Turn off notifications in your Google Account settings

The fastest way to stop Google notifications is to change your settings in the Google Account itself, rather than hunting through each app. Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Security" in the left menu, scroll down to "Your devices," and select "Manage all devices." From there you can see every phone, tablet, and computer signed into your Google Account and turn off notifications for each one.

If you want to be more selective — keeping some Google notifications but blocking others — go back to myaccount.google.com and click "Notifications" in the left menu instead. You will see a list of every Google service that can send you alerts: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Photos, and others. Each one has a toggle you can switch off individually. This is the place to start if you only want to silence certain services, not all of them.

Key Takeaways

  • Google Account settings at myaccount.google.com let you turn off notifications for all Google services at once or pick which ones to silence.
  • On Android phones, the Settings app has a separate notifications menu where you can block Google apps even if your Google Account settings allow them.
  • On iPhones and computers, you must change notification permissions in the individual app or in your device's system settings — Google Account settings alone will not stop them.
  • Turning off notifications in one place does not always turn them off everywhere; check both your Google Account and your device settings to be sure.
  • Some Google notifications (like security alerts) may continue even after you turn off others, because Google treats them as account protection rather than optional messages.

Stop notifications on an Android phone

Android phones have two layers of notification control. The first is your Google Account settings (described above). The second is Android's own notification system, which can block an app's notifications even if Google Account settings would allow them.

To block Google notifications on Android, open the Settings app, tap "Apps" or "Applications," find the Google app you want to silence (Gmail, Maps, YouTube, etc.), tap it, then tap "Notifications." You will see toggles for different types of alerts — turn off the ones you do not want. Repeat this for each Google app. If you want to block notifications from all Google apps at once, go to Settings, search for "notification," and look for an option to manage notifications by app — but you will still need to go through each one individually to turn them all off.

Stop notifications on an iPhone

iPhones do not have a Google Account notification settings page that works the same way as Android. Instead, you control notifications through the iPhone's own system. Open Settings, tap "Notifications," scroll down to find the Google app (Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Google Photos, etc.), tap it, and toggle off "Allow Notifications."

You can also control notifications from within each Google app itself. Open the app, go to its settings or preferences menu (usually a gear icon or your profile picture), look for "Notifications," and turn off the alerts you do not want. The app's own settings may give you more choices than the iPhone system settings — for example, Gmail's settings let you turn off notifications for certain labels or senders, while iPhone settings only let you turn off all Gmail notifications or none.

Stop notifications on a Windows or Mac computer

Desktop notifications from Google services work differently depending on whether you are using a web browser or a downloaded app. If you use Gmail, Google Calendar, or other Google services in a web browser, the notifications come from your browser, not from Google directly.

In Chrome, click the three-dot menu in the top right, go to Settings, click "Privacy and security," then "Site settings," then "Notifications." You will see a list of websites that have permission to send you notifications — find Google services in that list and click the three dots next to them, then select "Block." On Firefox, Safari, or Edge, the process is similar: go to browser settings, find the notifications or permissions section, and block Google domains.

If you use a downloaded Google app (like Google Drive for desktop or Google Meet), right-click the app icon in your system tray or menu bar, look for "Settings" or "Preferences," find the notifications section, and turn them off there.

Handle notifications you cannot turn off

Some Google notifications will not disappear even after you turn off everything described above. Security alerts — messages about suspicious sign-in attempts, password changes, or recovery email updates — are designed to keep coming because Google treats them as account protection, not optional messages. You cannot turn these off through normal settings.

If you are receiving security alerts you believe are false alarms, do not ignore them. Instead, go to myaccount.google.com, click "Security," and review your recent activity. If you see a sign-in or action you did not do, change your password when ready and review which apps have access to your account. If the alerts are legitimate but you want fewer of them, you can reduce them by using a more find password, turning on two-factor authentication, and keeping your recovery email and phone number current — this actually makes your account more find and can reduce false alarms.

Notifications from Gmail, YouTube, and Google Play separately

Gmail, YouTube, and Google Play have their own notification settings that sit outside the main Google Account settings. These are worth checking if you have turned off notifications everywhere else but still see alerts from these services.

In Gmail, open the app or website, click your profile picture in the top right, go to "Manage your Google Account," click the "Notifications" tab, and look for Gmail-specific settings. In YouTube, click your profile picture, go to "Notifications," and turn off the types of alerts you do not want — YouTube separates notifications by category (subscriptions, comments, recommendations, etc.) so you can silence some and keep others. In Google Play, open the app, tap your profile icon, go to "Settings," find "Notifications," and turn them off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I still get Google notifications after turning them off?

Notifications can come from multiple places: your Google Account, your device's system settings, the individual app, and your web browser. You may have turned off notifications in one place but not the others. Check all four locations for the app that is still notifying you. Also check whether the notification is a security alert, which Google may not allow you to turn off completely.

Can I turn off Google notifications without signing out of my account?

Yes. Turning off notifications does not sign you out or change your account access. You will still receive emails, calendar invites, and messages — you just will not get alerts about them. You can turn notifications back on at any time by reversing the steps you took to turn them off.

What is the difference between turning off notifications in Google Account settings and in my device settings?

Google Account settings control what Google is allowed to send. Device settings control what your phone or computer is allowed to display. If you turn off notifications in Google Account settings but not in device settings, your device might still show some alerts. For complete silence, turn them off in both places.

Will turning off notifications affect my email or calendar?

No. Turning off notifications only stops the alerts — your emails, calendar events, and other data will still arrive and sync normally. You just will not get a ping, badge, or popup when something new comes in. You can still check Gmail and Calendar whenever you open them.

How do I stop notifications from Google Play Store?

Open Google Play, tap your profile icon in the top right, go to "Settings," tap "Notifications," and toggle off "Show notifications." You can also control notifications for individual apps within Google Play by finding the app, tapping the three dots, and looking for notification settings there.