How to Turn Off iPhone Notifications for a Single App
Your iPhone does not require an all-or-nothing approach to alerts. You can silence one noisy app while allowing messages, phone calls, calendar reminders, and other important notifications to continue appearing normally. This is useful when a shopping app, game, social network, or news service sends more alerts than you need.
The setting is built into iOS and takes less than a minute to change. You can block every notification from an app, or keep selected alerts visible while removing sounds, Lock Screen interruptions, banners, or badge counts. The best choice depends on whether you want a complete shutdown or a quieter screen.
The steps are similar across recent iPhone models, including devices using Face ID, Touch ID, and the latest versions of iOS. Menu names can vary slightly after an iOS update, but the notification controls remain in the Settings app.
Use Settings To Silence One App
Open Settings on your iPhone, then tap Notifications. Scroll through the list of installed apps or use the search field if your version of iOS provides one. Select the app whose alerts you want to stop.
At the top of the app’s notification page, turn off Allow Notifications. The switch will change color, and the app will no longer send standard notifications to your iPhone. This includes alerts that would otherwise appear as banners, sounds, Lock Screen messages, or entries in Notification Center.
Turning off this main switch does not delete the app, remove your account, or stop the app from receiving new information. It only prevents iOS from presenting that information as a notification. When you open the app manually, you may still see new messages, orders, posts, or other updates inside it.
If you later change your mind, return to the same screen and turn Allow Notifications back on. iOS should restore the notification options that were previously selected, although checking the individual settings is sensible after a major software update.
Keep Useful Alerts And Hide The Rest
You do not have to disable every notification from an app. With Allow Notifications enabled, you can decide where alerts appear. The available locations commonly include Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners.
Turn off Lock Screen if you do not want private or distracting alerts visible when the phone is locked. Disable Notification Center if you want to avoid finding a long list of older alerts when you swipe down. Turn off Banners to prevent pop-up messages while you are using another app.
You can also disable Sounds while keeping visual alerts. This is a practical option for an app that sends useful updates but makes too much noise. Turning off Badges removes the red number or dot from the app icon without changing the other notification locations.
Some apps offer additional controls, such as Immediate Delivery and Scheduled Summary. Immediate Delivery sends an alert as soon as the app creates it. Scheduled Summary groups selected notifications and delivers them at times you choose. This can reduce interruptions without completely losing updates.
| Setting | What It Changes | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Allow Notifications | Blocks or permits the app’s standard alerts | Completely silencing one app |
| Lock Screen | Controls alerts shown before the iPhone is unlocked | Protecting privacy |
| Notification Center | Controls alerts saved for later review | Reducing notification clutter |
| Banners | Controls pop-up alerts while using the iPhone | Avoiding interruptions |
| Sounds | Turns notification audio on or off | Keeping alerts quiet |
| Badges | Removes red counts or symbols from the app icon | Cleaning up the Home Screen |
| Scheduled Summary | Delivers selected alerts in grouped batches | Limiting frequent interruptions |
Turn Off Alerts From A Recent Notification
If the app has just sent a notification, you can often change its settings without searching through the full Settings menu. On the Lock Screen or in Notification Center, swipe left on the alert. Tap Options, then choose Turn Off or a similar option that disables notifications from that app.
The exact wording may depend on the iOS version and the type of notification. You might see choices to mute the app for an hour, mute it for the day, send it directly to a summary, or open its notification settings. Choose the complete turn-off option when you want to block future alerts.
You can also touch and hold a notification to open a larger preview and related controls. This method is convenient when you know which app is causing the problem but do not know its name in Settings. It is especially useful for alerts from apps you rarely use.
A temporary mute is different from disabling notifications. If you choose an hourly or daily mute, iOS will restore alerts later. That can be helpful during a meeting or commute, while the Settings method is better when you want a lasting change.
Know When Focus Mode Is The Better Choice
Disabling an app’s notifications applies at all times until you manually turn them on again. Focus is more flexible when you want an app to stay quiet only during work, sleep, driving, exercise, or another activity.
