Where to find notification settings on your iPhone
Notifications live in the Settings app, not in individual apps. Open Settings, scroll down to find Notifications, and tap it. You will see a list of every app installed on your phone that could send you a message, alert, or badge. This is where you decide which apps get to contact you and how.
The order of apps in this list depends on how recently they sent you something or how much you use them. Apps you have never opened may not appear until you search for them by name. If you want to find a specific app's settings, use the search box at the top of the Notifications screen — type the app name and tap it when it appears.
Key Takeaways
- Notifications settings are in the Settings app under Notifications, not inside individual apps.
- You can turn notifications completely off for an app, or keep them on but change how they appear — as banners, sounds, badges, or lock screen alerts.
- Turning off "Allow Notifications" stops an app from reaching you entirely; turning off individual notification styles still lets the app send alerts, just in a different form.
- Focus modes let you silence notifications from specific apps during certain times or locations without permanently changing their settings.
Turning notifications on or off for a single app
Tap any app name in the Notifications list. At the top of that app's settings page, you will see a toggle for "Allow Notifications." If the toggle is green and switched to the right, that app can send you notifications. If it is gray and switched to the left, notifications from that app are completely off.
Flipping this toggle off means the app cannot reach you with alerts, sounds, badges, or any other notification type. The app will still work normally — you just will not hear from it unless you open it yourself. This is the nuclear option: use it for apps you do not want to hear from at all.
Choosing how notifications appear: sounds, badges, and banners
If you leave "Allow Notifications" on, you can control exactly how each app reaches you. Below the toggle, you will see options for Sounds, Badges, and Lock Screen. Each one is a separate toggle you can turn on or off.
Sounds means the phone will play an audio alert when the app sends a notification. Turn this off if you want to see the notification but not hear it. Badges are the small red circles with numbers on app icons — they tell you how many unread messages or items are waiting. Turn this off if you find the red dots stressful or distracting. Lock Screen controls whether notifications appear on your lock screen when the phone is asleep or locked. Turn this off if you do not want people to see notifications when they pick up your phone.
Below these three options, you will also see Banner Style. This controls whether notifications appear as temporary banners that slide down from the top and disappear, or as persistent alerts that stay on screen until you dismiss them. Temporary banners are less intrusive; persistent alerts demand your attention.
Using Focus modes to pause notifications without changing settings
Focus modes are a faster way to silence apps temporarily without going back into Settings every time. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to open Control Center, then long-press (press and hold) the Focus button — it looks like a circle with lines through it. You will see a list of pre-made Focus modes: Do Not Disturb, Personal, Work, Sleep, and Driving.
Tap any Focus mode to turn it on. While it is active, notifications from apps you have not specifically allowed will be silenced. You can customize which apps are allowed to notify you during each Focus mode by going back to Settings, tapping Focus, and selecting the mode you want to edit. This way, your Work Focus can silence social media but allow email, while your Sleep Focus silences everything except calls from your favorites.
Focus modes turn off automatically at a time or location you set. For example, your Work Focus can turn on at 9 a.m. on weekdays and turn off at 5 p.m. This means you do not have to remember to switch modes yourself — your phone does it for you.
Notification grouping and summary options
If an app sends many notifications, you can ask your iPhone to group them together instead of showing each one separately. In that app's notification settings, look for Grouping. You can choose to group notifications by the app itself (so all messages from one app stack together), by thread (so messages from one person stack together), or turn grouping off entirely.
You can also turn on Notification Summary for apps that send a lot of low-priority alerts. Instead of interrupting you throughout the day, these notifications collect and appear in a summary at times you choose — usually morning and evening. This keeps your phone quiet during work or focus time while still letting you catch up on what you missed.
Stopping notifications from apps you do not use
Scroll through your Notifications list and look for apps you never open. These are the easiest wins: turn off "Allow Notifications" for any app you do not actually use. You can always turn notifications back on later if you change your mind.
For apps you use occasionally but do not need to hear from constantly, turn off Sounds and Badges but leave Lock Screen on. This way, if you open the app, you will see what you missed, but the app will not interrupt you with alerts or red badge numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between turning off notifications and turning off sounds?
Turning off "Allow Notifications" stops the app from sending you anything at all — no alerts, no badges, no lock screen messages. Turning off only Sounds means the app can still send notifications, but your phone will not make a noise or vibrate. You will still see badges and lock screen alerts; you just will not hear them.
Can I let one person's messages through while silencing everyone else?
Not through notification settings alone, but you can use Focus modes. Create a Focus mode that allows notifications only from your Favorites contacts, then turn that Focus on when you need to concentrate. Messages from people in your Favorites list will come through; everyone else will be silenced until you turn the Focus off.
Why do some apps not appear in my Notifications list?
Apps you have never opened do not show up in the Notifications list until they try to send you something or you search for them by name. Use the search box at the top of the Notifications screen to find an app, then adjust its settings before it ever sends you a notification.
Do I have to turn off notifications to save battery?
Notifications use very little battery. Turning them off will not noticeably extend your battery life. If you are trying to save battery, focus on screen brightness, background app refresh, and location services instead — those drain far more power than notifications.
Can I set different notification rules for work hours and personal time?
Yes, using Focus modes. Create a Work Focus that allows only work-related apps and contacts, then set it to turn on automatically during your work hours. Create a Personal Focus for evenings and weekends with different rules. Your phone will switch between them automatically based on the schedule you set.