How To

Notifications help you keep track of appointments, messages, and other updates, but they can also interrupt you at inconvenient times or leave private details visible to people nearby.

Your iPhone, iPad, and Mac let you choose which apps can notify you, when alerts arrive, and how much they reveal on your Lock Screen. This guide walks you through how to adjust those settings so you can reduce interruptions and keep sensitive information out of view without missing useful updates.

How to hide notification previews on your Lock Screen

A notification preview shows details from an alert, such as the text of a message or the title of an appointment. If previews appear while your device is locked, someone nearby may be able to read them.

You can keep receiving alerts while hiding those details. Choose When Unlocked to reveal previews only after you unlock your device, or Never to hide them even when it’s unlocked. Always allows previews to appear while the device is locked.

On iPhone and iPad

To change when notification previews appear:

1. Open Settings and tap Notifications.
   
2. Tap Show Previews and select When Unlocked or Never, depending on when you would like previews to appear.
   

With When Unlocked, previews can appear once Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode unlocks the device. On a device with Face ID, this may happen as soon as you look at the screen, before you swipe up.

You can also choose a different setting for a particular app. Go to Settings > Notifications, select the app, then tap Show Previews if available and choose an option. Check apps such as Messages and Mail, since their individual settings can override your default choice.

To keep an app’s alerts off the Lock Screen entirely, go to Settings > Notifications, select the app, and deselect Lock Screen under Alerts. Leave Notification Center selected if you still want to check those alerts there later. This hides the whole Lock Screen alert rather than just its preview.

On Mac

To hide notification previews on your Mac:

1. Open System Settings and click Notifications in the sidebar.
2. Find Show previews, which may appear under Notification Center, depending on your macOS version.
3. Choose When Unlocked or Never.

To change previews for a specific app, select it in Notifications and adjust its Show Previews setting. To keep that app’s alerts off the locked screen entirely, turn off its Lock Screen or Show notifications on lock screen option; the wording varies by macOS version.

Remember that When Unlocked still shows previews while you’re using your Mac, so someone looking over your shoulder could read them. Choose Never for apps that contain sensitive information if you’d prefer to keep those details hidden, and lock your Mac screen when you step away.

How to hide notifications while sharing your screen

If you share your screen during a video call or display it on a TV, private messages and other alerts may appear where others can see them. You can pause notifications during screen sharing without turning them off for everyday use.

On iPhone and iPad

To hide notifications during SharePlay or Screen Mirroring:

1. Open Settings and tap Notifications.
2. Tap Screen Sharing.
3. Turn off Allow Notifications.

This setting doesn’t control iPhone notifications sent to your Mac through iPhone Mirroring.

On Mac

To pause notifications while mirroring or sharing your Mac’s display:

1. Open System Settings and click Notifications in the sidebar.
   
2. Find the option for notifications when mirroring or sharing the display.
   
3. Choose Notifications Off, or turn off the corresponding switch, depending on your macOS version.
   

Your usual notification settings will apply when you stop sharing your display.

How to turn off notifications for one app

If shopping offers or game reminders keep interrupting you, turn off notifications from those apps. You’ll still receive alerts from other apps, and you can open any app to check for updates.

On iPhone and iPad

To turn off an app’s notifications:

1. Open Settings and tap Notifications.
   
2. Scroll through the app list and tap the app you want to change. Then turn off Allow Notifications.
   

The app will still work, but it won’t show notification banners or Lock Screen alerts, or play notification sounds. To receive alerts again, return to the app’s notification settings and turn Allow Notifications on.

If you still want visible alerts but don’t want a sound each time, leave Allow Notifications on and turn off Sounds, if that option is available. You can also deselect Banners under Alerts to stop notifications appearing across the top of the screen while you’re using the device. Leave Notification Center selected if you’d like to check them there later.

On Mac, including Messages

You can change notifications for individual Mac apps in System Settings:

1. Open System Settings and click Notifications in the sidebar.
2. Select the app you want to change.
3. Turn off Allow Notifications.

To turn off iMessage notifications on your Mac, select Messages in step 2. You’ll still receive messages in the app, but your Mac won’t notify you when they arrive. Messages notifications on your iPhone and iPad won’t change.

To keep visible alerts without a sound, leave Allow Notifications on and turn off Play sound for notification.

To keep your Messages alerts in Notification Center, without showing them on your desktop or Lock Screen, leave Notification Center selected and deselect Desktop and Lock Screen, if those options appear. On older macOS versions, choose None as the notification style and leave Show in Notification Center enabled, and turn off Show notifications on lock screen.

How to silence notifications temporarily with Focus

When you need some quiet, Focus lets you limit interruptions without changing your usual notification settings. Turn on Do Not Disturb for a temporary break, and choose which people and apps can still reach you. Some calls and alerts may still come through, depending on your Focus settings.

