Where notifications come from and how to stop them
Notifications arrive through three separate channels: your operating system (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android), individual apps you have installed, and websites you visit in your browser. To actually stop them, you need to block them at the source where they originate, not just silence your phone. A notification blocked at the app level never reaches your device at all. A notification silenced at the system level still consumed power and bandwidth to arrive — it just didn't make a sound or light up your screen.
The fastest way to reduce notification overload is to turn off notifications inside each app, then adjust your system settings as a backup. Most people find they need to do both: apps often re-enable notifications after updates, and system-level controls catch the ones you missed.
Key Takeaways
- Block notifications inside each app first — go to the app's settings, find the notification section, and turn off all categories you do not need.
- On Android, go to Settings > Apps > [app name] > Notifications and toggle off the ones you want to stop.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > [app name] and turn off "Allow Notifications" entirely, or choose which types to allow.
- On Windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications and turn off notifications per app, or disable them entirely for less important programs.
- Website notifications in your browser can be blocked by visiting the site's notification settings or by changing your browser's permission defaults.
Blocking notifications on Android phones
Open Settings, then tap Apps (sometimes labeled process Manager depending on your phone brand). Find the app you want to silence and tap its name. Look for Notifications — it is usually near the top of the app's settings page.
You will see a toggle for Allow Notifications. Turn it off completely to block all notifications from that app. If you want to keep some notifications but block others, tap Advanced or Notification Categories (the exact label varies by phone). This shows you subcategories like "Messages", "Promotions", or "Reminders" — turn off only the ones you do not want.
Repeat this for every app that sends unwanted notifications. On most Android phones, you can also long-press the app icon on your home screen, tap App Info, then Notifications to reach the same settings faster.
Blocking notifications on iPhones
Open Settings, then tap Notifications. You will see a list of all apps that have ever sent you a notification. Tap the app you want to control.
The simplest option is to turn off Allow Notifications entirely — this stops all notifications from that app. If you want to keep some types of notifications, leave Allow Notifications on and scroll down to Notification Grouping and Sounds and Haptics. You can turn off sounds and vibrations while keeping visual badges, or turn off badges while keeping sounds — whatever balance works for you.
Some apps also show a Notification Style option. Choose None to prevent notifications from appearing on your lock screen and in Notification Center, even if the app is allowed to send them. This is useful for apps you want to keep installed but do not want interrupting you.
Blocking notifications on Windows computers
Open Settings, then go to System > Notifications. At the top, you can toggle Notifications off entirely, but most people prefer to keep them for important apps and turn them off selectively.
Scroll down to Get notifications from these senders. You will see a list of apps that are allowed to send notifications. Click the toggle next to any app to turn its notifications off. You can also click on an app's name to see more detailed options — some apps let you choose which types of notifications to allow.
If an app does not appear in this list, it means it has never sent a notification yet. Once it does, it will appear here automatically, and you can turn it off at that point.
Blocking notifications on Mac computers
Click the Apple menu, then go to System Settings > Notifications. On the left side, you will see a list of every app that has sent notifications. Click an app's name to see its notification settings.
Turn off Allow notifications to block all notifications from that app. If you want to keep notifications but change how they appear, you can toggle off Show in Notification Center, Show message preview, or Play sound for notifications individually. Some apps also have a Badge app icon option — turn this off if you do not want a red number appearing on the app's icon.
Blocking website notifications in your browser
Websites can ask permission to send you notifications, which appear as pop-ups on your desktop or phone even when you are not visiting the site. Most browsers let you block these at two levels: globally (so no website can ask) or per-site (so you can allow notifications from one news site but block them from others).
In Chrome: Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications. You will see two sections: Not allowed (sites you have already blocked) and Allowed (sites you have permitted). Click any site to change its permission. To block all website notifications by default, toggle off Sites can ask to send notifications at the top.
In Firefox: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Permissions, and find Notifications. Click Settings next to it to see which sites have permission. To block all website notifications, check Block new requests asking to allow notifications.
In Safari on Mac: Go to Safari > Settings > Websites > Notifications. You will see sites listed under Allow and Deny. Click a site and change its permission, or select Deny in the dropdown at the bottom to block all new notification requests.
In Safari on iPhone: Go to Settings > Safari > Notifications and toggle off Allow Notifications to block all website notifications at once.
What to do if notifications keep coming back after updates
App updates sometimes reset your notification settings to the default (all on). After you update an app, check its notification settings again to make sure your preferences stuck. Some apps also re-enable notifications if you have not used them in a while — this is intentional design to try to bring you back.
If an app is particularly aggressive about re-enabling notifications, you have two options: uninstall it, or check its settings every few weeks. There is no technical way to permanently lock an app's notification settings against its own code, so the choice is yours based on how much you value the app versus how much the notifications bother you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will blocking notifications prevent me from getting important messages?
No, if the app is a messaging service like text messages or email. Those usually arrive through your phone's system messaging, not through app notifications. Blocking an app's notifications just stops the alerts — the messages themselves still arrive and sit in the app waiting for you to open it.
Can I block notifications from one contact but allow them from others?
This depends on the app. Most messaging apps do not offer per-contact notification control in their settings. Instead, you can mute individual conversations: in most apps, long-press a conversation and look for Mute or Silence. This stops notifications from that one person without affecting others.
What is the difference between blocking notifications and Do Not Disturb mode?
Do Not Disturb silences all notifications temporarily — they still arrive, but your phone does not alert you. Blocking notifications stops them at the source. Do Not Disturb is useful for meetings or sleep; blocking is useful for apps you never want to hear from.
If I block website notifications, will I miss important alerts?
Most website notifications are marketing, not alerts you actually need. If a website has information you genuinely need to know about (like a package delivery or a calendar event), you can visit the site directly or use the app instead. Blocking website notifications is almost always safe.
Why do some apps not appear in my notification settings?
An app only appears in your notification settings after it has sent at least one notification. If you have never seen a notification from an app, it has not tried to send one yet, so there is nothing to block. Once it does send one, it will appear in your settings automatically.