Turn off notifications in Settings for specific apps

The fastest way to silence notifications from individual apps is through the Notifications section in iPad Settings. Open Settings, tap Notifications, then find the app you want to silence. Tap the app name, then toggle off Allow Notifications. That app will no longer send any alerts, badges, or sounds to your iPad.

If you want to keep notifications but just remove the sound, you have a middle option. In that same app's notification settings, tap Sounds and choose None. The notification will still appear on your screen and in your notification center, but your iPad won't make a sound or vibrate when it arrives.

You can also control where notifications appear without turning them off entirely. In the same settings, toggle off Lock Screen, Notification Center, or Banners depending on where you find them distracting. This keeps the notifications in the system but hides them from view until you look for them.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn off Allow Notifications in Settings > Notifications > [App Name] to stop an app from sending any alerts at all.
  • Change the sound to None in the same menu to keep notifications silent while still seeing them on your screen.
  • Toggle off Lock Screen, Notification Center, or Banners to hide notifications from specific places without deleting them.
  • Use Focus modes to automatically silence notifications from all apps during specific times or activities.
  • Mute notifications temporarily by swiping down from the top-right corner and tapping the sound icon in Control Center.

Use Focus modes to silence groups of apps at once

If you want to silence many apps at the same time without turning each one off individually, Focus modes let you create a custom set of rules. Open Settings, tap Focus, then tap the plus sign to create a new Focus. Name it something like "Work" or "Sleep," then choose which apps and people are allowed to notify you during that time.

Once you set up a Focus, you can turn it on from Control Center. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPad screen, find the Focus icon (it looks like a circle with a line through it), and tap the Focus you want to activate. Your iPad will silence all notifications except from the apps and contacts you allowed. When you turn off the Focus, notifications return to normal.

You can also schedule a Focus to turn on automatically at certain times. In the Focus settings, tap Schedule and choose when you want it active — for example, every night at 10 p.m. or every weekday during work hours. This removes the need to remember to turn it on and off yourself.

Silence notifications temporarily from Control Center

For a quick, temporary mute without opening Settings, use Control Center. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPad (or up from the bottom on older models). Look for the sound icon — it looks like a speaker with sound waves. Tap it to mute all sounds and vibrations on your iPad.

This method silences notifications, alarms, and media sounds all at once. Your iPad will still show notifications on your screen; it just won't make noise. When you're ready to hear notifications again, open Control Center and tap the sound icon again to turn sound back on.

Note that this is different from turning off individual app notifications. It mutes your entire iPad, so use it when you need quiet for a short period — like during a meeting or a meal — rather than as a permanent solution for one noisy app.

Adjust notification styles to reduce interruptions

Some notifications are more disruptive than others. Banner notifications pop up at the top of your screen and disappear after a few seconds. Alert notifications stay on screen until you dismiss them. Lock Screen notifications only appear when your iPad is locked. In Settings > Notifications > [App Name], you can choose which style each app uses.

If an app's notifications are important but distracting, switch it from Alerts to Banners. Banners appear briefly and don't interrupt what you're doing. If you want to see notifications only when your iPad is locked, turn off Banners and Notification Center but leave Lock Screen on.

You can also turn off Badge App Icon for apps that show a red number on their icon. This removes the visual reminder without silencing the notification itself, which helps if you find badge numbers stressful or distracting.

Manage notifications from the Lock Screen and Notification Center

When a notification arrives, you can dismiss it without opening the app. On your Lock Screen, swipe left on a notification and tap the trash icon to delete it. Swipe right to open the app instead. This clears individual notifications without changing your settings.

To clear all notifications at once, open Notification Center by swiping down from the top-left corner. Tap Edit in the top-right, then tap the red minus sign next to any app to remove all its notifications from the list. This clears what's displayed but doesn't change whether that app can send future notifications.

If certain apps send too many notifications, clearing them regularly can help you notice which ones are actually useful. After a week of clearing an app's notifications, you'll have a better sense of whether you want to turn it off entirely or just adjust its settings.

Turn off notifications for system alerts and reminders

iPad system notifications — like software updates, iCloud storage warnings, and Siri suggestions — can be silenced separately from app notifications. Open Settings, tap Notifications, then scroll to the bottom to find Siri Suggestions, Tips, and other system items. Toggle off Allow Notifications for any you don't want to see.

Reminders you create yourself send notifications too. Open the Reminders app, find the reminder, swipe left on it, tap the three dots, then toggle off Notify Me. You can also set a specific time for a reminder to notify you instead of having it alert you immediately when you create it.

Calendar events work the same way. Open the event, tap Edit, then change the notification time from "At time of event" to "None," or choose a different time like 15 minutes before. This gives you control over which reminders actually interrupt you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off notifications stop me from seeing messages from important people?

Not if you use Focus modes. When you create a Focus, you can allow notifications only from specific contacts — like family members or your boss — while silencing everyone else. This way, urgent messages still get through while casual notifications stay quiet.

Can I silence notifications from one app but not others?

Yes. In Settings > Notifications, tap the specific app and toggle off Allow Notifications. Other apps will continue sending notifications normally. You can do this for as many apps as you want, one at a time.

What's the difference between muting sound and turning off notifications?

Muting sound keeps notifications on your screen but removes the noise and vibration. Turning off notifications removes them entirely — you won't see them anywhere. Use mute for apps you want to check later, and turn off notifications for apps you don't need at all.

If I silence notifications during a Focus, will I see them after I turn off the Focus?

No. Notifications that arrived while a Focus was active are gone. They don't queue up to show you later. If you need to know about important messages, make sure those contacts are allowed to notify you even during your Focus.

Can I silence notifications from just one contact in an app like Messages?

Not directly through notification settings. Instead, open the conversation with that contact, tap their name at the top, then toggle on Hide Alerts. Messages from that person will still arrive, but they won't send notifications. You can turn alerts back on the same way.