Where to find notification settings on your iPhone

Notifications on iPhone are controlled through the Settings app. Open Settings, then tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app installed on your phone, along with a toggle showing whether notifications are currently on or off for that app.

The order of apps in this list depends on how you sort them. At the top of the Notifications screen, you can choose to view apps by Most Recent (apps that sent notifications lately appear first) or By Name (alphabetical order). Most Recent is the default and makes it easier to find apps you use often.

Turning notifications on for a single app

Find the app in your Notifications list and tap its name. The first toggle on this screen, labeled Allow Notifications, controls whether that app can send you notifications at all. If this toggle is off (gray), the app cannot reach you. Turn it on (green) to let the app send notifications.

Once Allow Notifications is on, you can customize how that app reaches you. The Sounds toggle controls whether the app plays a sound when a notification arrives. The Badges toggle controls the red number that appears on the app's icon (for example, a "5" on your Mail icon means five unread messages). The Banners toggle controls whether a notification appears at the top of your screen when the app sends a message.

Below these main toggles, you will find Lock Screen, which controls whether notifications show on your lock screen, and Notification Grouping, which lets you choose whether multiple notifications from the same app stack together or appear separately.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Settings, tap Notifications, find your app, and turn on the Allow Notifications toggle to receive messages from that app.
  • Once Allow Notifications is on, you can separately control sounds, badges (the red numbers on app icons), and banners (notifications at the top of your screen).
  • The Lock Screen toggle determines whether notifications appear when your phone is locked, and Notification Grouping controls whether multiple notifications from one app stack together.
  • You can turn notifications on or off for individual apps without affecting other apps — each app has its own settings.

Turning notifications on for all apps at once

There is no single switch to turn on notifications for every app simultaneously. You must enable notifications for each app separately through the Notifications settings. However, you can work through your list quickly by tapping each app and toggling Allow Notifications on.

A faster approach is to turn on notifications only for the apps you actually use. Most people do not need notifications from every installed app. Start with the apps you check regularly — Mail, Messages, Calendar, or work apps — and skip the rest.

Different notification styles and what they mean

When you open an app's notification settings, you may see options for how notifications appear. Banners show a notification at the top of your screen and disappear after a few seconds. Alerts appear in the center of your screen and stay until you dismiss them. Some apps let you choose which style you prefer.

You can also set a notification schedule for certain apps. This lets you choose times when the app can send notifications and times when it cannot. For example, you might allow Work Email notifications only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., so you do not get work messages at night.

Managing notifications from the lock screen and home screen

When a notification arrives, you can act on it directly without opening the app. On your lock screen, you can swipe left on a notification to see options like Delete or Manage. Tapping Manage takes you straight to that app's notification settings.

From your home screen, you can long-press an app icon and tap Edit Actions to customize what happens when you interact with notifications from that app. This is different from the main Notifications settings but gives you another way to control how apps reach you.

Turning notifications back off if you change your mind

If an app sends too many notifications or you no longer want to hear from it, go back to Settings > Notifications, find the app, and toggle Allow Notifications off. The app will no longer send you any notifications.

You do not have to uninstall the app to stop its notifications. Turning off Allow Notifications simply silences that app while keeping it on your phone. You can turn notifications back on anytime by returning to the same settings and toggling Allow Notifications on again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I not getting notifications from an app even though I turned them on?

Check that Allow Notifications is toggled on in Settings > Notifications > [App Name]. Also check that your iPhone is not in Do Not Disturb mode, which silences all notifications. You can see Do Not Disturb status in Control Center (swipe down from the top right of your screen). If the app is still not sending notifications, try closing and reopening the app, or restart your iPhone.

Can I get notifications from one app but not from others?

Yes. Each app has its own notification settings. You can turn notifications on for Mail and off for Games, for example. Go to Settings > Notifications and toggle each app on or off independently.

What is the difference between banners and alerts?

Banners appear at the top of your screen and disappear automatically after a few seconds. Alerts appear in the center of your screen and stay until you dismiss them by tapping a button. Banners are less intrusive; alerts demand your attention. Some apps let you choose which style you prefer in their notification settings.

Can I set different notification times for different apps?

Yes. In Settings > Notifications > [App Name], look for Scheduled Summary or Time Sensitive options. These let you choose when that specific app can send notifications. You can also use Do Not Disturb to silence all notifications during certain hours, then allow specific apps to break through if needed.

Do I lose notifications if I turn off sounds?

No. Turning off the Sounds toggle only stops the audio alert. You will still see the notification on your screen and on your lock screen, and the app icon will still show a badge (the red number). The notification arrives — you just will not hear it.