Learn How to Stop Push Notifications on Devices

Understanding Push Notifications and Why You Might Want to Disable Them

Push notifications are messages that appear on your device, even when you're not actively using an app or website. They pop up on your screen, often with a sound or vibration, to alert you about updates, messages, reminders, or promotional content. These notifications come from apps installed on your phone, tablet, or computer, as well as from websites you've visited.

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Push notifications were designed to keep you informed about things that matter. A weather app might notify you about an incoming storm. A banking app might alert you to unusual account activity. A social media platform might tell you when someone comments on your post. While these can be useful, many people find they receive far more notifications than they need or want.

According to research from mobile analytics firms, the average smartphone user receives between 60 and 90 notifications per day. Some heavy users report receiving over 200. This constant stream of alerts can interrupt your work, disturb your sleep, reduce your ability to focus, and create unnecessary anxiety. Studies have shown that frequent notifications can impact productivity and mental well-being, as each interruption requires your brain time to refocus on your original task.

Different devices and apps send notifications for different reasons. Some are critical—like security alerts or emergency messages. Others are designed primarily to encourage you to use an app more often, which benefits the company providing the app but may not benefit you. Understanding which notifications you actually want, and disabling the ones you don't, puts you back in control of your device and your time.

Practical Takeaway: Before you start disabling notifications, think about which ones actually matter to you. Write down a few apps or services that send you notifications you find helpful or necessary. This will help you know which notifications to keep when you're adjusting your settings.

How to Disable Push Notifications on iPhones and iPads

Apple devices—including iPhones and iPads—make it relatively straightforward to control notifications for individual apps. The process involves going into your device's Settings app and adjusting notification preferences. You don't need to delete any apps; you simply change how they're allowed to communicate with you.

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To manage notifications on an iPhone or iPad, start by opening the Settings app (the gear icon). Scroll down and look for "Notifications." This section shows you a list of all apps that have permission to send you notifications. You'll see each app listed, and next to each one is a toggle switch or settings option. If you want to completely stop notifications from a specific app, you can turn off "Allow Notifications" for that app. The app will still work normally—it just won't be able to send you alerts.

If you want to keep notifications from an app but control how they appear, you have more detailed options. You can choose whether notifications appear as a banner at the top of your screen, as a badge (a red number on the app icon), as sound alerts, or in the Notification Center (a list you can view by swiping down from the top). Some people prefer to keep notifications but disable the sounds and vibrations, since visual alerts are less disruptive. Others want to disable badges entirely since the red numbers can create a sense of urgency about unread items.

For notifications from websites (if you've given sites permission to send notifications), go to Settings, then Notifications, and scroll to find "Websites." Here you can see which websites have notification permission and remove it from any you don't want hearing from.

A helpful feature on newer iPhones and iPads is "Focus modes." These allow you to create different settings for different times or situations. For example, you might have a "Work" focus that only allows notifications from certain apps, or a "Sleep" focus that silences most notifications during nighttime hours. You can set up Focus modes in Settings under Focus.

Practical Takeaway: Start by opening Settings > Notifications and reviewing the list. You probably don't need notifications from every app on your device. Try disabling notifications from 3-5 apps you rarely use, then see how you feel after a week. You can always turn them back on if you change your mind.

Controlling Push Notifications on Android Devices

Android devices, manufactured by companies like Samsung, Google, OnePlus, and others, also allow you to disable or customize push notifications. The process is similar to iPhones but may look slightly different depending on which Android version you're running and which manufacturer made your device. All Android phones have a Notifications settings area where you can make these changes.

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To access notification settings on most Android devices, open the Settings app and look for "Notifications" or "Apps and Notifications." Tap on this option. You should see a list of all installed apps. When you select an app, you'll see options to toggle notifications on or off for that specific app. Some apps may also allow you to choose notification types—for example, whether you want notifications, vibrations, sounds, or light alerts.

Android also includes a "Do Not Disturb" feature that works across the entire system. You can access this through your Settings or sometimes through the Quick Settings menu (the panel that appears when you swipe down from the top of your screen). When activated, Do Not Disturb will silence notifications, calls, and messages. You can customize Do Not Disturb to allow exceptions—for example, you might want calls from your family to still come through even when Do Not Disturb is on. You can also schedule Do Not Disturb to turn on automatically at certain times, such as during sleep hours or work hours.

For notifications from websites, the process varies depending on whether you're using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or another browser. In Chrome, open the app menu (three vertical dots), go to Settings, then Notifications. You can see which websites have notification permission and revoke it from any site you choose.

Some Android devices also offer a "Notification Badges" setting where you can control those red number badges that appear on app icons. You can usually turn these off entirely or configure them to show only for important notifications. This can help reduce visual clutter on your home screen.

Practical Takeaway: On Android, settings can vary between manufacturers. If the instructions above don't match your phone exactly, try searching in Settings for "notification" or "apps" to find the right section. Once you're there, pick one app that sends frequent notifications you don't need and disable them. This gives you a sense of how the process works on your specific device.

Managing Notifications on Windows Computers and Laptops

Windows computers receive notifications from apps, the operating system itself, and websites. These notifications appear as pop-ups in the lower right corner of your screen and can also show in the Action Center. If you find these interruptions distracting, Windows offers several ways to control them.

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To manage notifications on a Windows computer, right-click on the Start button (or press the Windows key) and select Settings. In the Settings window, look for "System" and then "Notifications." This section shows toggles for different notification types. You can turn off notifications for the system itself, choose whether notifications appear as sounds, and control which apps are allowed to send notifications at all.

If you want to allow notifications from some apps but not others, scroll down in the Notifications section to find "Notifications from apps and other senders." This lists all installed apps that have permission to send notifications. For each app, you can toggle notifications on or off. You can also choose whether to show notifications in the Action Center (a summary view you can see later) versus showing them as pop-ups that interrupt you immediately.

Windows includes a "Focus Assist" feature similar to Apple's Focus modes and Android's Do Not Disturb. You can access this in Settings under "System" and then "Focus Assist." Focus Assist has three levels: Off (all notifications come through), Priority Only (only certain notifications interrupt you), or Alarms Only (only alarms are allowed). You can customize which apps and people are considered "priority" contacts that can still reach you. You can also schedule Focus Assist to turn on automatically during specific hours.

For notifications from websites in your browser, the process depends on which browser you use. In Microsoft Edge, click the three-dot menu, go to Settings, then Permissions, then Notifications. You can see which websites have permission and block any that you don't want notifications from. The same general process works in Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers.

Practical Takeaway: Start by turning on Focus Assist