How to turn off notifications on your iPhone
You can turn off notifications in two ways: silence all notifications from a single app, or turn off notifications entirely and let only calls and messages through. The fastest route is the Settings app, where you can control each app individually in under a minute. If you want to silence your phone completely without powering it down, use the physical mute switch on the left side of your iPhone — this stops all sounds and vibrations but still lets notifications arrive silently.
Most people find they don't want to turn off notifications completely. Instead, they silence the apps that interrupt most often — social media, news, games — while keeping notifications from Messages, Mail, and Phone active. This guide shows you how to do both.
Key Takeaways
- Open Settings, tap Notifications, then select any app to turn its notifications off or change how they arrive.
- The mute switch on the left side of your iPhone silences all sounds and vibrations without turning off notifications themselves.
- You can let notifications arrive silently (no sound or vibration) while still seeing them on your lock screen.
- Focus modes let you silence notifications from most apps during work, sleep, or driving, then turn them back on automatically at a set time.
- Turning off notifications for an app does not delete the app or stop it from working — it only stops the alerts.
Turn off notifications for a single app
This is the most common choice. You silence the apps that interrupt you most while keeping notifications from the ones that matter.
Step 1: Open Settings (the gray gear icon on your home screen).
Step 2: Tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app on your phone.
Step 3: Find the app you want to silence. Tap it.
Step 4: At the top, you will see "Allow Notifications" with a toggle switch next to it. Tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will turn gray.
That app will no longer send you alerts, sounds, or badges (the red circles with numbers). The app itself still works — you just won't be interrupted. You can turn notifications back on anytime by returning to this screen and tapping the toggle again.
Change how an app's notifications arrive instead of turning them off completely
If you want to keep notifications from an app but stop the sound or vibration, you have options. This is useful for apps you check regularly but don't need to interrupt you immediately.
Step 1: Open Settings and tap Notifications.
Step 2: Find and tap the app.
Step 3: Make sure "Allow Notifications" is turned on (the toggle is green).
Step 4: Look for "Sounds" or "Sound" and tap it. Choose "None" to stop the sound.
Step 5: Look for "Vibration" and tap it. Choose "None" to stop the vibration.
Now the app's notifications will arrive silently. You will see them on your lock screen and in the notification center (swipe down from the top), but your phone won't make a sound or vibrate. This is especially useful for work apps or news services you want to check on your own schedule.
Use the mute switch to silence your phone without changing settings
The fastest way to stop all sounds and vibrations is the physical mute switch on the left edge of your iPhone, just above the volume buttons. Flip it toward the back of the phone (you will see a red line appear). Your phone will immediately go silent.
The mute switch stops all sounds and vibrations — calls, messages, alarms, and app notifications will all be silent. Notifications still arrive and appear on your lock screen; your phone just won't alert you to them. When you flip the switch back, sounds and vibrations return to normal.
This is different from turning off notifications in Settings. The mute switch is temporary and doesn't change any settings. It's the quickest way to silence your phone during a meeting or movie without having to dig into menus.
Use Focus modes to silence notifications on a schedule
Focus modes let you create rules that automatically silence most notifications during certain times or activities, then turn them back on when you're done. For example, you can create a "Work" focus that silences social media and games from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or a "Sleep" focus that silences everything except calls from family after 10 p.m.
Step 1: Open Settings and tap Focus.
Step 2: Tap the plus sign (+) to create a new focus, or tap an existing one like "Do Not Disturb" or "Sleep".
Step 3: Choose which apps can send notifications. Apps you don't select will be silenced.
Step 4: Tap "Schedule" to set the times this focus turns on and off automatically.
Once you set up a focus, it activates at the times you chose without you having to do anything. You can also turn a focus on or off manually by swiping down from the top-right corner of your screen and tapping the focus name.
Turn off notifications for all apps at once
If you want to silence your entire phone but keep it powered on, the fastest way is the mute switch. If you want to turn off notifications in Settings instead, you have to do it app by app — there is no "turn off all notifications" button.
However, you can use a Focus mode to achieve the same effect. Create a focus that allows notifications from zero apps, then turn it on. This silences everything while still letting your phone work normally. You can turn the focus off anytime to restore notifications.
Another option is to use "Do Not Disturb" mode, which is a built-in focus. Swipe down from the top-right corner, press and hold the Do Not Disturb icon, then tap "Turn On". This silences all notifications immediately. Tap it again to turn them back on.
What happens when you turn off notifications
When you turn off notifications for an app in Settings, the app continues to work normally. You can still open it, use it, and see new content. The only thing that stops is the alert — you won't see a badge with a number, hear a sound, or feel a vibration.
You will still see notifications on your lock screen if you look at it, and they will appear in the Notification Center (swipe down from the top). Turning off notifications just means your phone stops interrupting you. If you turn notifications back on later, the app will resume sending alerts as before.
Turning off notifications does not affect Do Not Disturb, Focus modes, or the mute switch. Those work independently. For example, you can turn off notifications for Instagram in Settings, and Instagram will never alert you. But you can still use the mute switch to silence your entire phone when you need to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off notifications for just one contact?
Yes, but only for Messages and FaceTime. Open the conversation, tap the contact name at the top, scroll down, and toggle off "Hide Alerts". That contact's messages will still arrive, but you won't hear a sound or see a badge. For other apps, you can only turn off notifications for the entire app.
Why do I still see notifications on my lock screen if I turned them off?
You likely turned off the sound and vibration but left "Allow Notifications" on. Go back to Settings > Notifications > [app name] and toggle off "Allow Notifications" completely. If it's already off, check that you're not using a Focus mode that's allowing that app through.
Will turning off notifications stop my alarms?
No. Alarms are separate from app notifications. Turning off notifications in Settings or using the mute switch will not affect alarms you've set in the Clock app. Alarms will still go off at the time you set them.
How do I turn notifications back on after I turned them off?
Open Settings, tap Notifications, find the app, and toggle "Allow Notifications" back on. If you used a Focus mode to silence notifications, open Settings > Focus, tap the focus you're using, and add the app back to the list of apps that can notify you.
What's the difference between muting and turning off notifications?
The mute switch silences sounds and vibrations but notifications still arrive. Turning off notifications in Settings stops the alerts, sounds, vibrations, and badges completely. The mute switch is temporary and doesn't change any settings; turning off notifications in Settings is permanent until you turn them back on.