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Taming Notifications: A Settings Guide
How to cut notification overload on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows: a simple triage rule, the exact settings to change, summaries, badges and app-by-app tips.
Key takeaways
- Keep notifications from people and time-critical services; switch off almost everything else.
- Use per-app settings, scheduled summaries and silent delivery so non-urgent alerts wait for you.
- Turn off red badges and lock-screen previews to reduce the urge to check and protect privacy.
On this page
Most phones buzz dozens of times a day, and very few of those alerts need you right now. Each one pulls your attention away, and every interruption makes it harder to get back into what you were doing. The fix isn’t willpower; it’s settings. A simple rule works for most people: allow notifications from people and from genuinely time-critical services, and turn everything else off or make it silent. Here’s how to do that on iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows.
Start with a notification audit
For one day, notice every alert and sort it into one of three groups:
| Group | Examples | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| People who matter | Calls and messages from family, friends, close colleagues | Keep, with sound if you like |
| Time-critical services | Calendar reminders, two-factor codes, delivery drivers, ride-share, banking fraud alerts | Keep, ideally silent or as banners |
| Everything else | Social media likes, news, shopping offers, games, app “tips”, streaming suggestions | Turn off or deliver quietly in a summary |
Most people find the third group is by far the biggest.
iPhone
- Per-app control: go to Settings, then Notifications, choose an app and turn off Allow Notifications, or keep them but switch off Sounds and Banners.
- Scheduled Summary: in Settings, then Notifications, turn on Scheduled Summary and add non-urgent apps. Their alerts arrive in a bundle at times you choose, such as 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Time Sensitive alerts: check which apps can break through summaries and Focus modes, and turn it off for any that abuse it.
- Badges: turn off badges for apps whose red numbers make you check compulsively.
- Previews: set Show Previews to “When Unlocked” so message content isn’t visible on the lock screen.
- Quick fix from the lock screen: swipe left on a notification, tap Options and choose to mute the app for an hour or a day, or turn it off.
On supported models, Apple Intelligence can also summarise notifications and hold back non-urgent ones in a dedicated Focus. Features vary by device and software version.
Android
- Per-app control: go to Settings, then Notifications, then App notifications, and switch apps off.
- Notification categories: tap an app to see its categories (for example “promotions” or “recommendations”) and turn off only the ones you don’t want.
- Silent delivery: long-press a notification and choose Silent, so it appears without sound or vibration.
- Snooze: turn on notification snoozing in settings to postpone an alert until later.
- Do Not Disturb or Modes: recent Android versions group quiet-time settings into Modes, with schedules and exceptions for important people.
Menus differ between phone makers such as Samsung, Google and others, but the same options are usually under Settings, then Notifications.
Mac and Windows
- Mac: open System Settings, then Notifications. Turn off apps that don’t need you, set alert styles to None or Banners, and use Focus to silence alerts during work.
- Windows 11: open Settings, then System, then Notifications. Turn off apps you don’t need, and use Do Not Disturb and Focus sessions for deep work.
- Browsers: websites often ask to send notifications. Review and remove them in your browser’s site settings.
App-by-app quick wins
| App type | What to change |
|---|---|
| Allow notifications only for VIPs or specific folders, or turn them off and check at set times; see email overload | |
| Group chats | Mute busy groups; you can still read them when you choose |
| Social media | Inside each app, turn off likes, suggestions, “memories” and live-video alerts |
| News | Keep one breaking-news source at most, or none |
| Shopping and food delivery | Keep order updates, turn off marketing and offers |
| Games | Turn off all notifications |
| Streaming | Turn off “new episode” and recommendation alerts, and see turning off autoplay |
Use quiet times, not just fewer alerts
Scheduling quiet time does more than trimming apps one by one:
- Sleep: silence everything overnight, allowing calls from favourites; see screen time and sleep.
- Work: allow colleagues and calendars, silence social and personal apps.
- Evenings and weekends: allow family and friends, silence work.
Our guide to setting up focus modes shows how to build these on each device.
Make your phone less tempting
Fewer alerts help, but so do a calmer home screen and fewer shiny colours. Move social apps into a folder or off the first screen, and consider grayscale mode. For apps you can’t resist, an app blocker adds a pause before you open them.
Keep it tidy
- Review monthly. New apps often switch on every alert by default.
- Say no at install. When an app asks to send notifications, choose “Don’t allow” unless it’s in your keep list.
- Watch for sneaky categories: some apps add new notification types in updates.
Frequently asked questions
Which notifications should I keep on?
Calls and messages from important people, calendar reminders, security codes and services where timing genuinely matters, such as deliveries or travel updates.
Will I miss important messages if I turn notifications off?
Not if you keep alerts from key people and use summaries for the rest. Most people find they miss nothing that matters and feel far less distracted.
How do I stop notifications without missing emergency calls?
Use Do Not Disturb or Focus with exceptions for favourite contacts, and allow repeated calls so an urgent second call gets through.
Sources
Every article is edited by a human and checked against our editorial policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
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