What notification grouping does

Notification grouping is a setting that stacks similar notifications together on your lock screen and in Notification Center instead of showing each one separately. When grouping is on, notifications from the same app appear as a single item you can expand to see them all. When it is off, each notification takes up its own line.

The grouping happens automatically based on the app that sent the notification. All messages from Mail stack together, all alerts from a calendar app stack together, and so on. You do not have to sort them yourself — iOS handles it.

This setting exists because some apps send many notifications in a short time. Without grouping, your lock screen can fill up quickly and become hard to read. With grouping, you see a cleaner view and can choose which stacks to open.

Key Takeaways

  • Notification grouping stacks alerts from the same app into one expandable item on your lock screen and in Notification Center.
  • You can turn grouping on or off globally in Settings, or control it separately for each app.
  • Grouped notifications show a count (like "3 new messages") and expand when you tap them to show all alerts inside.
  • Turning off grouping makes each notification appear as its own line, which takes more space but shows all alerts at once.

Where to find the grouping setting

Open Settings and go to Notifications. At the top of the screen, you will see an option called Notification Grouping. It has three choices: Automatic, By App, or Off.

Automatic is the default. iOS decides how to group notifications based on what makes sense for each app and how many you receive. By App groups all notifications from the same app together, always. Off turns off grouping entirely, so every notification appears separately.

The setting you choose here applies to all apps at once. However, you can also override it for individual apps if you want one app grouped and another ungrouped.

How to change grouping for a single app

Go to Settings > Notifications and scroll down to find the app you want to adjust. Tap the app name to open its notification settings.

Look for an option called Notification Grouping within that app's settings. You will see the same three choices: Automatic, By App, or Off. Choose whichever you prefer for that app alone. This overrides the global setting you chose earlier.

For example, you might keep grouping on globally but turn it off for Messages so you can see each text message separately on your lock screen.

What you see when grouping is on

When grouping is active, your lock screen shows one line per app instead of one line per notification. The line displays the app name, a count of how many notifications are waiting (like "5 new emails"), and a preview of the most recent one.

Tap the grouped notification to expand it and see all the alerts inside. The stack opens and shows them in a list. You can then tap individual notifications within the stack to open them, or swipe to dismiss them one at a time.

In Notification Center (swipe down from the top of the screen), grouped notifications work the same way — they stack by app and expand when you tap them.

What you see when grouping is off

With grouping turned off, every single notification appears as its own line on your lock screen. If you receive five emails, you see five separate email notifications stacked vertically. If you get three text messages, you see three separate message notifications.

This approach shows you everything at a glance without tapping to expand, but it can make your lock screen crowded if you receive many notifications in a short time. You can still swipe left on any notification to dismiss it individually.

When to use each setting

Use Automatic or By App grouping if you receive a lot of notifications and want a cleaner lock screen. This is helpful if you get many emails, calendar alerts, or messages throughout the day. Grouping keeps everything organized without hiding any notifications — they are just stacked instead of spread out.

Turn grouping Off if you prefer to see every notification at once without tapping to expand. This works better if you do not receive many notifications, or if you want to scan your lock screen quickly without opening any stacks. It also makes sense for apps where you want to see the most recent alert immediately without an extra tap.

You can mix and match: keep grouping on for Mail and Calendar but turn it off for Messages and Phone calls. This way, important calls and texts are always visible, while less urgent notifications stay organized in stacks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off grouping mean I will miss notifications?

No. Turning off grouping does not hide or delete notifications — it just changes how they appear on your lock screen. You will still receive every notification; they will simply show as separate lines instead of stacked together.

Can I change grouping for just one app?

Yes. Go to Settings > Notifications, tap the app name, and change its Notification Grouping setting. This overrides your global setting for that app only.

What is the difference between Automatic and By App?

Automatic lets iOS decide the best grouping for each app based on how many notifications you receive. By App always groups all notifications from the same app together, no matter how many there are. For most people, Automatic works fine.

If I expand a grouped notification, does it stay expanded?

No. Once you dismiss the notification or lock your screen, the stack collapses back to its grouped state. The next time you look at your lock screen, grouped notifications will be stacked again unless you expand them.

Does notification grouping affect how alerts sound or vibrate?

No. Grouping only changes how notifications appear visually on your lock screen and in Notification Center. Your iPhone will still play sounds and vibrate the same way, whether grouping is on or off.