Stop Chrome notifications in three places
Chrome notifications come from three different sources, and you need to turn them off in different places depending on where they're coming from. The fastest fix is to change your Chrome settings so websites can't send you notifications at all. If you want to keep notifications from some sites but block others, you'll manage them one by one. And if a notification is already popping up on your screen right now, you can silence it immediately without changing any settings.
The method you use depends on whether you want to block all notifications forever, stop notifications from specific websites, or just quiet down what's happening today. Most people find that blocking all website notifications solves the problem completely — you can always turn them back on later if you change your mind.
Key Takeaways
- You can block all website notifications at once in Chrome Settings under Privacy and Security, which takes 30 seconds and stops most notification problems.
- To stop notifications from one website while keeping them from others, find that site in your notification settings and change its permission from "Allow" to "Block".
- If a notification is actively bothering you, click the X button on the notification itself to dismiss it without changing any settings.
- Chrome notifications are different from Windows or Mac system notifications — blocking one does not block the other.
- Websites you've already allowed to send notifications will stop sending them once you change the setting, even if you don't visit the site again.
Block all website notifications at once
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu that appears. On the left side, click Privacy and security, then click Site settings.
Look for Notifications in the list and click it. You'll see a toggle at the top that says "Notifications" with a switch next to it. Click that switch to turn it off. The switch will turn gray, which means notifications are now blocked. Every website will be prevented from sending you notifications from this point forward.
This is the nuclear option — it stops all website notifications everywhere. If you later find you want notifications from one specific site, you can come back to this same screen and add that site to an "Allow" list. For now, turning off the master switch stops the interruptions.
Block notifications from one website while keeping others
If you want to keep notifications from some websites but block them from others, you need to manage permissions individually. Open Chrome and go to the same path: three dots → Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications.
You'll see two sections: "Allow" and "Block". Websites in the "Allow" section are currently sending you notifications. Find the website you want to stop hearing from and click it. A small panel will pop up showing that site's notification permission. Click the dropdown that says "Allow" and change it to Block. That website will stop sending notifications immediately.
You can repeat this for as many sites as you want. Each one you move to "Block" will stop sending notifications while the others keep working. If you ever change your mind about a blocked site, come back to this screen, find it in the "Block" section, and change it back to "Allow".
Dismiss a notification that's popping up right now
If a notification is currently on your screen and you just want it to go away, look for a small X button in the corner of the notification box. Click that X and the notification disappears. This doesn't change any settings — it just closes that one notification. The website can still send you more notifications later unless you change your Chrome settings.
On Windows, notifications usually appear in the bottom right corner of your screen. On Mac, they appear in the top right. The X button is typically in the corner closest to the edge of your screen. If you hover your mouse over the notification, the X button usually becomes more visible.
Find websites you've already allowed to send notifications
You can see which websites currently have permission to send you notifications by going to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications. Look at the "Allow" section — every website listed there can send you notifications.
This list is useful if you're trying to figure out where your notifications are coming from. If you see a website you don't recognize or don't remember allowing, you can click it and change its permission to "Block". You can also use this list to turn off notifications from sites you used to want updates from but don't anymore.
Understand the difference between Chrome notifications and system notifications
Chrome notifications are messages that websites send through your browser. System notifications are messages from your operating system itself — Windows, Mac, or Linux. Turning off Chrome notifications does not turn off system notifications, and turning off system notifications does not turn off Chrome notifications. They're controlled separately.
If you're still getting notifications after blocking them in Chrome, check your operating system settings. On Windows, go to Settings → System → Notifications. On Mac, go to System Preferences → Notifications. You can turn off notifications for Chrome itself at the system level, which will block all notifications from Chrome regardless of what your Chrome settings say.
What happens when you block notifications
Once you block notifications from a website, that site can no longer send you pop-ups or alerts. You won't see a message saying "notifications blocked" — the notifications simply won't appear. If you visit that website later, it might ask for permission to send notifications again, but you can click "Block" in that permission request and it will stop asking.
Blocking notifications does not affect anything else about the website. You can still use the site normally, log in, browse content, and do everything you could before. Notifications are just one feature websites can use, and turning them off only removes that one feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I keep getting notifications even after I turned them off?
You might have turned off Chrome notifications but not system notifications, or vice versa. Check both your Chrome settings and your operating system settings. Also make sure you actually clicked the toggle to turn it off — sometimes the page needs a moment to save the change. Refresh the settings page and check again to confirm the toggle is gray.
Can I block notifications from one website without blocking all of them?
Yes. Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications and find the website in the "Allow" section. Click it and change the permission from "Allow" to "Block". That one site will stop sending notifications while others continue.
Will websites know I blocked their notifications?
No. Websites cannot tell whether you blocked their notifications or simply never allowed them in the first place. Blocking notifications is completely private and doesn't send any message to the website.
How do I turn notifications back on if I change my mind?
Go to Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications. If you turned off all notifications, click the toggle to turn it back on. If you blocked a specific website, find it in the "Block" section, click it, and change the permission back to "Allow".
Do I need to restart Chrome for notification changes to take effect?
No. Changes to notification settings take effect immediately. You don't need to close Chrome or restart your computer. If you just blocked a website, it will stop sending notifications right away.