On iPhone and iPad

To turn on Do Not Disturb:

1. Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen, or swiping up from the bottom on an iPhone with a Home button.
2. Tap Focus, then tap Do Not Disturb.
3. To choose when it turns off, tap the three dots beside Do Not Disturb and select an available duration, such as For 1 hour.

If you want a family member’s calls or an essential app’s alerts to come through, open Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb. Under People or Apps, choose Allow Notifications From to let selected people or apps through. You can also choose Silence Notifications From to silence only those you select.

On Mac

To silence notifications with Focus on your Mac:

1. Click Control Center, the icon with two switches on the right side of the menu bar.
2. Click Focus.
3. Select Do Not Disturb and choose an available duration.

To allow important calls and alerts through, open System Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb and adjust the allowed people and apps. You can also add a schedule here if you want quiet hours to start automatically.

If you only want to silence one device, turn off Share Across Devices. When this setting is on, activating Focus on one device can also activate it on other Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account. You’ll find this setting under Settings > Focus on iPhone and iPad, or System Settings > Focus on Mac.

How to unsilence notifications on iPhone

When you’re ready to receive notifications again, open Control Center, tap Focus, then tap the current Focus setting, such as Do Not Disturb or Sleep, to turn it off. Your usual notification settings will apply again.

If alerts still don’t appear or make a sound, check these settings:

• Focus schedules: Open Settings > Focus, select the Focus that keeps turning on, and review its schedules or automatic activation settings.
• App notification settings: Go to Settings > Notifications, select the affected app, and check that Allow Notifications is on.
• Sound settings: If alerts appear silently, check the app’s Sounds option, turn off Silent mode, and check the alert volume under Settings > Sounds & Haptics.

These controls work separately, so turning off Focus won’t restore sounds or notifications you’ve disabled elsewhere.

How to group less urgent alerts with Scheduled Summary

Shopping offers, news updates, and social media alerts don’t always need your attention straight away. Scheduled Summary collects notifications from selected apps and delivers them at times you choose. You could catch up over breakfast and again in the evening, with fewer interruptions throughout the day.

You can set up Scheduled Summary on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Settings and tap Notifications.
   
2. Tap Scheduled Summary and turn it on. Then tap Continue if prompted.
   
3. Under Choose Apps for Your Summary, select the apps you want to include, then under Set a Schedule, set the times you want to receive your summaries.
   

Choose apps whose updates can wait, and leave anything you need promptly outside the summary. For example, you may want shopping promotions grouped together while keeping appointment reminders immediate. Supported apps may also have a Notification Delivery setting under Settings > Notifications > [app name], where you can choose Immediate Delivery or Scheduled Summary.

Some alerts, including supported direct-message and time-sensitive notifications, can still arrive immediately. Adding an app to Scheduled Summary doesn’t mean every alert from it will wait.

Scheduled Summary controls when notifications arrive, not whether their contents are visible. You can use the notification preview settings described earlier to keep private details hidden.

How to see old notifications in Notification Center

Missed an alert or want to check it again? You can see older notifications if they’re still in the Notification Center. It isn’t a permanent archive, and it can’t recover notifications you’ve cleared.

If you can’t find an alert, try opening the app that sent it. The message, email, or other update may still be available there.

On iPhone and iPad

To view notifications you may have missed:

1. Open Notification Center: from the Lock Screen, swipe up from the middle of the screen; from the Home Screen or inside an app, swipe down from the top-center or top-left edge.
2. Scroll through the available alerts and tap a group of notifications to expand it.
3. Tap the notification you want to open, unlocking your device if prompted.

If an alert’s details are hidden, you may need to unlock your device to see them, depending on your preview settings.

On Mac

To view notifications in Notification Center:

1. Click the date and time at the top-right of the menu bar.
2. Scroll through the notifications displayed above the widgets.
3. Click a stack of grouped notifications to expand it.
4. Click a notification to open the related app or item.

A banner can disappear from your screen while the notification remains in the Notification Center. You can still find it there if the app’s notification settings allow it.

How to stop iPhone notifications from appearing on your Mac

If you’ve set up iPhone Mirroring, your iPhone’s notifications can appear on your Mac even when the iPhone Mirroring app is closed. That can be convenient, but it can also expose private messages to someone looking at your screen.

To stop your Mac from receiving iPhone notifications:

1. Open System Settings and click Notifications in the sidebar.
2. Click Allow notifications from iPhone.
3. Turn off Allow notifications from iPhone, or leave it on and turn off notifications for individual apps.

Your iPhone will still receive its alerts. To stop a particular app’s notifications from appearing on your Mac, you can also change its settings on your iPhone: open Settings > Notifications, select the app, and turn off Show on Mac.

