The Notification Center is in Control Center on newer iPhones

On iPhones running iOS 16 and later, Apple combined the Notification Center with Control Center into a single screen. You open it by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen — the same gesture that opens Control Center. The notifications appear on the left side of the screen, while quick-access toggles like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth appear on the right.

If you have an older iPhone running iOS 15 or earlier, the Notification Center is still separate. Swipe down from the top of the screen (not from the corners) to see your notifications in their own dedicated view. The Control Center remains a separate screen you access by swiping down from the top-right corner.

The exact location matters because the gesture is different depending on your iOS version. Testing the swipe on your own phone for a few seconds will show you immediately whether you have the combined or separate layout.

Key Takeaways

  • On iOS 16 and later, swipe down from the top-right corner to see both notifications and Control Center together on one screen.
  • On iOS 15 and earlier, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Notification Center separately from Control Center.
  • Notifications appear in chronological order, with the most recent at the top, and you can swipe left on any notification to delete or manage it.
  • You can customize which apps send notifications by going to Settings > Notifications and adjusting each app's settings individually.

How to tell which iOS version you have

Go to Settings, then tap General, then About. The first line shows your iOS version number. If it starts with 16, 17, or higher, you have the combined Notification Center and Control Center. If it shows 15 or lower, your Notification Center is separate.

You can also check by attempting the swipe gesture. If swiping from the top-right corner shows you notifications alongside quick toggles, you have iOS 16 or later. If that gesture only shows toggles and swiping from the top shows notifications, you have iOS 15 or earlier.

Managing notifications once you open the center

Once the Notification Center is open, you can interact with individual notifications. Swipe left on any notification to reveal a delete button (trash icon) or a manage button (three dots). Tapping manage lets you turn off notifications from that specific app without going into Settings.

You can also tap a notification directly to open the app that sent it. This is useful if a notification is about a message, email, or update you want to act on immediately. Notifications stay in the center until you delete them or until they expire — most notifications disappear after a few days if you do not interact with them.

On iOS 16 and later, you can also long-press a notification to see options like muting the app for one hour or turning off notifications from that sender entirely.

Customizing which notifications appear

The Notification Center shows alerts from every app you have given permission to send notifications. To change which apps can notify you, open Settings and tap Notifications. You will see a list of all installed apps with notification permissions.

Tap any app name to adjust its settings. You can turn notifications off entirely, choose whether they appear as banners or in the Notification Center only, set a custom sound, or allow notifications only during certain hours. Some apps also let you customize notifications by category — for example, allowing messages from contacts but not group chats.

If you turn off notifications for an app in Settings, those notifications will not appear in the Notification Center at all. If you want to see them but not get interrupted, you can set the app to "Silent" or "Passive" notification delivery instead of "Prominent."

Clearing all notifications at once

If your Notification Center has accumulated many notifications, you can clear them all without deleting them individually. On iOS 16 and later, open the combined Notification Center and Control Center, then tap the X button in the top-left corner of the notifications section. This removes all notifications from the view.

On iOS 15 and earlier, swipe up from the bottom of the Notification Center or tap the X button to clear all notifications. The notifications are removed from the center but the apps that sent them are not affected.

Notification Center vs. Lock Screen notifications

Your iPhone can show notifications in two places: on the Lock Screen and in the Notification Center. Lock Screen notifications appear when your phone is locked and show up as banners or stacks on the screen itself. Notification Center notifications are the same alerts, but grouped and organized in a scrollable list that you access by swiping.

You can customize whether an app sends notifications to the Lock Screen, the Notification Center, or both. Go to Settings > Notifications, tap the app, then adjust the "Lock Screen" toggle. Some people turn off Lock Screen notifications for privacy or to reduce distractions, while keeping Notification Center notifications turned on so they can review alerts when they choose to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I find my Notification Center?

Make sure you are swiping from the correct location. On iOS 16 and later, swipe down from the top-right corner (where the signal bars are). On iOS 15 and earlier, swipe down from the very top center of the screen. If you swipe from the wrong spot, you will open a different screen or nothing will happen.

Can I organize notifications by app?

Yes. On iOS 16 and later, open Settings > Notifications and tap "Notification Grouping." Choose "By App" to see all notifications from the same app grouped together, or "Automatic" to let iOS organize them. This makes it easier to find notifications from a specific app in a crowded Notification Center.

Do notifications disappear if I don't delete them?

Most notifications stay in the Notification Center for several days, but older ones eventually disappear automatically. You can also manually delete them by swiping left and tapping the trash icon. Clearing the Notification Center does not affect the apps that sent the notifications.

What's the difference between banner and lock screen notifications?

Banner notifications appear as pop-ups at the top of your screen when you are using your phone. Lock Screen notifications appear when your phone is locked. Both types are saved in the Notification Center. You can turn either type on or off per app in Settings > Notifications.