A notification badge is a small number or dot that appears on an app icon to show you have unread messages, alerts, or updates waiting
The red circle with a number on your email app, the dot on your messaging app, the badge showing "3" on your settings icon — these are all notification badges. They sit on top of your app icon and stay there until you open the app and read or dismiss what triggered them. Some badges show a count (how many unread items), and some show just a dot to indicate something needs your attention.
Badges exist because app makers want you to know something happened without sending you a notification sound or vibration each time. But that same feature can also pull at your attention all day long. Understanding how badges work and what controls you have over them is the first step to deciding which ones you actually want to see.
Key Takeaways
- Notification badges are the numbers or dots on app icons that show unread items, and they stay visible until you open the app and clear them.
- Badges can be turned off separately from notification sounds and alerts, giving you control over which apps can display them.
- Some badges count every single item (emails, messages, alerts), while others just show a dot to indicate something is there.
- Turning off badges for low-priority apps reduces visual clutter without losing the ability to check those apps when you choose to.
How badges work on your phone or device
When an app sends you a notification, it can include a badge instruction. Your phone's operating system then displays that badge on the app icon — usually in the top-right corner. The badge stays there until the app itself clears it, which typically happens when you open the app and read the content that triggered the notification.
On iPhone, badges appear as red circles with white numbers or a white dot. On Android, they usually appear as small colored dots or numbers, though the exact look depends on your phone's manufacturer and which version of Android you have. Some apps let you control whether they send badges at all, while others send them automatically as part of their notification system.
The key difference between a badge and a notification sound or vibration is that a badge is always visible — it doesn't go away after a few seconds. That's why badges can feel more persistent than other types of alerts. A sound plays and then stops. A badge sits on your home screen or app drawer until you deal with it.
Why apps use badges instead of constant alerts
App makers use badges because they want to remind you something is waiting without interrupting you with a sound or vibration every single time. If you get 20 emails in an hour, your phone could buzz 20 times, or it could show a badge that says "20" and let you check when you're ready. From the app maker's perspective, a badge keeps you informed without being as disruptive as a sound.
But from your perspective, a badge is still a form of attention-grabbing. A red number on your home screen is designed to catch your eye. The longer it sits there, the more it can feel like something is demanding your attention. That's why controlling which apps can show badges is part of controlling how much your notifications control you.
Where to turn off badges on iPhone
On iPhone, you control badges through the Notifications settings. Go to Settings, then Notifications, then select the app you want to change. Look for the option labeled "Badge App Icon" or "Badges" — it will have a toggle switch next to it. Turn the toggle off, and that app will no longer display a badge on its icon, even if it sends you other notifications like sounds or banners.
You can turn badges off for individual apps without turning off all notifications from that app. This means you could keep getting notification sounds from your email app but remove the badge, or keep the badge but turn off sounds. The controls are separate, so you can mix and match based on what works for you.
If you want to remove all badges at once, you can also turn off "Badge App Icon" at the top level of Notifications settings, though this will affect all apps unless you go back and turn it on for specific ones.
Where to turn off badges on Android
On Android, badge controls are less centralized because different manufacturers and Android versions handle them differently. The most common path is Settings, then Apps or Applications, then select the app, then Notifications, then look for "Badge" or "Show badge" and toggle it off.
Some Android phones also let you control badges through the launcher — the app that displays your home screen. If your phone uses a custom launcher like Samsung One UI or Google Pixel Launcher, you may be able to right-click an app icon and find badge settings there. You may need to try both the app settings and the launcher settings to find where badges are controlled on your specific phone.
If you're not sure where the setting is on your device, searching "turn off badges [your phone model]" in a search engine usually gets you to the exact steps for your phone.
Which apps are worth keeping badges for
The apps most people want to keep badges for are the ones where missing an update could matter: messaging apps where friends or family reach out, email if you use it for work or time-sensitive information, or calendar apps that show upcoming events. A badge on your messaging app tells you at a glance that someone has contacted you. A badge on your calendar might remind you of an appointment you need to prepare for.
Apps that are less critical — social media, news apps, shopping apps, games — are usually good candidates for turning badges off. You can still open these apps whenever you want to check them. The badge just adds visual noise without adding real value to your day.
The right choice depends on your own situation. If you work in customer service and need to respond to messages quickly, you might want badges on every messaging app. If you're trying to reduce distractions, you might turn off badges on everything except email and your calendar. There's no universal right answer — it's about what actually matters to you.
The difference between badges, banners, and sounds
A badge is the number or dot on the app icon. A banner is the notification that slides down from the top of your screen (or pops up on the lock screen) when something happens. A sound is the alert noise your phone makes. These are three separate things, and you can control each one independently.
You could have an app that sends you a sound and a banner but no badge, or a badge and a banner but no sound, or just a badge with nothing else. This separation is useful because it lets you decide how intrusive each app is. A work email app might have a sound and banner so you notice important messages right away, but no badge so you're not constantly seeing a number on your home screen. A social media app might have a badge but no sound or banner, so you only see it when you look at your phone.
Understanding these three separate controls is what gives you real power over your notifications. You're not choosing between "all notifications on" or "all notifications off" — you're choosing exactly how each app gets to reach you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my badge number keep going up even though I've read the messages?
Some apps don't clear their badge automatically when you read a message — you have to open the app and sometimes take an extra step like swiping to delete or marking as read. Others count every notification they send, including ones you've already seen. If this is annoying, you can either turn off badges for that app or check the app's own settings to see if there's an option to auto-clear badges.
Can I turn off badges for just one type of notification from an app?
Not usually. Most phones let you turn badges on or off for an entire app, not for specific types of notifications within that app. If an app sends you both messages and promotional alerts, and you only want a badge for messages, your options are limited — you'd either need to turn off all badges from that app or turn off the promotional alerts entirely through the app's settings.
What if I want a badge on my home screen but not on the app itself?
Some phones let you customize your home screen to show badges differently than your app drawer or lock screen. On iPhone, you can use Focus modes to hide badges from certain apps during certain times of day. On Android, some launchers let you customize badge appearance. The exact options depend on your device, but the general idea is that you have more control than just "on" or "off."
Do badges use battery or data?
Badges themselves use almost no battery or data — they're just a visual display on your screen. What uses battery and data is the app sending the notification in the first place. Turning off badges doesn't reduce how much an app communicates with the internet; it just hides the visual indicator. If you want to reduce battery or data use, you'd need to turn off notifications entirely or limit how often the app syncs in the background.
Why do some apps send badges even though I turned them off?
This usually means the app has its own notification settings separate from your phone's settings. Open the app itself and look for a Notifications or Settings section within the app — not just in your phone's settings. Some apps let you control badges there, and those settings override what you've set in your phone's system settings. If you can't find the setting in the app, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the app, or contact the app maker's support.