How to turn off notifications on your iPhone

💡 Need to know

• Silence smarter: Use Focus or Do Not Disturb for complete control over which notifications come through.
• Quick toggle: Turn off alerts per app under Settings > Notifications.
• Stay focused: Limit banners, badges, and sounds to cut distractions without missing important updates.

Notifications on your iPhone® keep you updated on messages, calls, social media activity, or reminders. However, if constant alerts from apps you no longer use continue to distract you, you have several options to stop them.

Asurion Experts help customers 24/7 to get the most out of their favorite tech. Whether you want to set up Do Not Disturb on Android™ so you can disconnect and be more present or switch off background apps to extend battery life, we’ll help you stay in control of your tech. Here’s how to turn off notifications on iPhone.

Turn off notifications for specific apps

If you want to focus without constant pings, here’s how to turn notifications off on iPhone:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications.
2. Select the app whose notifications you want to turn off or limit.
3. Switch off Allow Notifications to stop all alerts from that app.
4. To turn off all notifications on iPhone, repeat steps 1 to 3 with every app listed under Notifications.

If you only want to limit the app's notifications, you can choose where and how alerts appear. Adjust alerts for the Lock Screen, Notification Center, or Banners, and turn off Sounds and Badges for fewer interruptions.

Show notifications only in Notification Center, not on Lock screen

You can let notifications appear quietly in the Notification Center without displaying them on your Lock Screen. Go to Settings > Notifications and select the app whose notifications you want to limit. Under Alerts, uncheck Lock Screen and leave Notification Center on.

Set notification banners to show briefly

You can choose to show notification banners briefly and have them disappear automatically without requiring you to dismiss them:

1. Open Settings > Notifications.
2. Select the app whose notifications you want to manage.
3. Under Banner Style, choose Temporary.

Turn off sounds and badges

Are notifications still distracting even after limiting them? You can turn off sounds and badges. Go to Settings > Notifications and select the app for which you want to adjust notifications. Then turn off the switches for Sounds and Badges.

If your device flashes every time you get a notification, here’s how to turn off flash notifications on iPhone.

Mute notifications temporarily with Focus or Do Not Disturb

If you want to silence all notifications for a specific time, you can switch to Focus mode on iPhone and turn on Do Not Disturb:

1. Head to Control Center > Focus.
2. Tap Do Not Disturb.
3. Switch on Do Not Disturb.

Choose preset mode: Sleep, Work, or Personal, to automatically adjust your notifications and app access to match your context so you see only what’s important now.

You can fine-tune Focus mode and choose which contacts can reach you and which apps can send notifications while everything else is silent. This customization allows urgent messages to get through while distractions stay muted.

Focus can also automate itself based on time, location, or app usage. For example, Work Focus can automate when you arrive at the office, or Sleep Focus can start at your usual bedtime. Plus, it syncs across your Apple devices, so you only need to set it up once.

Hide notifications without turning them off

When you don’t want to silence notifications on iPhone entirely but prefer a cleaner screen, you can hide them without turning them off:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications.
2. Tap Show Previews and choose Never to prevent the notification preview from appearing on your lock screen. If you want partial privacy, you can choose When Unlocked.
3. Scroll down and disable Notification Grouping for a simpler, easier-to-read feed.

You can also turn off Badges to remove red alert dots from app icons.

FAQ

What are Focus and Do Not Disturb modes on iPhone?

On iPhone, Do Not Disturb silences all calls and notifications, while Focus lets you customize when and who can reach you. Both features help you manage interruptions. You can set different Focus modes, like Work, Sleep, or Personal, for specific times or activities.

Can I schedule quiet hours for notifications?

Yes, open Control Center > Focus and select a Focus mode. Tap Add Schedule or Automation to add quiet hours based on time, location, or app use so your Focus mode activates automatically when needed.

How do I re-enable notifications later if I change my mind?

To turn off silenced notifications on iPhone, open Control Center > Focus and turn Do Not Disturb off or disable the active Focus mode. If you have disabled notifications for specific apps, go to Settings > Notifications. Select the app whose notification you want to re-enable and tap the Allow Notifications switch.