The fastest way to clear all notifications

Open the Notification Center by swiping down from the top of your screen. At the top right of the Notification Center, you will see an "Edit" button. Tap it, then tap "Clear All" in the top right corner. All notifications disappear immediately.

If you do not see an "Edit" button, your iPhone is running an older version of iOS. Instead, long-press on any notification group, tap "Clear All Notifications" from the menu that appears, and repeat for each app that has notifications showing.

This method clears the Notification Center display only — it does not change your notification settings or prevent future notifications from arriving. The notifications you clear are removed from view, but the original messages or items usually remain in their apps.

Key Takeaways

  • Swipe down from the top of your screen, tap "Edit", then tap "Clear All" to remove all notifications at once on newer iPhones.
  • Older iPhones require you to long-press each notification group and select "Clear All Notifications" individually.
  • Clearing notifications from the Notification Center does not turn off notifications — new ones will still arrive.
  • You can also swipe left on individual notifications and tap the trash icon to delete them one at a time.
  • Clearing notifications is different from changing notification settings, which controls whether apps can send notifications to you.

Clearing notifications by app instead of all at once

If you want to clear notifications from only one app, swipe down to open the Notification Center. Find the app whose notifications you want to remove. Swipe left on that app's notification group, and a red trash icon appears on the right side. Tap the trash icon to delete all notifications from that app.

You can also long-press on an app's notification group to see more options. Tap "Clear All Notifications" to remove just that app's notifications while leaving others untouched. This is useful when you have dozens of notifications but only want to clear one source — for example, clearing all Messages notifications while keeping Mail and Calendar visible.

What happens when you clear notifications

Clearing notifications removes them from your Notification Center view, but it does not change any settings on your phone. Apps will continue to send you notifications unless you turn them off in Settings.

If you clear a notification, you lose the message it contained from the Notification Center. For example, if you clear a text message notification, the text itself remains in your Messages app, but the notification banner or badge is gone. You can still find the message by opening the app and searching your conversation history.

Turning off notifications for specific apps

If you want to stop receiving notifications from an app entirely, go to Settings, then tap Notifications. Scroll down and find the app you want to change. Tap it, then toggle off "Allow Notifications" at the top.

You can also customize notifications per app without turning them off completely. In the same Notifications settings screen for each app, you can choose whether notifications appear on your lock screen, in the Notification Center, as banners, or as badges on the app icon. This gives you control over how intrusive notifications are without clearing them manually each time they arrive.

Clearing badge numbers on app icons

The small red circles with numbers on app icons are called badges. They show how many unread notifications or items you have in that app. Clearing notifications from the Notification Center does not always remove these badges, because badges track unread items, not just notifications.

To remove a badge, open the app itself and mark items as read or viewed. For example, opening your Mail app and reading emails removes the badge from the Mail icon. Some apps have a "Mark all as read" option that clears the badge instantly without reading each item individually. This is faster than clearing notifications if your goal is to reset the badge count.

Clearing notifications on the lock screen

Notifications also appear on your lock screen when your phone is locked. To clear them, swipe left on any notification that appears on the lock screen, and a trash icon appears. Tap it to delete that notification from both the lock screen and the Notification Center.

You can also swipe up on a lock screen notification to dismiss it without deleting it — it will still appear in your Notification Center. Only swiping left and tapping the trash icon removes it completely from all views on your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing notifications turn off future notifications?

No. Clearing notifications only removes the ones currently showing in your Notification Center. Your notification settings remain unchanged, and apps will continue to send you new notifications. To stop notifications from an app, you must change its settings in the Settings app under Notifications.

Can I undo clearing notifications?

No, once you clear a notification, it is gone from your Notification Center. However, the original message or item usually remains in the app itself. For example, a cleared email notification does not delete the email — it is still in your inbox.

Why do some apps still show badges after I clear notifications?

Badges show unread items in an app, not just notifications. Clearing the Notification Center does not mark items as read. You must open the app and mark items as read, or use the app's "Mark all as read" feature if available, to remove the badge.

Can I clear notifications from just one app without clearing all of them?

Yes. Swipe down to open the Notification Center, find the app, swipe left on its notification group, and tap the trash icon. This removes only that app's notifications while leaving others in place.