, tap the app, and turn off "Badges".

If I turn off notifications for an app, will I miss important alerts?

You will not see popups or hear sounds, but you can still open the app and see what is there. If the app is important — like your bank or a messaging service — consider changing the notification style to "Sounds and Badges" instead of turning it off completely, so you see a number but no interruption.

How do I clear notifications on the lock screen only?

Swipe left on any notification on your lock screen and tap the trash icon. To stop all notifications from appearing on your lock screen, go to Settings > Notifications, tap an app, and turn off "Lock Screen".