The fastest way to silence notifications right now

Press Control + Option + D to toggle Do Not Disturb on or off. This is the quickest method if you need silence immediately. Your Mac will stop showing notifications on your screen and won't play notification sounds, though notifications will still arrive in the background — you'll see them when you turn Do Not Disturb off again.

You can also click the Control Center icon (looks like a grid of squares) in the top-right corner of your menu bar, then click Do Not Disturb to turn it on. The Control Center method takes slightly longer but shows you the current status at a glance.

Do Not Disturb is temporary by design. It stays on until you manually turn it off, or you can set it to turn off automatically at a specific time. This makes it useful when you need a break but don't want to permanently change your notification settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Control + Option + D toggles Do Not Disturb on and off instantly, silencing all notifications without deleting them.
  • You can schedule Do Not Disturb to turn on and off automatically during specific hours or when you're in a meeting.
  • Muting individual apps in System Settings lets you silence only the programs that distract you most, while keeping others active.
  • Focus modes let you create custom notification rules for different situations — work, sleep, driving — and switch between them quickly.

Setting up automatic Do Not Disturb schedules

Open System Settings and go to Focus. Click Do Not Disturb in the left sidebar. Under "Scheduled", toggle on the switch next to "Turn on automatically". You'll see options to set a start time and end time — for example, 10 PM to 7 AM if you want silence while sleeping.

Once you set a schedule, Do Not Disturb will turn on and off at those times every day without you having to do anything. You can still manually turn it on or off at any time, even during hours when it's scheduled to be off.

You can also set Do Not Disturb to turn on automatically when you're in a meeting. In the same Focus settings, toggle on "Turn on automatically" and select "When in a meeting" from the dropdown. Your Mac will detect calendar events marked as busy and silence notifications during those times.

Silencing notifications from specific apps

Go to System Settings and click Notifications in the sidebar. You'll see a list of every app that sends notifications. Click the app you want to silence, then toggle off "Allow notifications". That app will stop sending notifications entirely.

If you want to keep notifications from an app but just silence the sound, click the app in the Notifications list and look for "Sound". Toggle that off. The notification will still appear on your screen, but you won't hear a sound when it arrives.

You can also change how notifications appear without silencing them completely. In the same app settings, you can toggle off "Show in Notification Center" to keep notifications off your lock screen, or toggle off "Show as banners" to prevent them from popping up on your desktop while you work.

Using Focus modes for different situations

Focus modes let you create custom notification rules that apply to different parts of your life. Open System Settings, go to Focus, and click the plus sign to create a new Focus. Name it something like "Work" or "Sleep". You'll be asked which apps and people can notify you while this Focus is on.

For a Work Focus, you might allow notifications from Slack and email but silence everything else. For Sleep, you might allow only calls from family members and silence everything else. Once you set up a Focus, you can turn it on and off from Control Center just like Do Not Disturb.

You can also set a Focus to turn on automatically at certain times or locations. For example, your Sleep Focus could turn on automatically at 10 PM and turn off at 7 AM. Your Work Focus could turn on automatically when you connect to your office WiFi network.

Silencing notifications on your lock screen

If notifications are piling up on your lock screen but you don't want to silence them completely, you can hide them. Press and hold a notification on your lock screen, then click "Hide" from the menu that appears. That notification will move to Notification Center instead of showing on your lock screen.

To hide all notifications from a specific app on your lock screen, press and hold any notification from that app and click "Hide all from [App Name]". Notifications from that app will still arrive, but they'll go to Notification Center instead of appearing where you can see them immediately.

You can also change how notifications appear on your lock screen in System Settings. Go to Notifications, click an app, and toggle off "Show on lock screen". Notifications from that app will still arrive in Notification Center, but they won't show up when your Mac is locked.

Temporarily silencing notifications without Do Not Disturb

If you want to silence notifications for just a few minutes without setting up a schedule, you can use Focus modes. Create a quick Focus called "Quick Break" or "Busy" with all notifications turned off, then turn it on when you need silence. Turn it off when you're done.

Another option is to quit the apps that are bothering you. Click the app name in the menu bar at the top of your screen, then click "Quit [App Name]". The app will stop sending notifications until you open it again. This works well if one specific app is the problem.

You can also lower your Mac's volume using the volume keys on your keyboard. This silences notification sounds but doesn't stop notifications from appearing on your screen. Press the volume down key repeatedly until you reach the level you want, or press the mute key if your keyboard has one.

Understanding notification badges and badges on app icons

Even when Do Not Disturb is on, your apps may show red badges with numbers on their icons — like a red circle with "5" on the Mail icon. These badges tell you how many unread items you have. Silencing notifications doesn't remove these badges.

If badges distract you, you can turn them off per app. Go to System Settings, click Notifications, click an app, and toggle off "Badge app icon". That app won't show a number badge anymore, though notifications will still arrive in Notification Center when Do Not Disturb is off.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I miss important notifications if I turn on Do Not Disturb?

No. Notifications still arrive while Do Not Disturb is on — they just don't show on your screen or make sounds. When you turn Do Not Disturb off, you'll see all the notifications that came in. If you need certain people to reach you during Do Not Disturb, use a Focus mode instead and allow notifications from specific contacts.

Can I silence notifications from one person but not others?

Yes, using Focus modes. Create a Focus, click "Allowed Notifications", then click "People". Add the specific people who can notify you. Everyone else will be silenced while that Focus is on. This works for calls, messages, and FaceTime.

What's the difference between Do Not Disturb and a Focus mode?

Do Not Disturb silences all notifications equally. Focus modes let you choose which apps and people can notify you. Do Not Disturb is simpler for quick silence; Focus modes are better when you want some notifications but not others.

If I silence an app, will it still send notifications to my iPhone or iPad?

Yes. Notification settings are separate on each device. Silencing an app on your Mac doesn't affect your iPhone or iPad. You'll need to adjust notification settings on each device separately if you want to silence an app everywhere.

Can I set different notification rules for work hours and after-hours?

Yes. Create two Focus modes — one called "Work" and one called "Personal" or "Evening". Set the Work Focus to turn on automatically during your work hours and allow only work-related apps. Set the Personal Focus to turn on after work and allow different apps. Switch between them manually, or let them turn on and off automatically based on your schedule.