- The quick route to switch every notification off
- Where each Windows 11 notification setting lives
- Silence one app and leave the rest alone
- Choosing between off, one app and Do not disturb
- Open the notification center three ways
- The catch: Do not disturb isn't total silence
- What to check when alerts won't behave
- Frequently asked questions
Select Start, then Settings, System and Notifications, and toggle the switch next to Notifications to Off. That's all it takes to turn off notifications on Windows 11. If only one app is pestering you, select it under Notifications from apps and other senders and change that app alone.
The quick route to switch every notification off
- Select Start.
- Select Settings.
- Select System.
- Select Notifications.
- Toggle the switch next to Notifications to Off.
Toggle it back to On whenever you want them again, but don't start here unless you're sure. Most of the time it's one or two noisy apps causing the trouble, and shutting those up leaves your alarms and useful alerts working as normal.
Where each Windows 11 notification setting lives
These are the settings Microsoft's notifications help page documents, side by side.
| What you want | Where it lives | What you'll get |
|---|---|---|
| Everything off | Start, Settings, System, Notifications | The main switch set to Off |
| One app adjusted | The same screen, under Notifications from apps and other senders | Separate controls just for that app |
| One app off, fast | Notification center, the more button, Turn off all notifications | That app goes quiet without a trip to Settings |
| Quiet for a while | Notification center, the bell icon with zZ on it | Notifications silenced until you turn it off |
Silence one app and leave the rest alone
- Select Start, then Settings.
- Select System, then Notifications.
- Select the app under Notifications from apps and other senders.
- Adjust show banners, show in notification center, hide content on lock screen, play a sound and priority.
Already got an alert from the offending app sitting in front of you? There's a shorter way, and it doesn't involve Settings at all.
- Open the notification center.
- Select the more button on that app's notification.
- Select Turn off all notifications.
Priority has three levels: Top, High and Normal. Only one app can hold Top at a time, so give it to whichever one you'd hate to miss.
Got an app that's driving you up the wall on every device? We've got separate guides for silencing WhatsApp alerts and turning off Instagram notifications.
Choosing between off, one app and Do not disturb
Three tools, three different jobs. The main switch is for when you want the whole lot gone and you're happy to find out about things later. The per-app controls are for a single offender, and they let you keep an app's alerts while losing the sound or the banners. Do not disturb is for a stretch of focused time, because it's temporary and it keeps a record of what came in.
If you're not sure which you need, start with the narrowest. Turn off one app, live with it for a day, then decide whether you still want the big switch.
Open the notification center three ways
Two of the routes above start in the notification center, so it's worth knowing how to reach it. Select the clock or the bell icon on the taskbar, press the Windows key plus N, or swipe from the side of the screen.
Once you're in, the bell icon with zZ on it turns on Do not disturb by hand. It stays on until you turn it off, which makes it handy for a meeting and easy to forget afterwards.
The catch: Do not disturb isn't total silence
Plenty of people assume Do not disturb means nothing gets through. It doesn't. With it on, you'll still get banners for alarms, reminders and any apps you've chosen. Everything else goes to the notification center, so it's held there, not thrown away.
It can also switch itself on without you touching anything. Microsoft lists these automatic triggers:
- During certain times of day
- When you're duplicating your display
- When you're playing a game
- When you're using an app in full-screen mode
- For the first hour after a feature update
That list explains a lot. If your banners vanished during a presentation or straight after an update, nothing's broken. Do not disturb probably came on by itself.
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What to check when alerts won't behave
Banners keep appearing with Do not disturb on
Look at what's allowed through. Alarms, reminders and your chosen apps are exempt, so an app on that list will keep showing banners.
Banners have stopped and you didn't change anything
Run through the automatic triggers above, then open the notification center. Your missed notifications should be waiting there.
One app is still noisy after the main settings
Open that app's own entry under Notifications from apps and other senders and check each option, starting with play a sound and show banners.
You're on the older version of the system
Support for Windows 10 ended on 14 October 2025. Microsoft's help page still covers both versions, but moving to the newer one is the sensible long-term call.
Frequently asked questions
What's the keyboard shortcut for the notification center?
Press the Windows key plus N.
How many apps can have Top priority?
Just one. High and Normal are there for everything else.
Will I miss my alarms with Do not disturb on?
No. Alarms and reminders still come through as banners.
Where do silenced alerts end up?
In the notification center, where you can read them when you're ready.
Can I hide message previews on the lock screen?
Yes, app by app. It's the hide content on lock screen option in that app's settings.
Why did Do not disturb come on after an update?
It can switch on by itself for the first hour after a feature update.
