How to Turn Off Messenger Notifications (Phone and Computer)

Messenger can get loud, especially if you're in a few busy group chats or you handle customer questions on your phone. The good news is you don't have to live with it. Messenger gives you three levels of control: switch off alerts for everything, hide the message text from your lock screen, or silence one conversation at a time. Below are the steps from Messenger's help pages for each, so you can pick the level that suits the day.

Turning off all Messenger notifications on iPhone

1. From Chats, tap your profile picture in the top left.
2. Tap Notifications and sounds.
3. Switch on Do Not Disturb.
4. Choose how long you want notifications turned off.

That last step is useful. You can silence Messenger for a set time rather than for good, which suits a meeting, a school run or a night's sleep.

Turning off all Messenger notifications on Android

1. From Chats, tap your profile picture in the top left.
2. Tap Notifications and sounds.
3. Tap next to On to turn the alerts off.
4. Choose how long to turn off notifications, then tap OK.

Menus vary by app version, so if your screen looks a little different, start from your profile picture and look for Notifications and sounds.

Hiding Messenger notification previews

These are the snippets of text that appear on your lock screen. You may want to keep alerts but stop strangers glancing at your messages. Messenger's help pages say you can turn off the ability to preview messages in your notifications.

1. From Chats, tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Notifications and sounds.
3. On iPhone, tap Show previews to turn them off. On Android, tap Notification previews.

This is the setting I'd suggest for anyone who handles client messages in public places. You'll still hear the alert, but the contents stay private until you open the app.

Turning off notifications for one Messenger conversation

If one chat is the problem, you don't need to touch everything else. On iPhone, swipe left on the conversation in Chats, tap More, tap Mute, then choose the notification type and how long. On Android, swipe left on the conversation, tap the icon and choose how long to turn off notifications, then tap OK. If you want the full walkthrough, I've written a guide to muting someone on Messenger.

For a group chat, Messenger's help pages say turning notifications off stops alerts for messages, message reactions and mentions in that group. On Android you can choose All messages, Mentions & replies only, or Off. That middle option is a good compromise for a team chat.

Turning off Messenger notifications on a computer

The help pages describe browser steps for messenger.com. To turn off notifications for one conversation, hover over it below Chats, click the icon, click Mute conversation, choose how long and click Mute. For desktop notifications as a whole, next to Chats click the icon, click Preferences, then Settings and tick or untick Desktop notifications enabled before clicking Done.

The help article also mentions a desktop app. The Messenger update page says the desktop app for Mac and Windows is no longer available, and that facebook.com/messages in a browser is how you use Messenger on a computer. So follow the browser steps.

What you want to silence	Where to do it
Every conversation	Profile picture, then Notifications and sounds
The text on your lock screen	Notifications and sounds, then the previews switch
One chat	Swipe left on it and choose Mute, or the icon on Android
One group	Tap its name at the top, then Mute or Notifications & sounds

Changing Messenger notification sounds instead of switching them off

If you don't need silence, just a way to tell who's messaging, Messenger's help pages note you can customise the sound for individual chats. Open the chat, tap the name at the top, tap Notifications and sounds, and under Sounds choose one for Messages or Ringtone for calls. A distinct sound for your most important client is a neat trick that leaves your peace intact.

Messenger notifications for small business owners and creators

A blanket switch-off carries a risk: you might miss an urgent customer message. A better approach is to mute the noisy group chats, keep alerts on for the people who matter, and use Do Not Disturb for set hours. If you'd rather tidy than silence, archiving chats on Messenger keeps your list clean too.

If Messenger notifications won't turn off

• Check whether you silenced the right level. A single-chat mute doesn't affect the others.
• Look at both Messenger's own settings and your phone's notification settings for the app.
• Update the app so your menus match the help pages. My guide to updating Messenger has the steps.
• Restart the app, then try the steps again from your profile picture.
• If it still won't switch off, report the problem inside Messenger or through its help centre.

A quick recap on switching off Messenger alerts

Profile picture, Notifications and sounds, then choose Do Not Disturb or the On switch for everything. Use the previews switch to hide text, and swipe left on a chat to mute just that one.

If you want the full set, start at the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn off Messenger notifications?

From Chats, tap your profile picture, tap Notifications and sounds, then switch on Do Not Disturb on iPhone or tap the On switch on Android, and choose how long.

How do I stop Messenger showing message text on my lock screen?

In Notifications and sounds, turn off Show previews on iPhone or Notification previews on Android.

Can I turn off notifications for just one chat?

Yes. On a phone, swipe left on the conversation in Chats and choose Mute or the notification icon, then pick how long.

Can I mute a group chat but still see mentions?

On Android, choose Mentions & replies only in the group chat's Notifications & sounds screen.

Can I change the notification sound instead?

Yes. Open a chat, tap the name at the top, tap Notifications and sounds and pick a sound for messages or calls.