Badges are the small red circles with numbers that tell you how many unread messages or updates you have
A badge on your iPhone is a small red circle (or sometimes a different color) that appears on an app icon, usually in the top-right corner. The number inside tells you how many unread items are waiting — unread emails, text messages, missed calls, app updates, or notifications from that app. For example, if your Mail app shows a badge with "5", you have five unread emails.
Badges are designed to catch your eye at a glance. Unlike notifications that pop up on your screen or make a sound, badges sit quietly on the home screen or in your app folders. They stay there until you open the app and read or clear the items inside. Some people find badges helpful reminders; others find them stressful or distracting, especially when the numbers keep climbing.
Key Takeaways
- Badges show unread counts on app icons and stay visible until you open the app and clear the items inside.
- You can turn off badges for individual apps by going to Settings > Notifications, selecting the app, and toggling off "Badge App Icon".
- Turning off badges does not delete messages or stop notifications — it only hides the red number from the icon.
- Some apps (like Mail or Messages) let you choose whether badges count all unread items or only important ones.
- You can remove badges manually by opening an app and marking items as read, without changing any settings.
How to turn off badges for one app
Open Settings on your iPhone and tap Notifications. Scroll down and find the app you want to change — for example, Mail, Messages, or Instagram. Tap the app name to open its notification settings.
Look for the toggle next to "Badge App Icon" and turn it off. The switch will turn gray when it is off. Now that app will no longer show a red badge on its icon, even if you have unread items inside. You can do this for as many apps as you want, one at a time.
How to turn off badges for all apps at once
If you want to remove badges from every app on your phone, go to Settings > Notifications and scroll to the very bottom. You will see an option called "Show Previews" or similar notification settings, but there is no single master switch to turn off all badges at once.
Instead, you will need to go through each app individually. Start with the ones that bother you most — Mail, Messages, or social media apps are common culprits. You do not have to turn off badges for every single app; many people keep them on for Messages and Mail but turn them off for games or shopping apps.
What happens when you turn off a badge
Turning off a badge only hides the red number from the icon. It does not delete your unread messages, stop notifications from arriving, or change how the app works. If you turn off the Mail badge, your unread emails are still there — you just will not see the count on the Mail icon anymore.
You will still get notifications (the alerts that pop up or appear on your lock screen) if you have those turned on. Badges and notifications are separate settings. You can have notifications on and badges off, badges on and notifications off, or both on, or both off — it is entirely up to you.
Why some apps show badges you did not ask for
Some apps, like the App Store, show badges automatically to tell you when updates are available. Others, like Mail, count every unread message by default. If you see a badge you do not remember turning on, the app itself turned it on when you installed it or updated it.
A few apps do not give you the option to turn off badges — they are built into the app and cannot be disabled through Settings. In those cases, your only option is to open the app regularly and clear the items so the badge count stays low, or to delete the app entirely.
How to clear badges manually without changing settings
If you want to keep badges turned on but do not want to see high numbers, you can clear them by opening the app and marking items as read. In Mail, swipe left on an email and tap the flag or trash icon, or select multiple emails and mark them as read. In Messages, swipe left on a conversation and tap "Mark as Read". In the App Store, open the Updates tab and the badge will disappear once you have viewed the available updates.
This approach takes more effort than turning off badges in Settings, but it works if you like having badges as a reminder but want to keep the numbers manageable. Some people check their apps once a day and clear all the badges at that time, rather than letting them pile up.
Badge settings for specific apps like Mail and Messages
Mail and Messages have extra badge options beyond the straightforward on-off toggle. In Settings > Notifications > Mail, you can choose to show badges for "All" unread messages or only for "Unread" messages from VIPs (people you have marked as important). This lets you keep badges on but only see counts for messages that matter to you.
Messages works similarly — you can turn the badge on or off, but the badge will count all unread conversations. If you want to reduce badge clutter without turning them off entirely, marking old conversations as read is often faster than digging through settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I turn off badges, will I miss important messages?
No. Turning off badges only hides the red number from the icon. You will still get notifications (pop-ups or lock screen alerts) if you have those turned on. Badges and notifications are separate — you can have one without the other.
Can I turn off badges for some apps but keep them for others?
Yes. You go through Settings > Notifications and turn off the badge toggle for each app individually. Most people keep badges on for Messages and Mail but turn them off for games, social media, or shopping apps.
Why does my App Store badge keep coming back?
The App Store badge reappears when new updates are available. It turns off once you view the Updates tab, but it comes back when new updates arrive. If you want it gone permanently, you can turn off the badge in Settings > Notifications > App Store, but you will need to check manually for updates instead.
Do badges use battery or slow down my phone?
No. Badges are just visual indicators and do not drain battery or affect performance. Turning them off or on makes no difference to how your phone runs.
What if an app does not have a badge option in Settings?
Some apps do not allow you to turn off badges through Settings — the badge is built into the app itself. Your only options are to open the app regularly to clear the count, or to delete the app. Check the app's own settings (inside the app, not in iPhone Settings) to see if there is a badge option there.