Where to find text notification settings

Text message notifications on iPhone are controlled in two places: the Messages app itself and the system-wide notification settings. The fastest route depends on whether you want to silence texts from everyone, from specific people, or just turn off the sound while keeping the badge that shows you have unread messages.

Start by opening Settings, then tap Notifications. Scroll down and tap Messages. From here you can turn off notifications entirely, change how they appear, or silence the sound while keeping visual alerts. If you want finer control — like silencing one contact but not others — you will need to go into the Messages app itself.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings > Notifications > Messages to turn off all text notifications, or choose to keep badges and banners while removing sound.
  • To silence texts from one person only, open Messages, swipe left on their conversation, tap the bell icon, and choose "Hide Alerts".
  • Turning off "Allow Notifications" removes everything; turning off "Sounds" keeps the badge showing you have unread texts but removes the noise.
  • Do Not Disturb silences all notifications including texts, but only during the times or Focus modes you set — texts still arrive and show badges when you unlock your phone.
  • If you turn notifications back on later, your settings return to what they were before, so you do not have to reconfigure them from scratch.

Turning off all text notifications at once

Open Settings on your home screen. Tap Notifications, then scroll down until you see Messages and tap it. At the top of the Messages notification screen, toggle off Allow Notifications. This removes all alerts — sounds, banners, badges, and lock screen notifications — for every text you receive.

If you want to keep the badge (the red number showing how many unread texts you have) but remove the sound and banner, leave "Allow Notifications" on and instead toggle off Sounds. This way you will still see that you have messages when you look at your phone, but you will not be interrupted by a notification sound or banner popping up.

Silencing texts from one contact only

Open the Messages app. Find the conversation with the person whose texts you want to silence. Swipe left on their name (or long-press on it, then tap the three dots). A bell icon with a slash through it should appear. Tap it. This turns on "Hide Alerts" for that conversation only.

When "Hide Alerts" is on, texts from that person still arrive and still show a badge on the Messages app, but you will not hear a sound or see a banner. The conversation will also move to the bottom of your Messages list so it does not sit at the top where active conversations normally go. You can turn this off the same way — swipe left and tap the bell icon again.

Using Do Not Disturb to silence texts by time or Focus mode

If you want texts to stay silent during work hours or bedtime but come through normally at other times, use Do Not Disturb. Open Settings, tap Focus, then tap Do Not Disturb. Tap Add Schedule and choose the times when you want notifications silenced.

During Do Not Disturb hours, all notifications — including texts — will be silent and will not show banners on your lock screen. However, the messages still arrive, and you will see badges on the Messages app when you unlock your phone. You can also set up a Focus mode for specific situations (like "Work" or "Sleep") and turn it on manually whenever you need it, rather than waiting for a scheduled time.

Keeping notifications on but changing how they look

You may want texts to arrive but not interrupt you visibly. Open Settings > Notifications > Messages. Under "Alert Style When Unlocked", choose None instead of "Banner" or "List". This removes the pop-up alert when your phone is unlocked, though you will still see a badge and hear a sound.

You can also change which notifications appear on your lock screen. Toggle off Show on Lock Screen if you do not want text previews visible when your phone is locked. The message will still arrive and the badge will still show, but someone looking at your locked phone will not see who texted you or what they said.

What happens to texts when notifications are off

Turning off notifications does not delete texts or prevent them from arriving. Messages come through normally and stay in your Messages app. The only difference is that you will not be alerted — no sound, no banner, no vibration. When you open the Messages app or unlock your phone, you will see the conversation and any new messages waiting for you.

If you have turned off badges as well, you will have no visual indicator that a text arrived until you open the Messages app. This is useful if you want to check messages on your own schedule rather than being interrupted, but it also means you might not notice a time-sensitive text right away.

Turning notifications back on

Your notification settings are saved, so if you turn them off and then turn them back on later, they return to the way they were. Open Settings > Notifications > Messages and toggle Allow Notifications back on. For a single contact, open Messages, swipe left on their conversation, and tap the bell icon again to turn off "Hide Alerts".

If you set up a Do Not Disturb schedule and want to remove it, go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb, tap Edit, and delete the schedule. The Focus mode itself will stay on your phone but will not set up automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person texting me know that I have turned off notifications?

No. Turning off notifications is invisible to the other person. They will not see any indication that you have silenced their texts. The message still delivers normally, and they will not know whether you have read it or when you read it unless you tell them.

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

Yes. Open Messages, swipe left on the group conversation, and tap the bell icon to hide alerts from that group only. Individual texts will continue to notify you normally. You can do this for as many group chats as you want.

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

Turning off sounds removes the noise and vibration but keeps the badge (the red number) and the banner that pops up. Turning off all notifications removes everything — sound, vibration, badge, and banner. You will have no way to know a text arrived unless you open the Messages app.

If I use Do Not Disturb, will emergency calls still come through?

Yes. Do Not Disturb silences notifications but allows calls from people in your Favorites list and repeated calls from the same number within three minutes. You can customize which contacts bypass Do Not Disturb in the Focus settings.

Can I schedule different notification settings for weekdays and weekends?

Not directly through Messages settings, but you can use multiple Focus modes. Create a "Weekday" Focus that silences texts during work hours, and a "Weekend" Focus with different times. Set each one to a schedule, and your phone will switch between them automatically.