Where to find notification settings on your device

Notifications live in your device's main settings, not in individual apps. On an iPhone, open Settings, tap Notifications, and you'll see a list of every app installed on your phone. On Android, go to Settings, then Apps & Notifications (the exact name varies by manufacturer), and select Notifications. On Windows, open Settings, go to System, then Notifications & Actions. On a Mac, open System Settings, click Notifications, and you'll see apps listed on the left side.

The location matters because turning on notifications at the device level is separate from turning them on within an app itself. You need both: the device must allow notifications generally, and the specific app must have permission to send them to you.

Key Takeaways

  • Notifications are turned on in your device's main Settings app, not within individual programs.
  • You must grant permission twice — once at the device level and once within the app itself — for notifications to reach you.
  • Each notification type (sound, badge, banner) can be controlled separately, so you can silence alerts while keeping the red number badge on an app icon.
  • If an app never asks for permission when you first open it, you can manually grant notification access in Settings without reinstalling the app.

Granting permission the first time you open an app

When you launch most apps for the first time, they ask: "Would you like to receive notifications from [App Name]?" Tap Allow or Yes. This is the quickest way to turn notifications on, because the app is asking at the moment you're most likely to say yes.

If you tap Don't Allow or No, the app stops asking. You haven't broken anything — you can still turn notifications on later through Settings. But you'll have to do it manually instead of just tapping Allow in a prompt.

Some apps don't ask for permission at all when you first open them. This usually means the developer chose not to request it, or the app doesn't send notifications. You can still grant permission manually in Settings if you want to receive alerts from that app later.

Turning on notifications for a specific app

Open your device's Settings app and navigate to Notifications (iPhone, Mac) or Apps & Notifications (Android, Windows). Find the app you want notifications from and tap or click its name. You'll see a toggle or switch labeled Notifications, Allow Notifications, or Show Notifications — turn it on.

Once that toggle is on, you can customize what kind of notifications you receive. Most devices let you choose whether to see a banner (a pop-up that appears at the top of your screen), a badge (a red number on the app icon), a sound, or vibration. You can turn each one on or off independently. For example, you might want the badge and banner but no sound, so you see the alert without hearing a noise.

Some apps have their own notification settings inside the app itself, separate from your device settings. Open the app, look for Settings or Preferences, and search for Notifications. Here you can often choose which types of alerts the app sends — for instance, a messaging app might let you turn on notifications for direct messages but turn off group chat notifications.

What to do if an app never sends notifications even after you turn them on

First, check that notifications are on in two places: in your device Settings (under the app's name) and inside the app itself (usually in the app's own Settings menu). If both are on and you still aren't receiving alerts, restart your device. Many notification problems disappear after a restart.

If notifications still don't arrive, check whether your device is in Do Not Disturb or Focus mode. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right to see Control Center and look for a moon icon or Focus label. On Android, swipe down twice to see Quick Settings and look for Do Not Disturb. These modes silence notifications even when they're turned on in Settings. Turn off Do Not Disturb or Focus mode, and notifications should resume.

If the app is still silent, the app itself may have a bug, or your device may need an update. Check the app store (Apple App Store, Google Play, Microsoft Store, or Mac App Store) to see if an update is available. Install it and try again. If nothing works, you can uninstall and reinstall the app, though this is rarely necessary.

Controlling notifications without turning them completely off

You don't have to choose between all notifications or none. Most devices let you silence notifications without disabling them entirely. On iPhone and Mac, turn on notifications in Settings but turn off Sound and Vibration — you'll still see a badge on the app icon and a banner when you unlock your device, but you won't hear or feel anything. On Android and Windows, look for a Notification Level or Priority setting and choose Silent or Low Priority.

Do Not Disturb and Focus modes are another way to pause notifications temporarily. On iPhone, you can set a Focus mode to allow notifications only from certain people or apps — for example, a Work focus that silences everything except calls from your boss. On Android, Do Not Disturb lets you choose which apps can still send alerts. These modes don't turn off notifications permanently; they just pause them until you turn the mode off or the scheduled time ends.

Notifications on your computer versus your phone

Computers handle notifications differently than phones. On Windows, notifications appear in the bottom right corner and disappear after a few seconds. On Mac, they slide in from the top right. Unlike phones, computers don't usually have a badge system or vibration. You can turn off notification sounds on a computer the same way you do on a phone — through Settings — but you'll still see the visual alert on your screen.

If you use the same app on both your phone and computer (like email or messaging), each device has separate notification settings. Turning on notifications on your iPhone doesn't automatically turn them on on your Mac. You'll need to grant permission on each device separately if you want alerts on both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does an app ask for notification permission every time I open it?

This usually means you tapped Don't Allow the first time, and the app is asking again. You can stop this by going to Settings, finding the app, and turning on notifications there. The app will stop asking once it sees that notifications are already enabled.

Can I get notifications from an app without downloading it?

No. Notifications come from apps installed on your device. You can receive notifications from a website through your browser (if you grant permission when the site asks), but you cannot receive notifications from an app you haven't downloaded.

If I turn off notifications for an app, will I miss important messages?

You won't receive alerts, but the messages or updates will still arrive in the app. When you open the app later, you'll see everything that came in. If you need to stay informed, keep notifications on or check the app regularly.

Do notifications use a lot of battery?

Notifications themselves use very little battery. The alerts that arrive throughout the day have a minimal impact on battery life. However, if an app is constantly checking for new information in the background, that can drain battery faster — but this is a problem with the app, not with notifications in general.

Can I get notifications from one contact but not others in a messaging app?

This depends on the app. Some messaging apps let you customize notifications per contact or per group chat. Open the app's Settings or Preferences and look for options like "Notification Settings," "Mute," or "Do Not Disturb." If the app doesn't offer this feature, you can use your device's Focus mode to allow notifications only from specific people.