Stop iPhone and iPad alerts from showing up on your Mac
Your Mac receives notifications from your iPhone and iPad when those devices are signed into the same Apple ID. You can turn this off entirely, silence notifications from specific apps, or let them through only when your phone is locked. The setting lives in System Settings under Notifications, and the change takes effect immediately across all your devices.
This guide covers the three main ways to control what appears: blocking all cross-device notifications, muting individual apps, and using Focus modes to silence alerts during work or sleep. Each method works differently depending on whether you want a permanent change or something temporary.
Key Takeaways
- Open System Settings, click Notifications, and turn off "Mirrored messaging activities" to stop seeing iPhone and iPad alerts on your Mac entirely.
- You can silence notifications from specific apps without turning off the feature completely by unchecking individual app names in the Notifications list.
- Focus modes let you create schedules that automatically silence notifications during work hours, sleep, or other times without changing your permanent settings.
- Changes to notification settings sync across your Mac, iPhone, and iPad within a few seconds when all devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.
Turn off all phone notifications on your Mac in three steps
The fastest way to stop seeing alerts from your iPhone and iPad is to disable the mirroring feature that sends them to your Mac. Open System Settings by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner and selecting System Settings. Click Notifications in the left sidebar — it appears below General and above Sound.
Scroll down to the bottom of the Notifications window. You will see a section called "Mirrored messaging activities" with a toggle switch next to it. Click the toggle to turn it off. Your Mac will no longer display notifications from your iPhone or iPad, though those devices will continue to show their own alerts normally.
If you do not see this option, your devices may not be signed into the same Apple ID, or your Mac is running an older version of macOS. Check that your iPhone, iPad, and Mac are all using the same Apple ID by opening System Settings, clicking your name at the top, and confirming the email address listed.
Silence notifications from specific apps instead of all of them
If you want to keep notifications from most apps but silence just a few — like email or social media — you can turn off individual apps without disabling the entire feature. Open System Settings and click Notifications. You will see a list of every app that sends alerts, organized alphabetically.
Find the app you want to silence and click its name. A panel will open on the right showing that app's notification settings. Look for a toggle labeled "Allow notifications" and click it to turn it off. That app will no longer send alerts to your Mac, but notifications from other apps will continue to appear.
You can also adjust how each app notifies you without turning it off completely. In the same panel, you can choose whether alerts appear in the Notification Center, show a banner on your screen, or play a sound. Some people prefer to let notifications arrive silently so they see them only when they check the Notification Center later.
Use Focus modes to silence notifications on a schedule
Focus modes let you create automatic schedules that silence notifications during specific times or activities. Unlike turning off notifications permanently, Focus modes turn them back on when the scheduled time ends. Open System Settings and click Focus in the left sidebar — it appears below Notifications.
Click the plus sign at the bottom to create a new Focus. Choose a name like "Work" or "Sleep" and select which apps are allowed to send notifications while that Focus is active. You can allow notifications from specific contacts only, or silence everything except calls from your favorites.
After you create a Focus, click "Schedule" to set the days and times it turns on automatically. For example, you can set a Work Focus to activate Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or a Sleep Focus that runs every night from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. You can also turn a Focus on manually by clicking the Focus icon in the top-right corner of your screen.
What happens when you turn off notifications
When you disable mirrored messaging activities, your Mac stops showing alerts from your iPhone and iPad, but those devices continue to work normally. You will not miss messages or calls — they will still arrive on your phone and iPad as usual. The change only affects what appears on your Mac's screen.
If you turn off notifications from a specific app, that app will not send any alerts to your Mac, but it may still send them to your iPhone or iPad. Turning off notifications does not delete messages or prevent them from arriving — it only stops the alert from appearing. You can still check the app manually and see everything that came in.
Troubleshooting: notifications still appearing after you turned them off
If notifications continue to show up after you have turned off the setting, your devices may not have synced yet. Wait a few seconds and check that your Mac, iPhone, and iPad are all connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Changes to notification settings sync automatically when devices are on the same network, but can take up to a minute.
If the problem continues, sign out of your Apple ID on all three devices and sign back in. Open System Settings, click your name at the top, scroll down, and click "Sign Out". Wait 30 seconds, then sign back in with your Apple ID. This forces your devices to resync their settings and usually fixes notification problems.
Another common issue is having multiple Focus modes active at once. If you have created a Focus that silences all notifications, it may be turned on without you realizing it. Click the Focus icon in the top-right corner of your screen to see which Focus modes are currently active, and click one to turn it off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off notifications stop me from seeing messages?
No. Turning off notifications only stops the alert from appearing on your screen. Messages, emails, and calls will still arrive and be stored in their apps. You can open the app anytime and see everything that came in — you just will not be interrupted by a notification sound or banner.
Can I turn off notifications from my iPhone but keep them on my iPad?
No. Notification settings sync across all your devices when they are signed into the same Apple ID. If you turn off mirrored messaging activities, it turns off on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad all at once. You can use Focus modes to silence notifications on specific devices during certain times, but the core setting applies to all three.
Do I need to restart my Mac after changing notification settings?
No. Notification changes take effect immediately. If you have just turned off a setting and still see notifications, wait a few seconds for your devices to sync. If notifications continue after a minute, check that your Mac is connected to Wi-Fi and signed into the correct Apple ID.
What is the difference between turning off an app's notifications and using a Focus mode?
Turning off an app's notifications is permanent — that app will never send alerts until you turn the setting back on. A Focus mode is temporary and automatic. You can set a Focus to silence notifications during work hours, then automatically turn back on at 5 p.m. Focus modes let you keep your notification settings but control when they are active.
Can I silence notifications from one contact but allow them from another?
Yes, but only through Focus modes. Create a Focus, click "Allowed Notifications", and choose "Contacts". Then select which contacts are allowed to send notifications while that Focus is active. This works for calls, messages, and other alerts from those specific people, while silencing everyone else.