Go to Settings > Focus, select an existing Focus profile, or create a new one. Under the options for silencing notifications, add the app you want to restrict. You can then schedule the Focus to activate at certain times, locations, or when you open a particular app.
Focus can also allow notifications from selected people and apps. This makes it possible to silence entertainment or shopping alerts during work while still receiving calls, messages, and urgent work updates. The same app can be permitted in one Focus profile and silenced in another.
Keep in mind that Focus settings and an app’s normal notification settings work together. If Allow Notifications is off for an app, it will generally remain blocked even when no Focus is active. If you want alerts to return automatically outside certain periods, configure Focus rather than switching off the app completely.
Stop Sounds Without Hiding Every Alert
Some people want to see an app’s notifications but do not want the phone to make a sound. In that case, open Settings > Notifications > [App Name] and turn off Sounds while leaving the preferred visual options enabled.
You can keep banners for immediate awareness, or allow the alerts to appear only in Notification Center for a less disruptive experience. This arrangement works well for delivery updates, sports scores, financial apps, and other services where the information matters but does not need an audible interruption.
The iPhone’s volume buttons and the Ring/Silent switch can also affect notification sounds, but they are broader controls. Lowering the volume or enabling Silent mode may quiet many apps at once. Changing the individual app setting gives you more precise control and avoids accidentally silencing alerts from apps you rely on.
If you use an Apple Watch, notification behavior may look different. When the iPhone is locked or asleep, alerts can be sent to the watch instead of appearing on the iPhone. Check the Watch app on your iPhone, open Notifications, and review the settings for the affected app if alerts continue appearing on your wrist.
Fix Notifications That Still Appear
If alerts continue after you turn off an app’s notifications, first return to Settings > Notifications > [App Name] and verify that Allow Notifications is still disabled. An iOS update, app change, or accidental tap can sometimes alter notification preferences.
Next, identify whether the alert is coming from the app itself or from a related service. A calendar invitation, email account, browser website, or system feature may display information that looks like an app notification. Check the notification’s appearance and sender before changing additional settings.
Time-sensitive alerts can also cause confusion. Some apps support notifications marked as urgent, while Focus settings may allow Time Sensitive Notifications to bypass normal restrictions. To review this behavior, open the relevant Focus profile under Settings > Focus and check whether time-sensitive notifications are allowed.
Restarting the iPhone can clear a temporary notification problem. If the issue continues, update iOS and the app through the App Store. For a stubborn app, open its own settings and look for notification preferences, since the app may offer separate categories for promotions, messages, reminders, or account activity.
Deleting and reinstalling an app should be a last resort because it may remove locally stored information or require you to sign in again. Before doing that, confirm that your data is synchronized with the service and that you know the account password.
Practical Settings For A Quieter iPhone
The most effective setup is usually the one that matches how important the app’s information is. A messaging app may need banners and sounds, while a game may need no alerts at all. A delivery app could be limited to Notification Center, and a news app could be placed in Scheduled Summary.
Use these adjustments as a quick guide:
- Turn off Allow Notifications when you never need alerts from the app.
- Disable Sounds when visual updates are useful but interruptions are annoying.
- Turn off Badges to remove red counts that encourage repeated checking.
- Use Focus when the app should be quiet only during specific times or activities.
- Choose Scheduled Summary for low-priority apps that you still want to review occasionally.
Review your notification settings every few months, especially after installing several new apps. Many applications request permission immediately and may send promotional alerts that you did not expect. Removing unnecessary permissions can make the iPhone feel calmer without affecting its core functions.
You can also protect personal information by opening Settings > Notifications > Show Previews and choosing When Unlocked or Never. This setting affects how much notification content appears across apps, which is useful if other people might see your Lock Screen.
A few minutes spent adjusting one app can prevent repeated distractions throughout the day. Open the app’s notification page, choose the level of silence you need, and revisit the setting whenever your routine changes.