How to Turn Notifications Off on Any Device or App

Notifications are designed to keep you informed — but when every app competes for your attention at once, they quickly become noise. Turning them off sounds simple, but the right approach depends on where you want silence: system-wide, per-app, per-device, or during specific hours. Here's how the options actually work across major platforms.

Why Notification Settings Are More Layered Than They Look

Most people assume there's one switch. In reality, notifications operate on two separate levels:

1. OS-level permissions — your phone or computer deciding whether an app is allowed to send notifications at all
2. App-level settings — the app itself controlling which types of alerts it sends (likes, messages, reminders, marketing emails, etc.)

Turning off an app's alerts at the OS level is a hard block — nothing gets through. Adjusting within the app gives you finer control, like silencing promotional pings while keeping direct messages active. Many people never touch the second layer and wonder why "turning off notifications" didn't stop everything.

How to Turn Off Notifications on iPhone (iOS)

On iPhone, notification control lives in Settings → Notifications. Every app with notification access appears here individually.

• Tap any app and toggle Allow Notifications off to silence it completely
• Or keep notifications on but disable Lock Screen, Notification Center, or Banners selectively
• Sounds and Badges (the red dot on app icons) can also be toggled independently

iOS also offers Focus Modes — a more sophisticated option under Settings → Focus. These let you define which apps and contacts can break through during specific periods (Sleep, Work, Do Not Disturb). Focus is distinct from simply turning notifications off; it filters rather than blocks.

For a full system mute, Do Not Disturb (accessible via Control Center) silences most incoming alerts without permanently changing per-app settings.

How to Turn Off Notifications on Android

Android notification management sits in Settings → Apps (or Apps & Notifications, depending on your version and device manufacturer). From there:

• Select an app → Notifications to toggle the whole app off or drill into individual notification categories
• Notification categories are a key Android feature — a single app might have separate toggles for direct messages, promotions, system alerts, and reminders

Android also supports Do Not Disturb via the quick settings panel, with customizable rules for exceptions (specific contacts, repeat callers, alarms).

🔔 On Android, the notification shade also offers a shortcut: long-press any notification to get an instant option to turn off that app's alerts without going into Settings.

One important variable: Android is heavily customized by manufacturers. Samsung One UI, Google Pixel's stock Android, and OnePlus OxygenOS all present these settings differently. The underlying logic is the same, but the navigation path may vary.

How to Turn Off Notifications on Windows and macOS

Windows 11: Go to Settings → System → Notifications. You can toggle all notifications off with a single switch, or scroll down to manage per-app settings. The Focus Assist feature (now called Do Not Disturb in newer builds) automates quiet periods.

macOS: Open System Settings → Notifications. Each app has individual controls for alert style (None, Banners, Alerts), sounds, and badge counts. Focus modes work similarly to iOS and can sync across Apple devices signed into the same Apple ID.

Turning Off Notifications Within Apps 🔕

Some of the most persistent notification sources — email clients, social media platforms, productivity tools — have their own internal settings that operate independently of OS permissions.

If you've turned off OS-level permissions but still receive email notifications or in-app banners when you're actively using the app, that's the in-app layer still functioning. These require separate adjustments.

Variables That Change the Right Approach

There's no single "best" way to turn notifications off because the answer shifts based on several factors:

• How many devices you use — changes made on your phone don't carry over to your laptop or tablet automatically (unless tied to an ecosystem like Apple's synced Focus modes)
• Whether you need selective silence or total silence — killing all notifications differs from just removing the disruptive ones
• App behavior — some apps reset notification permissions after updates or reinstallation; others require you to re-confirm opt-outs
• OS version — notification category controls on Android, for instance, became more granular in Android 8.0 (Oreo) and have evolved further since; older OS versions have fewer options
• Work profiles or MDM (Mobile Device Management) — if your device is managed by an employer, some notification and Focus settings may be locked or partially restricted

What "Turned Off" Actually Means — and What It Doesn't

Disabling notifications at the OS level stops push alerts — sounds, banners, and lock screen interruptions. It does not stop apps from collecting data, running in the background, or displaying in-app counts when you open them. A silenced email app still receives email; you just won't be pinged about it.

Some platforms — particularly social media and news apps — distinguish between push notifications (active alerts to your device) and in-app notifications (the counter you see when you open the app). Disabling push doesn't clear the in-app feed.

How much control you have over your notification environment also depends on your specific combination of devices, operating systems, app versions, and — in workplace or shared-device scenarios — what permissions have been granted to you in the first place. Those variables make the practical answer different for every setup.