How to Turn Off Notifications on Mac: A Comprehensive Guide for Peace and Quiet
How to Turn Off Notifications on Mac: A Comprehensive Guide for Peace and Quiet

How to Turn Off Notifications on Mac: A Comprehensive Guide for Peace and Quiet

Are you tired of your Mac constantly bombarding you with notifications? Whether it’s social media updates, email alerts, or system messages, these notifications can be distracting and disruptive. Fortunately, there are several ways to disable them, allowing you to regain control of your digital environment.

Disabling Notifications from Specific Apps

Step 1: Navigate to System Preferences

Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select "System Preferences."

Step 2: Disable Notifications for the Desired App

In the System Preferences window, select "Notifications." A list of apps that have sent you notifications will appear. Find the app you want to disable notifications for and uncheck the box next to "Allow Notifications."

Muting Notifications from All Apps

Step 1: Enable Do Not Disturb Mode

Click on the Control Center icon in the menu bar (or swipe up from the bottom edge of the trackpad) and select the "Do Not Disturb" button. You can also enable Do Not Disturb mode in System Preferences > Notifications.

Step 2: Adjust Do Not Disturb Settings

Once Do Not Disturb mode is enabled, you can customize its settings to determine when and how notifications are suppressed. For example, you can choose to silence all notifications, only allow notifications from certain apps, or allow notifications to appear silently on your lock screen.

Using Third-Party Apps to Manage Notifications

Noise

Noise is a third-party app that provides a powerful and customizable way to manage notifications on your Mac. With Noise, you can create custom rules to filter notifications based on keywords, app, sender, or time of day.

BetterTouchTool

BetterTouchTool is another popular app that allows you to manage notifications. It offers a variety of options for customizing notification behavior, such as setting custom notification sounds, creating keyboard shortcuts for notifications, and disabling notifications for specific apps when certain conditions are met.

App Features Price
Noise Advanced filtering and customization Free
BetterTouchTool Keyboard shortcuts and conditional notification disabling $8.95
Quieter Simple notification filtering and silencing Free
Notification Center Widget Quick access to notification settings from the Notification Center Free

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined above, you can regain control over notifications on your Mac and create a distraction-free work or leisure environment. Whether you choose to disable notifications from specific apps, mute all notifications, or use a third-party app to manage them, there are numerous options available to suit your needs. Remember, you have the power to customize your Mac’s notification settings and achieve the peace and quiet you seek.

FAQ about How to Turn Off Notifications on Mac

How do I turn off notifications for a specific app?

  • Go to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus.
  • Select the app from the left sidebar.
  • Uncheck the "Allow Notifications" checkbox.

How do I turn off all notifications?

  • Go to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus.
  • Click "Do Not Disturb" in the left sidebar.
  • Enable "Do Not Disturb" to silence all notifications.

How do I customize notification settings?

  • Go to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus.
  • Select an app from the left sidebar.
  • Adjust the notification options, such as alert style, sound, and delivery method.

How do I turn off notification banners?

  • Go to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus > Notifications.
  • Uncheck the "Show banners" checkbox.

How do I turn off notifications from Safari?

  • Open Safari and go to Preferences.
  • Click the "Notifications" tab.
  • Uncheck the "Enable website notifications" checkbox.

How do I turn off notifications from Mail?

  • Open Mail and go to the Mail menu.
  • Select "Preferences".
  • Click the "Notifications" tab.
  • Uncheck the "Notify me of new messages" checkbox.

How do I turn off notifications from Messages?

  • Open Messages and go to the Messages menu.
  • Select "Preferences".
  • Click the "Notifications" tab.
  • Uncheck the "Enable notifications" checkbox.

How do I turn off notifications from Calendar?

  • Open Calendar and go to the Calendar menu.
  • Select "Preferences".
  • Click the "Notifications" tab.
  • Uncheck the "Enable notifications" checkbox.

How do I turn off notifications from Reminders?

  • Open Reminders and go to the Reminders menu.
  • Select "Preferences".
  • Click the "Notifications" tab.
  • Uncheck the "Enable notifications" checkbox.

How do I turn off notifications from System Preferences?

  • Go to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus.
  • Select an app from the left sidebar.
  • Uncheck the "Show notifications in Notification Center" checkbox.