The fastest way to clear all notifications at once

Open Notification Center by swiping down from the top of your screen. At the top right of the notification list, you will see an "X" button next to "Notifications". Tap it, then tap "Clear All" in the confirmation that appears. This removes every notification from your lock screen and Notification Center in one action.

If you want to keep some notifications and clear only others, swipe left on any single notification and tap the trash icon. You can do this one at a time, or swipe left on a group (like all messages from one app) and tap "Clear All" to remove just that app's notifications without touching the rest.

Key Takeaways

  • Swipe down from the top of your screen, tap the X next to "Notifications", then tap "Clear All" to remove every notification at once.
  • Swipe left on a single notification or a notification group and tap the trash icon to clear only the ones you want gone.
  • Notifications that are already cleared from your lock screen may still live in Notification Center — clearing one does not clear the other automatically.
  • Turning off notifications in Settings prevents them from piling up in the first place, which is faster than clearing them repeatedly.
  • Do Not Disturb mode silences notifications temporarily without deleting them, useful when you need quiet but want to see them later.

The difference between clearing your lock screen and Notification Center

Your iPhone shows notifications in two places: on your lock screen (the screen you see when the phone is asleep) and in Notification Center (where they collect when you swipe down). Clearing one does not clear the other. If you dismiss a notification from your lock screen by tapping it or swiping it away, it stays in Notification Center until you clear it there too.

This matters because you might think you have cleared everything, but when you swipe down later, old notifications are still waiting. The "Clear All" button in Notification Center removes them from that view, but they may still appear on your lock screen if the app sent them recently. The cleanest approach is to open Notification Center, tap the X, and tap "Clear All" — this clears the Notification Center view completely.

Clearing notifications from specific apps

If you only want to silence one app's notifications without touching the others, swipe left on any notification from that app. You will see a trash icon and a "Manage" option. Tap the trash icon to clear just that notification, or tap "Manage" to turn off all notifications from that app going forward.

You can also clear an entire app's notification history by opening Notification Center, swiping left on the app's notification group (the section showing all notifications from that app), and tapping "Clear All". This removes every notification from that app without affecting notifications from other apps.

Using Do Not Disturb to pause notifications without deleting them

If you want notifications to stop appearing temporarily but do not want to delete them, turn on Do Not Disturb. Swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center, then tap the moon icon. Notifications will still arrive, but they will not light up your screen, make a sound, or vibrate. When you turn Do Not Disturb off, the notifications reappear in Notification Center.

Do Not Disturb is useful when you are in a meeting, sleeping, or need focus time. You can set it to turn on and off automatically at certain times by going to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb, then tapping "Add Schedule". This way you do not have to remember to turn it on and off every day.

Preventing notifications from piling up in the first place

The easiest way to avoid clearing notifications constantly is to turn off the ones you do not need. Go to Settings > Notifications, then tap any app. Turn off "Allow Notifications" to stop that app from sending them entirely, or keep notifications on but turn off "Sounds and Haptics" if you want to see them without the noise and vibration.

You can also adjust how notifications appear. Under "Notification Style", choose "Banners" (they appear at the top and disappear automatically), "Alerts" (they stay until you dismiss them), or "None" (they go straight to Notification Center without appearing on your screen). Apps like email and messaging often work better with banners, while apps like calendar might need alerts so you do not miss them.

Clearing notifications when your iPhone is locked

If your phone is locked and you see notifications on the lock screen, you can swipe left on any notification and tap the X to dismiss it without unlocking your phone. This removes it from the lock screen view, though it may still be in Notification Center. To clear the lock screen completely without unlocking, you have to unlock your phone, open Notification Center, and use the "Clear All" button.

Some notifications are grouped by app on the lock screen. If you see a stack of notifications from one app, tap and hold on the group, then tap "Clear All" to remove all of that app's notifications from the lock screen at once.

What to do if notifications keep coming back

If you clear notifications but the same ones reappear, the app is resending them. This usually means the notification is tied to an unread message or an action you have not completed — like an unread email or a calendar reminder. Opening the app and reading the message or completing the action will stop the notification from coming back.

If a notification keeps reappearing even after you have dealt with it, the app itself may have a bug. Try force-closing the app by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or swiping down from the top right if you have a newer iPhone without a home button), holding on the app, and swiping up. Then open the app again. If the problem continues, go to Settings > Notifications and turn off notifications from that app, or delete and reinstall it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I clear notifications without unlocking my phone?

You can dismiss individual notifications from your lock screen by swiping left and tapping the X, but you cannot clear all notifications at once without unlocking. To use the "Clear All" button in Notification Center, you need to unlock your phone and swipe down from the top.

Does clearing a notification delete the message or email it came from?

No. Clearing a notification only removes it from your lock screen and Notification Center. The actual message, email, or app data stays where it is. If you delete an email, for example, the notification disappears, but clearing the notification does not delete the email.

Why do some notifications stay on my lock screen even after I clear them?

Some apps resend notifications if the underlying action is not complete — like an unread message or a reminder you have not dismissed. Open the app and deal with the message or reminder, and the notification should stop reappearing. If it continues, try force-closing the app and reopening it.

Can I clear notifications from one app without affecting others?

Yes. Swipe left on a notification from that app and tap the trash icon, or open Notification Center, swipe left on the app's notification group, and tap "Clear All". This removes only that app's notifications.

What is the difference between clearing notifications and turning them off?

Clearing removes notifications that have already arrived. Turning off notifications in Settings prevents new ones from arriving at all. If you keep clearing the same app's notifications, turning them off in Settings is faster than clearing them repeatedly.