Where notifications live and how to find them

Notifications come from three places on most devices: your operating system (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android), individual apps, and websites. To remove them, you need to know which one is sending the alert. A notification from Slack looks different from a Windows system update alert, and you turn them off in different places.

Start by identifying the source. When a notification pops up, look at its icon and text. If it says "Microsoft Teams" or "Gmail", that's an app notification. If it says "Windows Update" or "System Preferences", that's your operating system. If it appears in your browser and mentions a website name, it's a web notification. Each type has its own off switch.

The fastest way to find notification settings is to search your device. On Windows, press the Windows key and type "notifications". On Mac, click the Apple menu, select System Settings, then Notifications. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications. Your device will show you every app that can send notifications and let you turn them off one by one.

Key Takeaways

  • Notifications come from apps, your operating system, or websites, and each type turns off in a different place.
  • On Windows and Mac, search "notifications" in settings to see all apps that can alert you and disable them individually.
  • On iPhone and Android, go to Settings > Notifications to control which apps can send alerts and what kind of alerts they send.
  • Turning off notifications for an app does not delete the app or prevent it from working — it only stops the alerts.
  • Website notifications require you to visit the site or change your browser settings, since they do not appear in your device's main notification panel.

Removing app notifications on Windows

Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I, or click the Start menu and select Settings. Go to System > Notifications. You will see a list of every app installed on your computer that has permission to send notifications.

Find the app you want to silence. Click on it and toggle off "Show notifications for this app". If you want to keep notifications but change how they appear, you can toggle off "Show notifications in notification center" (which removes them from your notification panel) or "Show notification banners" (which stops the pop-ups on your screen). You can also turn off notifications for specific types of alerts — for example, keep email notifications but turn off calendar reminders.

If an app does not appear in the list, it either does not have notification permission yet or it does not send notifications. Some apps ask for permission the first time they try to send an alert. If you see a permission request, you can deny it there instead of going into Settings.

Removing app notifications on Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings. Click Notifications in the sidebar. You will see a list of all apps on your Mac that can send notifications, organized alphabetically.

Find the app you want to control. Click on it. You can toggle off "Allow notifications" to stop all alerts from that app. If you want to keep notifications but change how they work, you can turn off "Banners" (the pop-ups that appear on screen), "Sounds" (the audio alerts), or "Badges" (the red numbers on app icons). You can also choose whether notifications appear on your lock screen or in Notification Center.

Some apps send different types of notifications — for example, Slack might send direct messages, channel mentions, and reminders. If you see a dropdown menu under an app name, click it to control each type separately.

Removing app notifications on iPhone and iPad

Open Settings and tap Notifications. You will see a list of all apps that have sent notifications or requested permission to send them. Apps are listed in the order they most recently sent an alert, with the most recent at the top.

Tap the app you want to change. Toggle off "Allow Notifications" to stop all alerts from that app. If you want to keep notifications but change how they appear, you can toggle off "Sounds" (the audio alert), "Badges" (the red number on the app icon), or "Banners" (the pop-up that appears on screen). You can also choose whether notifications appear on your lock screen or in Notification Center, and whether they show a preview of the message.

Some apps let you control notifications by category. For example, Messages might let you set different rules for group chats versus individual conversations. If you see options under "Notification Grouping" or similar headings, you can customize further.

Removing app notifications on Android

Open Settings and go to Apps & Notifications (the exact name varies by phone maker). Tap Notifications. You will see a list of apps that have sent recent notifications.

Tap the app you want to control. Toggle off "Show notifications" to stop all alerts from that app. Some apps let you control notification channels — different types of alerts within the same app. For example, Gmail might have separate channels for new mail and reminders. If you see a list of channels, tap each one and toggle off "Show notifications" for the types you do not want.

If you do not see the app in the Notifications list, go back to Apps & Notifications and tap "See all apps" or "App permissions". Find the app in the full list, tap it, and look for a Notifications section within the app settings.

Removing website notifications from your browser

Website notifications appear as pop-ups or alerts from sites you visit, asking permission to send you alerts about news, messages, or updates. They are separate from app notifications and require different steps to remove.

In Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, go to Settings or Preferences. Look for Privacy, Security, or Notifications. Find the section called "Notifications" or "Sites" and click "Manage". You will see a list of websites that have permission to send notifications. Find the site you want to remove and click the X or Delete button next to it. Some browsers let you block all website notifications at once by toggling off "Allow sites to send notifications".

If a website keeps asking for notification permission even after you have denied it, you can block it permanently. In most browsers, click the lock icon next to the website address in the address bar, find Notifications, and select "Block".

Stopping notifications from your operating system

Your operating system itself sends notifications — Windows Update reminders, macOS security alerts, iPhone reminders, Android system alerts. These work differently from app notifications because they come from the system, not from installed software.

On Windows, open Settings > System > Notifications and scroll down to "Notifications from apps and other senders". You can toggle off notifications from Windows Update, Microsoft Defender, or other system services. Be careful turning off security alerts — you may want to keep those on.

On Mac, open System Settings > Notifications and scroll to the bottom. You will see system apps like Calendar, Reminders, and Mail. You can control each one the same way you control third-party apps.

On iPhone, open Settings > Notifications and scroll down to "Siri Suggestions" and "Reminders" to control system notifications. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications and look for system apps like Calendar or Clock.

What happens when you turn off notifications

Turning off notifications does not delete the app, change how it works, or prevent it from running in the background. It only stops the alerts from appearing on your screen or in your notification center. The app will continue to function normally — you just will not be interrupted by pop-ups or sounds.

If you turn off notifications for an app and later want them back, you can turn them back on the same way you turned them off. Your settings are saved, so you can toggle notifications on and off as many times as you want without losing any data.

Some apps require notifications to work properly. For example, a messaging app might not alert you to new messages if notifications are off, but you can still open the app and see your messages manually. If you are unsure whether an app needs notifications to function, try turning them off and see if the app still works the way you expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off notifications for just one contact or one type of message?

Yes, many apps let you customize notifications by contact or category. In Messages on iPhone, you can mute individual conversations. In Gmail, you can mute specific senders or labels. Open the app's settings or right-click on a conversation to see if mute or custom notification options are available.

Why do I still get notifications after turning them off in settings?

Check that you turned off notifications in the right place. If you turned them off in your device settings but the app has its own notification settings, the app settings might override the device setting. Open the app itself and look for a Settings or Preferences option within the app to turn off notifications there too.

Will turning off notifications affect my ability to receive calls or texts?

No. Phone calls and text messages are handled separately from app notifications. Turning off notifications for the Messages app or Phone app will stop alerts, but calls and texts will still come through — you just will not see a pop-up or hear a sound. You can always open the app to see missed calls and messages.

How do I stop notifications without turning them off completely?

Most devices let you silence notifications without disabling them entirely. On Windows and Mac, you can turn off notification banners or sounds while keeping them in your notification center. On iPhone, you can turn off lock screen notifications or banners. On Android, you can lower notification importance. These options let you see alerts without being interrupted.

What if a website keeps sending notifications even after I blocked it?

Clear your browser's site data for that website. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear browsing data, select "Cookies and other site data", and enter the website address. This removes the permission the site stored on your browser. The next time you visit, the site will have to ask for permission again, and you can deny it.