Where to find notification settings on your phone

Android stores notification controls in two places: the system settings menu and the notification panel itself. The fastest route depends on whether you want to silence one app right now or change how all notifications work across your phone.

To reach the main settings, open your phone's Settings app — usually a gear icon on your home screen or in your app drawer. From there, look for Apps, Applications, or Notifications depending on your phone's manufacturer. Samsung phones call it Apps. Google Pixel phones label it Apps & notifications. Once you find it, you can see every app installed and control what each one is allowed to do.

The notification panel — the shade that drops down when you swipe from the top of your screen — shows active notifications and lets you silence them one at a time without opening settings at all.

Key Takeaways

  • Long-press any notification in the notification panel to turn off alerts from that app without opening settings.
  • In Settings, go to Apps & notifications (or Apps on Samsung), select an app, then toggle off Allow notifications to stop all alerts from that program.
  • Do Not Disturb mode silences all notifications except calls and messages from people you mark as priority, and you can schedule it to turn on automatically at set times.
  • Some apps send notifications through multiple channels — like separate alerts for messages, comments, and reminders — so you may need to turn off each channel separately in that app's notification settings.
  • Turning off notifications for an app does not delete the app or prevent it from running in the background.

Silencing one app from the notification panel

The quickest way to stop notifications from a single app is to long-press (hold your finger on) any notification from that app in your notification panel. A menu will appear with options including Turn off notifications or Manage notifications.

Tapping Turn off notifications immediately stops all alerts from that app. If you want more control — for example, to silence only certain types of notifications from that app while keeping others — tap Manage notifications instead. This takes you into that app's notification settings, where you may see separate toggles for different notification types like messages, comments, or reminders.

This method works on all Android phones. You do not need to open Settings or know your phone's specific menu structure.

Turning off notifications in Settings for any app

Open Settings, then navigate to Apps & notifications (Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola) or Apps (Samsung). You will see a list of all installed apps. Tap the app you want to silence.

Look for a toggle labeled Allow notifications, Show notifications, or Notifications. Toggle it off. The exact label varies by phone, but the toggle is always near the top of the app's settings page. Once you turn it off, that app will send no notifications at all.

If you want to keep notifications but change how they appear — for example, to silence the sound but keep a visual badge — look for Notification settings or Advanced in that same app's settings page. Some apps let you control the sound, vibration, and visual style separately.

Using Do Not Disturb to silence everything at once

Do Not Disturb mode silences all notifications system-wide except for calls and messages from people you mark as priority. It is useful when you need focus time but do not want to turn off notifications permanently for each app.

To turn on Do Not Disturb, swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the full quick settings panel. Look for Do Not Disturb or DND and tap it. Your phone will now silence all notifications except from your priority contacts.

To set a schedule, open Settings, go to Sound & vibration (or Sound on some phones), then find Do Not Disturb. Tap Turn on as scheduled and set the days and times you want it active. For example, you can set it to turn on automatically at 9 p.m. and off at 7 a.m. every day.

Controlling notification channels within an app

Many apps send different types of notifications through separate channels — for instance, a messaging app might have one channel for direct messages, another for group chats, and a third for mentions. Turning off the app's main notifications toggle stops all of them, but you can also silence individual channels.

Open Settings, go to Apps & notifications, select the app, then look for Notifications or Notification settings. You should see a list of channels. Each one has its own toggle. Turn off only the channels you do not want to hear from, and leave the others on.

This is useful if you want to keep notifications for urgent messages but silence notifications for likes or comments. Not every app uses channels — simpler apps may have just one master notification toggle — but most social media and messaging apps do.

What happens when you turn off notifications

Turning off notifications for an app does not uninstall it, stop it from running, or prevent it from storing data. The app continues to work normally in the background. You simply will not see alerts on your screen, hear sounds, or feel vibrations from that app.

You can still open the app manually and see new messages or updates inside it. Turning off notifications just means the app will not interrupt you to tell you something new has arrived. If you change your mind, you can turn notifications back on the same way you turned them off.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

That depends on the app. Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram let you mute individual conversations or contacts — usually by long-pressing the conversation and selecting Mute. Social media apps typically do not offer per-contact control, only per-app or per-channel control. Check the app's own settings to see what options it provides.

Why do I still see notifications after turning them off?

Some apps send notifications through multiple channels, and you may have turned off only one. Open that app's notification settings and check whether there are separate toggles for different notification types. You may need to turn off each one individually. Also check whether Do Not Disturb is on — it silences notifications but does not turn them off permanently.

Will turning off notifications affect my ability to receive calls or texts?

No. Turning off notifications for an app only affects that specific app. Calls and text messages use the Phone and Messages apps, which have their own notification settings. You can turn off notifications for other apps without affecting calls or texts. If you want to silence calls and texts too, use Do Not Disturb mode instead.

How do I turn notifications back on after turning them off?

Follow the same steps you used to turn them off. Open Settings, go to Apps & notifications, select the app, and toggle Allow notifications back on. Or long-press a notification from that app in your notification panel and select Turn on notifications. The app will resume sending alerts immediately.

Can I schedule notifications to turn off at certain times?

Yes, through Do Not Disturb. Open Settings, go to Sound & vibration, find Do Not Disturb, and turn on Turn on as scheduled. Set the days and times you want notifications silenced. This is easier than turning off notifications for individual apps if you want a break during specific hours like bedtime or work time.