What notification grouping does
Notification grouping is a feature that stacks similar notifications together instead of showing each one separately on your lock screen or notification panel. When you have five messages from the same person or five alerts from the same app, grouping collapses them into one expandable stack rather than filling your screen with five individual notifications.
The goal is to reduce clutter. Without grouping, a busy day of messages, emails, and app alerts would bury your screen in dozens of separate items. With grouping, you see one notification per app or contact, and you expand it only when you want to read what's inside.
Most phones and computers have grouping turned on by default, though the exact behavior depends on your device and operating system. Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac all use some form of grouping, but they work slightly differently and offer different levels of control.
Key Takeaways
- Notification grouping stacks multiple alerts from the same app or sender into one expandable item, reducing screen clutter.
- Android groups by app by default, while iOS groups by app and time window, and both let you change how grouping works in settings.
- You can turn grouping off entirely if you prefer to see every notification separately, though this usually makes your screen harder to scan.
- Grouping does not delete notifications — it only hides them until you expand the stack to read them.
- Some apps let you control grouping within their own settings, separate from your phone's system-wide notification settings.
How grouping works on Android
Android groups notifications by app by default. If you receive three messages from a messaging app, they appear as a single grouped notification that shows a preview of the most recent one. Tap the group, and all three expand so you can read each message.
The grouping persists until you dismiss it. If you swipe away the grouped notification, all three messages disappear at once. If you want to dismiss only one message within the group, you can swipe it individually after expanding.
Android also lets you customize grouping per app. Open Settings, go to Apps and Notifications, select an app, then tap Notifications. Look for an option called "Conversation notifications" or "Notification grouping" — the exact name varies by phone maker and Android version. You can often choose whether that specific app groups its notifications or shows them separately.
How grouping works on iPhone
iOS groups notifications by app and also by time window. If you receive five messages from the same app within a short period, they stack together. If you receive one message, then wait an hour, then receive another, iOS may show them as separate notifications rather than grouped.
On iPhone, you control grouping through Settings > Notifications. Scroll down and tap "Notification Grouping." You have three options: Automatic (the default, which groups by app and time), By App (which always groups all notifications from the same app together, no matter when they arrive), or Off (which shows every notification separately).
If you choose "By App," all notifications from Mail will stack together, all from Messages will stack together, and so on. If you choose "Off," each notification appears individually, which can make your lock screen very crowded during busy periods.
How grouping works on Windows and Mac
Windows 11 groups notifications in the notification center by app. When you open the notification panel (swipe from the right edge on a tablet, or click the time in the bottom right on a desktop), notifications from the same app appear together. You can expand or collapse each group.
Mac groups notifications in Notification Center by app as well. Notifications from Mail appear together, notifications from Messages appear together, and so on. You cannot turn off grouping on Mac, but you can control which apps send notifications at all through System Settings > Notifications.
Both Windows and Mac let you customize notification behavior per app. Open Settings (Windows) or System Settings (Mac), find Notifications, select an app, and look for options to change how that app's notifications appear — though the grouping itself cannot be disabled.
When grouping helps and when it gets in the way
Grouping works well when you receive many notifications from the same app throughout the day. A messaging app, email client, or social media app will send dozens of alerts, and grouping keeps your screen readable. You can glance at your lock screen, see that you have messages, and expand only when you want to read them.
Grouping can be frustrating if you use apps that send important, time-sensitive notifications that you want to see when ready. If a banking app sends a security alert and a payment confirmation, grouping may hide the security alert under the payment confirmation until you expand. Similarly, if you receive notifications from many different apps in quick succession, grouping by app means you still see many separate stacks, which defeats the purpose.
Some people turn off grouping because they want to see the most recent notification at a glance without tapping to expand. Others keep it on because a full screen of individual notifications is harder to scan. The right choice depends on how many notifications you receive and which ones matter most to you.
How to change grouping settings on your device
On Android: Open Settings > Apps and Notifications > Notifications. Tap the app you want to change. Look for "Notification grouping," "Conversation notifications," or similar. The option may be a toggle (on or off) or a dropdown menu with choices like "All," "Conversation only," or "None." Select your preference and return to the home screen.
On iPhone: Open Settings > Notifications. Scroll to the bottom and tap "Notification Grouping." Choose Automatic, By App, or Off. This setting applies to all apps at once — you cannot change grouping for individual apps on iPhone.
On Windows: Open Settings > System > Notifications. Scroll down to "Notifications" and toggle "Group notifications" on or off. You can also customize per-app settings by scrolling further and selecting individual apps.
On Mac: Open System Settings > Notifications. Select an app from the list on the left. You cannot disable grouping, but you can turn off notifications for that app entirely if you do not want to see them.
What happens to notifications when they are grouped
Grouping does not delete or lose notifications. Every alert still arrives on your device and is stored in your notification history. Grouping only changes how they appear on your screen — they are hidden inside a collapsed stack until you expand it.
When you expand a grouped notification, you see all the individual alerts inside, usually in reverse chronological order (newest first). You can read them, tap on one to open the app, or dismiss them individually or all at once.
If your phone runs out of storage or you clear your notification history, grouped notifications disappear the same way individual ones do. But the grouping feature itself does not cause you to miss alerts — it just organizes them visually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off grouping for just one app?
On Android, yes — open Settings, find the app, and look for notification grouping options specific to that app. On iPhone, no — the grouping setting applies to all apps at once. If you want to see notifications from one app separately, your only option is to turn off grouping entirely for all apps.
If I turn off grouping, will I see every single notification?
Yes. Every notification from every app will appear as a separate item on your lock screen or notification panel. This can make your screen very crowded if you receive many notifications, but some people prefer it because they see the most recent alert without tapping to expand.
Does grouping mean I will miss important notifications?
No. Grouping only hides notifications visually — they still arrive and are still stored. You will see that you have a grouped notification, and you can expand it to read what is inside. The only way to miss a notification is if you dismiss the entire group without reading it.
Why does my iPhone group notifications differently than my Android phone?
iOS and Android use different grouping logic. iOS groups by app and time window, so notifications spread across several hours may appear separately. Android groups by app only, so all notifications from the same app stay together no matter when they arrive. Each system is designed to balance readability with the way that operating system handles notifications overall.
Can apps control their own grouping?
Some apps have their own notification settings that work alongside your phone's grouping. For example, a messaging app might let you turn off notifications for certain conversations, or a calendar app might let you choose which types of events send alerts. These app-level settings do not override your phone's grouping — they work together to determine what notifications you see and how they appear.