Where to find notification settings on your phone

Android stores notification controls in two places: inside individual apps, and in your phone's main Settings. The fastest way to stop notifications from a single app is to open Settings, tap Apps (or Application Manager on older phones), find the app name, and toggle off Notifications. On most Android phones made after 2020, you can also long-press any notification that appears on your lock screen or in your notification panel, then tap Turn off notifications for this app.

If you want to change how notifications behave across your entire phone — like silencing them during certain hours or changing their sound — those controls live in Settings under Sound and Vibration or Notifications, depending on your phone's manufacturer. Samsung phones call this section Notifications, while Google Pixel phones split it between Sound and Vibration and Notifications.

Key Takeaways

  • You can turn off notifications from any single app by opening Settings, tapping Apps, finding the app, and toggling Notifications off.
  • Long-pressing a notification on your lock screen or in the notification panel gives you a quick option to silence that app permanently.
  • Do Not Disturb mode silences all notifications except calls and messages from people you choose, and you can schedule it to turn on automatically at set times.
  • Turning off notifications for an app does not uninstall it or stop it from working — it only stops the alerts.
  • Some apps like Messages and Phone have their own notification settings inside the app itself, separate from the system-wide controls.

Turning off notifications for one app at a time

Open Settings and scroll down to Apps or Application Manager. Tap the app you want to silence. On the app details page, look for Notifications and toggle it off. The exact wording varies — some phones say Show notifications, others say Allow notifications — but toggling it to the off position stops all alerts from that app.

This method works on every Android phone, but the path to Settings differs slightly by manufacturer. On a Google Pixel, it is Settings > Apps. On Samsung, it is Settings > Apps > App permissions > Notifications. On other brands, look for Settings > Applications or Settings > Installed Apps. If you cannot find the app in the list, tap the three-dot menu and select Show system apps.

Turning off notifications this way does not affect anything else the app does. You can still open it, receive messages, or use its features — you just will not see alerts on your lock screen, in your notification panel, or hear sounds from it.

Using the quick method from your notification panel

When a notification appears on your lock screen or in your notification panel, long-press it (hold your finger on it for about two seconds). A menu will appear with options including Turn off notifications for this app or Manage notifications. Tap that option and confirm. This silences the app immediately without opening Settings.

This shortcut works on Android 6.0 and newer. On older phones, you may see a different menu with fewer options — in that case, use the Settings method instead. The quick method is fastest if you only want to silence one or two apps, but if you are turning off many apps, opening Settings once and working through them is more efficient.

Silencing all notifications with Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb mode stops all notifications from making sounds or vibrating, though they still appear silently in your notification panel. Open Settings, find Sound and Vibration (or Sound), and tap Do Not Disturb. Turn it on, then tap Allowed interruptions or Exceptions to choose which calls and messages still come through. Most phones let you allow calls and texts from Favorites or specific contacts while blocking everything else.

You can set Do Not Disturb to turn on automatically at certain times. In the same menu, look for Scheduled or Schedule and set a start and end time — for example, 10 PM to 7 AM. Your phone will silence notifications during those hours without you having to remember to turn it on. You can still manually turn Do Not Disturb on or off anytime by swiping down from the top of your screen to open Quick Settings and tapping the Do Not Disturb icon.

Do Not Disturb is different from turning off notifications for individual apps. It does not change which apps can send notifications — it only changes whether those notifications make noise or vibrate. If you want to stop notifications from appearing at all, you still need to turn them off in Settings for each app.

Controlling notifications inside specific apps

Some apps have their own notification settings that override the system settings. Messages, Phone, Gmail, and social media apps often have notification controls buried in their own preferences. Open the app, tap the menu (usually three dots or lines), look for Settings or Preferences, and search for Notifications. You might find options like notification sound, vibration pattern, or which types of messages trigger alerts.

If you turn off notifications in the system Settings but still see alerts from an app, check inside that app's own settings. For example, Gmail has a Notifications section in its settings menu where you can turn off alerts for certain label types or mute notifications from specific senders. Turning off notifications at the system level usually overrides app-level settings, but some apps are designed to bypass this.

Stopping notifications from specific contacts or conversations

If you want to keep notifications from an app but silence alerts from one person, most messaging apps let you mute individual conversations. In Messages, long-press a conversation and tap Mute notifications. In WhatsApp, swipe left on a chat (or long-press on Android), tap Mute, and choose how long to mute it. In Gmail, you can mute entire conversations or label types from the notification settings inside the app.

This approach is useful when you want to stay connected to an app but do not want alerts from a specific person or group chat. The conversation still receives new messages — you just will not see notifications for them. You can unmute anytime by opening the conversation and toggling notifications back on.

Turning off banner and lock screen notifications

By default, Android shows notifications as banners at the top of your screen and on your lock screen. If you want to keep notifications in your notification panel but hide them from your lock screen, open Settings, find Notifications, and look for Lock screen notifications or Show on lock screen. Toggle this off. Notifications will still appear when you pull down your notification panel, but they will not show when your phone is locked.

Some phones also let you hide notification content on the lock screen for privacy. Look for a setting called Hide sensitive notifications or Show notification content. Turning this on hides the message preview and only shows the app name, so people looking at your locked phone cannot read your messages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off notifications stop the app from working?

No. Turning off notifications only stops the alerts — the app continues to work normally. You can still open it, send messages, and use all its features. You just will not see pop-ups or hear sounds from it.

Can I turn off notifications for just one contact in an app?

Yes, most messaging apps let you mute individual conversations. In Messages, long-press the conversation and tap Mute. In WhatsApp, swipe left on the chat and tap Mute. The person can still message you — you just will not see notifications from them.

What is the difference between Do Not Disturb and turning off notifications?

Do Not Disturb silences all notifications system-wide but they still appear in your notification panel. Turning off notifications for individual apps stops them from appearing at all. Do Not Disturb is temporary and can be scheduled; turning off app notifications is permanent until you turn them back on.

Why do I still see notifications after turning them off in Settings?

Some apps have their own notification settings that override system controls. Open the app, find its Settings or Preferences, and look for a Notifications section. Turn off notifications there as well. This is common with Gmail, Messages, and social media apps.

Can I turn off notifications for all apps at once?

Android does not have a single switch to turn off notifications for every app. You can use Do Not Disturb to silence all sounds and vibrations, but notifications will still appear silently in your panel. To stop notifications completely, you need to turn them off for each app individually or use a third-party app blocker.