Where to find push notification settings on your iPhone
Push notifications on iPhone are controlled through the Settings app, not through individual apps themselves. Open Settings, then tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app installed on your phone, and next to each one is a toggle that says Allow Notifications. When that toggle is green, push notifications from that app are turned on. When it is gray, they are off.
The order of apps in this list depends on how you sort them. At the top of the Notifications screen, you can choose to view apps by Sort By — the default is Most Recent, which shows apps that have sent you notifications lately at the top. You can also sort alphabetically or by time allowed, which helps if you are looking for a specific app.
Do not confuse the Notifications settings with Do Not Disturb, which silences all notifications during set hours. Do Not Disturb is a separate setting in the same Settings app and does not turn notifications off permanently — it just pauses them on a schedule you control.
Key Takeaways
- Push notifications are turned on or off for each app individually through Settings > Notifications, using the toggle next to the app name.
- Turning on Allow Notifications does not mean you will see a banner or sound — you can customize how each app notifies you separately.
- If an app does not appear in your Notifications list, it either has never sent a notification or does not support them.
- Do Not Disturb silences notifications on a schedule but does not turn them off; turning off Allow Notifications removes them entirely.
Customizing how each app sends you notifications
Once you turn on Allow Notifications for an app, you can decide exactly how it reaches you. Tap the app name in the Notifications list to open its notification settings. You will see options for Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners. These control where and how the notification appears.
Lock Screen means the notification shows on your locked phone. Notification Center means it appears when you swipe down from the top of your screen. Banners are the pop-ups that appear at the top of your screen when you are using your phone. You can turn any of these on or off independently — for example, you could allow an app to send notifications to your Notification Center but not show banners, so you see them only when you look for them.
Below those options, you will find Sounds and Badges. Sounds control whether the notification makes a noise. Badges are the red circles with numbers that appear on the app icon itself (like the "3" on your Mail app when you have three unread emails). You can turn sounds and badges on or off separately from the notification itself.
Apps that do not appear in your Notifications list
If you are looking for an app in Settings > Notifications and cannot find it, it means one of two things: the app has never sent you a notification, or the app does not support push notifications at all. Some older or very straightforward apps do not have this feature.
If an app has sent you at least one notification, it will appear in the Notifications list even if you turned it off. If it has never sent one, it will not show up until it does. This is why newly installed apps sometimes do not appear in the list right away — they show up the first time they try to send you something.
If you want to see all apps that support notifications, including ones that have never sent one, scroll to the very bottom of the Notifications list and tap Show More. This reveals apps that have notification capability but have not used it yet.
Turning notifications back on after you turned them off
If you previously turned off notifications for an app and now want to turn them back on, go to Settings > Notifications, find the app name, and toggle Allow Notifications back to green. The app will resume sending notifications using whatever settings you had before you turned it off.
If you cannot remember what your previous settings were, you can always adjust them again after you turn Allow Notifications back on. Tap the app name to open its full settings and choose Lock Screen, Notification Center, Banners, Sounds, and Badges the way you want them.
Notifications that come from Apple itself
Some notifications come from Apple's own services rather than from individual apps. These include notifications from iCloud, Find My, and system updates. These are also controlled through Settings > Notifications, but they appear at the very top of the list under System Notifications or similar headings depending on your iPhone model and iOS version.
You can turn off system notifications the same way you turn off app notifications — by finding the service name and toggling Allow Notifications off. However, turning off certain system notifications like Find My may affect the function of that service, so check what each one does before you disable it.
What happens when you turn off notifications for an app
When you turn off Allow Notifications for an app, that app stops sending you any notifications at all — no banners, no sounds, no badges, and nothing in your Notification Center. The app itself continues to work normally; it just stops trying to get your attention.
Some apps will ask you to turn notifications back on the next time you open them, or they may show a message saying you have missed something. You can ignore these requests and keep notifications off. Turning off notifications does not delete the app, change your account, or prevent the app from working.
Notifications on your lock screen versus your home screen
Your iPhone can show notifications in different places depending on whether your phone is locked or unlocked. If you are using your phone, notifications appear as banners at the top of the screen. If your phone is locked, they appear on the lock screen itself. You can control each of these separately in the app's notification settings.
Some people prefer to see notifications only on their lock screen so they are not interrupted while using the phone. Others want banners so they see notifications when ready. You can set this up app by app — for example, Messages could show banners while Mail only shows on the lock screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is an app not sending me notifications even though I turned them on?
Check that you turned on Allow Notifications in Settings > Notifications, and then check that the app itself has permission to send notifications. Some apps require you to turn on notifications in two places: once in iPhone Settings and once inside the app itself. Open the app and look for a Notifications or Settings section within the app.
Can I turn on notifications for some contacts but not others?
Yes, but only for certain apps like Messages and FaceTime. Open the app's notification settings in Settings > Notifications, then look for an option like Notification Grouping or VIP. You can also set up Focus modes in Settings > Focus to silence notifications from specific people during certain times.
What is the difference between turning off notifications and turning on Do Not Disturb?
Turning off Allow Notifications removes notifications permanently for that app. Do Not Disturb silences all notifications during hours you set, but they resume after that time ends. Do Not Disturb is temporary; turning off notifications is permanent until you turn them back on.
Will turning off notifications affect my ability to receive calls or texts?
Turning off notifications for the Phone or Messages app will prevent notification banners and sounds, but calls and texts still arrive. You will see them when you unlock your phone or check the app. If you want to receive calls even during Do Not Disturb, go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb and allow calls from your Favorites.
Can I schedule notifications to turn off at certain times?
Not for individual apps. However, you can use Focus modes in Settings > Focus to silence notifications from all apps during set hours or in certain locations. Create a Focus for bedtime, work, or driving, and choose which apps can notify you during that time.