The fastest way to clear all notifications at once

Open Notification Center by swiping down from the top of your screen. At the top right of the notification list, you will see "Clear" in small text. Tap it, and every notification disappears. This works on all iPhone models running iOS 15 or newer.

If you do not see a "Clear" button, your iPhone is running an older version of iOS. Swipe left on individual notifications and tap the trash icon instead, or go to Settings > Notifications and turn off notifications for specific apps entirely.

Clearing notifications does not delete messages, emails, or any data on your phone — it only removes the alerts from your lock screen and Notification Center. The original messages stay in their apps.

Key Takeaways

  • Swipe down from the top of your screen to open Notification Center, then tap "Clear" to remove all notifications at once.
  • You can swipe left on a single notification and tap the trash icon to clear just that one without affecting others.
  • Clearing notifications does not delete the actual messages, emails, or app data — only the notification alerts disappear.
  • If you want to stop notifications from a specific app, go to Settings > Notifications and toggle that app off.
  • Grouped notifications can be expanded by tapping them, then cleared individually or all together.

How to clear notifications from a single app

Swipe down to open Notification Center. Find the app whose notifications you want to clear. Swipe left on any notification from that app, and a trash icon appears on the right side. Tap the trash icon to remove that notification.

If the app has grouped multiple notifications together, tap the group first to expand it. Then swipe left on individual notifications within that group and tap trash, or swipe left on the group header itself to clear all notifications from that app at once.

Turning off notifications for apps you do not want to hear from

Open Settings and tap Notifications. Scroll down to find the app you want to silence. Tap the app name, then toggle off "Allow Notifications" at the top of the screen. The app will no longer send you alerts, badges, or sounds.

You can also customize how each app notifies you without turning it off completely. In that same app settings screen, you can choose whether notifications appear on your lock screen, in Notification Center, as banners, or as badges on the app icon. Some apps let you silence notifications during certain hours using Focus modes.

Using Focus modes to pause notifications temporarily

Focus modes let you silence notifications from most apps for a set period without permanently turning them off. Swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center. Tap Focus (it looks like a circle with a line through it), then choose a preset like Do Not Disturb, Work, Sleep, or Driving.

When a Focus is active, notifications still arrive, but they do not make sounds or light up your screen. You can check them later by opening Notification Center. To create a custom Focus that silences only certain apps, go to Settings > Focus, tap the plus sign, name your Focus, and choose which apps can notify you while it is active.

Clearing notification badges from app icons

The red number or dot on an app icon is a badge that shows how many unread notifications you have. To clear it, open the app and view the notifications or messages inside — most apps remove the badge automatically once you have seen the content.

If a badge stays even after you have read everything, go to Settings > Notifications, find that app, and toggle off "Badges". The number will disappear from the icon, though the app will still send you notifications in other ways.

What happens when you clear notifications

Clearing a notification removes it from your lock screen and Notification Center only. The original message, email, or alert stays in the app where it came from. For example, clearing a Mail notification does not delete the email — it just removes the alert from your notification list.

If you clear a notification by mistake, you can still find the original content in the app itself. There is no way to recover the notification alert once it is gone, but the data is safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing notifications delete my messages or emails?

No. Clearing a notification only removes the alert from Notification Center and your lock screen. The actual message, email, or content stays in the app. You can still find it by opening the app and looking in the appropriate folder or conversation.

Why do I still see notifications after I turned off the app in Settings?

Some apps send notifications through other apps. For example, a calendar app might send notifications through the Calendar app itself. Check Settings > Notifications for both the original app and any related apps. You may need to turn off notifications in multiple places.

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

Yes. Swipe down to open Notification Center, find the app, swipe left on its notifications, and tap the trash icon. You can clear one notification at a time, or swipe left on the app's header to clear all notifications from that app at once while leaving other apps' notifications untouched.

What is the difference between clearing notifications and turning off notifications?

Clearing notifications removes the alerts you see right now from Notification Center. Turning off notifications in Settings stops the app from sending you any new alerts going forward. Clearing is temporary; turning off is permanent until you change the setting.

How do I stop notifications from appearing on my lock screen?

Go to Settings > Notifications, tap the app, and look for "Lock Screen" or "Show on Lock Screen". Toggle it off. The app can still send you notifications in Notification Center or as banners, but they will not appear on your lock screen specifically.