Where to find the notification settings for Messages

Open Settings on your iPhone, then tap Notifications. Scroll down until you see Messages in the list of apps. Tap it to open the Messages notification settings.

From here, you can control exactly what happens when a text arrives. The options you see depend on which iPhone model and iOS version you have, but the core controls are the same across all recent iPhones.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn off all Messages notifications by toggling off Allow Notifications at the top of the Messages settings page.
  • Keep notifications but silence the sound by turning off Sounds while leaving Allow Notifications on.
  • Use Focus modes to silence texts during specific times or activities without changing your permanent settings.
  • Turn off the red badge number on the Messages app icon by disabling Badges in the same notification settings.
  • Notifications from individual contacts can be managed separately through the Messages app itself, not through Settings.

Turning off all Messages notifications at once

At the top of the Messages notification settings page, you will see a toggle for Allow Notifications. Turn this toggle off (it will turn gray). Once you do, your iPhone will no longer show alerts, sounds, or badges when texts arrive.

You will still receive the messages — they will just sit in the Messages app without interrupting you. The next time you open Messages, you will see all the texts that came in while notifications were off.

Silencing the sound without hiding the notification

If you want to see that a text arrived but do not want to hear a sound, keep Allow Notifications turned on and scroll down to find Sounds. Turn off the toggle next to it.

With this setting, a notification will still appear on your lock screen or in your notification center, but your phone will not make a noise or vibrate. This is useful if you want to know texts are coming in without being startled by the sound.

Using Focus modes to silence texts at specific times

If you only want to silence Messages during certain hours or activities, Focus modes are more flexible than turning notifications off permanently. Go to Settings > Focus, then choose or create a Focus (like Work, Sleep, or Driving).

Tap the Focus you want to customize, then tap Apps and find Messages. You can choose to allow notifications from all contacts, only favorites, or no one. When that Focus is active, Messages will follow those rules automatically. You can also set a schedule so a Focus turns on at the same time each day without you having to remember.

Removing the red badge number from the Messages icon

The red circle with a number on the Messages app icon tells you how many unread texts you have. If this bothers you, scroll down in the Messages notification settings and turn off Badges.

The badge will disappear, but notifications and sounds will still work as you have set them. This is a small change, but it removes one more visual prompt to check your phone.

Controlling notifications from specific people

You can also manage notifications from individual contacts without changing your settings for all texts. Open the Messages app, find the conversation you want to adjust, swipe left on it, tap the three dots, then tap Hide Alerts. That person's messages will still arrive, but they will not trigger a notification.

To turn alerts back on for that contact, swipe left again and tap Show Alerts. This approach is useful if you want most texts to notify you but want to silence one chatty group or one person who texts at odd hours.

What happens to messages you have already received

Turning off notifications does not delete or hide texts you have already received. They stay in the Messages app exactly where they were. The setting only controls whether new incoming texts trigger an alert.

If you turn notifications back on later, your phone will not send you alerts for old messages — only for new ones that arrive after you change the setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people know I turned off notifications from them?

No. Turning off notifications is a setting on your phone only. The person texting you will not see any indication that you have silenced their messages. They will not know unless you tell them.

Can I turn off notifications for group texts but keep them for one-on-one messages?

Not with a single setting. You would need to turn off notifications for the entire Messages app, then use Focus modes or hide alerts for specific group conversations. Alternatively, you can keep all notifications on and hide alerts only for the groups that bother you.

What is the difference between turning off sounds and turning off all notifications?

Turning off sounds keeps the visual notification — the banner or lock screen alert — but removes the noise and vibration. Turning off all notifications removes the banner, the sound, the vibration, and the badge. You will not know a text arrived until you open the Messages app.

If I use Do Not Disturb, does it silence Messages?

Do Not Disturb silences calls and notifications from apps, but you can set exceptions. Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb and scroll to Allowed Notifications to choose which apps can still notify you. You can allow Messages while silencing everything else, or silence Messages while allowing calls from favorites.

Can I schedule notifications to turn off at night automatically?

Yes, using Focus modes. Create or edit a Sleep Focus in Settings > Focus, set it to turn on at your bedtime, and configure which apps (including Messages) can notify you during those hours. Your phone will switch automatically.