Where notification sounds live and how to find them

Notification sounds are controlled in different places depending on what device you use and what app is making the noise. On most phones and computers, you have two layers of control: a master setting that affects all notifications at once, and individual app settings where you can silence just one app while keeping sounds on for others.

The fastest way to stop all notification sounds right now is to switch your device to silent or vibrate mode — on an iPhone, flip the physical mute switch on the side; on Android, press the volume button and tap the speaker icon to mute. But if you want to keep some notifications sounding while silencing others, you'll need to dig into settings. The exact path depends on your device type.

Key Takeaways

  • The physical mute switch on an iPhone or the volume button on Android will silence all notifications when ready, though your device will still vibrate.
  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and turn off "Sounds" to disable notification sounds system-wide while keeping other alerts.
  • On Android, open Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications and toggle off "Sound" to silence all notifications at once.
  • To silence just one app, find it in your Notifications settings and turn off its individual sound toggle rather than uninstalling or disabling the app.
  • Do Not Disturb mode (iPhone) and Focus modes (Android) let you schedule quiet times automatically so you don't have to remember to switch settings manually.

Turning off notification sounds on iPhone

Open the Settings app and tap Notifications. You'll see a list of every app that sends you notifications. At the top of the screen, look for "Sounds" — if it's toggled on (green), tap it to turn it off. This disables notification sounds across your entire phone while keeping visual alerts like badges and banners.

If you want to keep sounds on for some apps but not others, scroll down to find the specific app. Tap it, then scroll down and toggle off "Sounds" for just that app. You can do this for as many apps as you want — silence notifications from email and social media but keep sounds on for calls and messages from your contacts.

For more control over when sounds play, go to Settings > Focus and set up a Focus mode (like "Work" or "Sleep"). When you turn on a Focus, you can choose which apps are allowed to notify you at all, and the settings you create will turn on automatically at times you specify.

Turning off notification sounds on Android

Open Settings and go to Apps & Notifications (the exact name varies by phone maker — Samsung calls it "Notifications", Google Pixel calls it "Apps & Notifications"). Tap Notifications, then look for a toggle labeled "Sound" or "Notification sound". Turn it off to silence all notification sounds while keeping visual notifications like lights and vibrations.

To silence just one app, go back to Apps & Notifications and find the app in the list. Tap it, then tap Notifications. Look for "Sound" or "Alert type" and change it to "Silent" or toggle off the sound option. Some Android phones also let you choose a different sound for each app instead of turning sound off completely — if you see a "Sound" option with a dropdown menu, you can pick "None" to silence just that app.

Android also has Focus modes (called "Do Not Disturb" on older versions). Go to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb to set up a schedule. You can choose which apps are allowed to make sounds during your quiet hours, and the mode will turn on and off automatically.

Silencing notifications on Windows

Open Settings and go to System > Notifications. You'll see toggles for different types of notifications. Turn off "Sound" to stop notification sounds from playing. You can also scroll down to see individual apps — toggle off the sound for specific programs while keeping sounds on for others.

Windows also has a Focus information feature that silences notifications during set times. Go to Settings > System > Focus information and choose when you want it to turn on automatically. You can set it to set up during gaming, during work hours, or on a custom schedule.

Silencing notifications on Mac

Click the Apple menu and go to System Settings > Notifications. You'll see a list of every app that sends notifications. Click an app and toggle off "Sound" to silence just that app. To turn off sounds for all notifications, you'll need to go through each app individually — there's no master sound toggle in Mac settings.

Mac has a Focus feature similar to iPhone. Click the Control Center icon in the top right corner and select Focus. You can create a custom Focus (like "Work" or "Sleep") and choose which apps are allowed to notify you during that time. Set a schedule so your Focus turns on automatically.

Turning off notification sounds in specific apps

Some apps have their own notification settings separate from your device settings. If you've turned off notification sounds in your device settings but an app is still making noise, the app itself might have sound enabled. Open the app, look for Settings or Preferences (usually a gear icon), and search for "Notifications" or "Sound". Turn off the sound option there.

This is especially common with messaging apps, email clients, and games. They sometimes override your device settings, so checking inside the app itself is worth doing if a particular app keeps making noise even after you've silenced it in your device settings.

Using Do Not Disturb and Focus modes to schedule quiet time

Rather than manually switching your notification settings on and off, you can set up automatic quiet times. On iPhone, go to Settings > Focus and create a new Focus for "Sleep", "Work", or "Driving". Choose which apps are allowed to notify you during that Focus, then tap "Schedule" and set the days and times you want it to turn on automatically.

On Android, go to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb (or Focus on newer phones) and toggle it on. Tap "Schedule" and set the times you want quiet mode to set up. You can choose to allow calls from specific contacts or silence everything except alarms. Once you set a schedule, your phone will switch to quiet mode without you having to remember.

Windows and Mac have similar features — Focus information on Windows and Focus on Mac both let you create schedules so your device automatically goes quiet during work, sleep, or other times you choose.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off notification sounds stop me from seeing notifications at all?

No. Turning off sound keeps visual notifications like badges, banners, and lock screen alerts. You'll still see that you have a message or alert — you just won't hear a sound. If you want to stop seeing notifications entirely, that's a separate setting in your device's notification controls.

Why is an app still making noise after I turned off notification sounds?

Some apps have their own sound settings that override your device settings. Open the app itself, find its Settings or Preferences, search for Notifications, and turn off sound there. You may need to do this for multiple apps if several are ignoring your device-level settings.

Can I silence notifications from just one contact or person?

On iPhone, you can use Focus modes to allow notifications only from specific contacts. On Android, some apps like Messages and Phone let you mute conversations individually — open the conversation, tap the menu, and look for "Mute notifications" or "Mute sounds". This is app-specific, so check inside each app for the option.

What's the difference between silent mode and Do Not Disturb?

Silent mode (or vibrate mode) mutes all sounds on your device, including alarms and timers. Do Not Disturb and Focus modes let you choose which apps can still notify you and can be set on a schedule. Use silent mode for when ready quiet; use Focus modes when you want to stay reachable for important contacts but silence everything else.

If I turn off notification sounds, will I still get vibrations?

Yes, unless you also turn off vibration in your notification settings. Sound and vibration are usually separate toggles, so you can have vibrations without sound, sound without vibration, both, or neither. Check your device's notification settings to control each one separately.