These controls appear only after you’ve connected your iPhone to that Mac using iPhone Mirroring. The feature requires iOS 18 or later, macOS Sequoia 15 or later, and a Mac with Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip. Both devices must use the same Apple Account with two-factor authentication. iPhone Mirroring is currently unavailable in the European Union.

If you still see alerts from Messages or another app, they may be coming from the Mac version of the app. Change that app’s Mac notification settings using the steps above under “How to turn off notifications for one app.” iPhone notifications have a small iPhone badge on the app icon, which helps you tell them apart.

How to turn off notification announcements on your AirPods

If you’d rather Siri didn’t read messages and other alerts aloud through your AirPods, you can turn off announcements without changing your onscreen notifications.

On the iPhone or iPad connected to your AirPods:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Notifications, then Announce Notifications.
3. Turn off Announce Notifications.

If you don’t see this option, check under Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri, depending on your software version.

Announce Notifications works with supported AirPods and Beats headphones paired with an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, or an iPad running iPadOS 15 or later. Siri announces alerts while you’re wearing the headphones and your device is locked.

How to stop unwanted website notifications on your Mac

Once you give a website permission to send notifications in Safari, its alerts can appear even when you’ve closed the site and quit Safari. To stop them, you’ll need to change the website’s notification permission.

To remove a website’s permission to send notifications:

1. Open Safari and choose Safari > Settings from the menu bar.
   
2. Click Websites, then select Notifications in the sidebar. Find the unwanted website and change its setting to Deny.
   

If you don’t want websites asking to send notifications in future, deselect Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications at the bottom of the same window. Websites you’ve already allowed can still send notifications, so review the list and select Deny for any you no longer want to hear from.

Be cautious if a website notification claims your Mac is infected or urges you to call a support number. A website alert isn’t proof of malware, and unwanted notifications alone don’t mean you have adware. Don’t click the alert or call the number. Instead, find the website in Safari’s notification settings and change its permission to Deny. Learning how to spot fake Apple security alerts can help you recognize messages designed to pressure you into acting.

Check suspicious downloads with Intego ONE Antivirus

If you downloaded a file or installed an app after clicking a suspicious notification, blocking further notifications won’t remove anything you’ve downloaded or installed. If you haven’t opened the file, scan it before doing so. If you’ve already opened it or installed the app, run a full malware scan to check your Mac.

Intego ONE Antivirus lets you scan a specific file or folder, or run a full scan for a broader check. It can detect malware and quarantine suspicious files so you can review the results. Its real-time protection also helps detect threats while you use your Mac.

You can also check your iPhone if you downloaded something after tapping a suspicious notification. Connect it to your Mac with a cable, open Antivirus in Intego ONE, and choose Custom Scan. Select your iPhone, then click Open. If the scan finds a suspicious file, you’ll need to delete it directly from your iPhone.

Scan your Mac

Keep useful alerts and private details under your control

The most useful notifications are the ones that matter to you. Turn off those you rarely need, and use Focus when you want some quiet. You can stay on top of useful updates without letting every app interrupt your day.

To protect your privacy, check which notification details appear when each device is locked and which iPhone alerts appear on your Mac. Start with Messages, Mail, and any apps that handle sensitive information, and hide previews or turn off Lock Screen alerts where needed. Just a few simple changes can keep private messages and personal details out of other people’s view.

Methodology

We checked the settings and steps for managing notification previews, app alerts, Focus, Scheduled Summary, screen sharing, and Safari website notifications. We reviewed iPhone Mirroring, notification announcements, and the limits of Notification Center. We also scanned a connected iPhone using Intego ONE Antivirus on Mac.

Frequently asked questions

Should I allow notifications for every app?

No. Keep notifications on for apps that send updates you need right away, such as messaging and calendar apps. Turn off alerts you rarely find useful, or include less urgent updates in Scheduled Summary. You can still open an app to check for updates when its notifications are off.

Why do notifications still come through when Focus is on?

Your Focus may allow notifications from selected people or apps. Time-sensitive alerts and repeated calls may also come through, depending on your settings. Apps with permission to send Critical Alerts can deliver them even when Focus or Silent mode is on.

Open Settings > Focus on iPhone or iPad, or System Settings > Focus on Mac, then select the active Focus to review its exceptions. On iPhone or iPad, you can also check Settings > Notifications > [app name] for a Critical Alerts option, if the app supports it.

Does hiding notification previews also hide the sender’s name?

It depends on the app and how it displays notifications. To check whether the sender’s name is hidden, look at an incoming alert while your device is locked. If you don’t want any part of that app’s alert visible, turn off its Lock Screen notifications.

Why do I get the same notification on multiple Apple devices?

The same app or account may be set up on more than one device. For example, Messages can notify you on both your iPhone and Mac. iPhone Mirroring can also send iPhone alerts to your Mac. Adjust notifications on each device, or turn off Allow notifications from iPhone on your Mac to stop mirrored alerts.

About Doris Muthuri