To manage notifications on a Mac, open Apple menu > System Settings > Notifications, select an app, and adjust whether it can send notifications, where those notifications appear, whether they play a sound, and whether their content is shown. You can also use Control Center, Notification Center, Focus, and Scheduled Summary to control when notifications interrupt you.
The exact options can vary by app and macOS version, but the main controls are in System Settings > Notifications.
Quick Answer
To change notifications for a specific app:
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Select Notifications in the sidebar.
- Choose an app from the list.
- Turn Allow notifications on or off.
- Choose Banners or Alerts, if available.
- Adjust sounds, previews, and Notification Center settings.
To quickly silence notifications, open Control Center from the menu bar and select Focus or another available notification control.
Open Notification Settings on a Mac
macOS provides notification controls for individual apps rather than one single switch for everything.
- Click the Apple menu in the upper-left corner.
- Select System Settings.
- Click Notifications in the sidebar.
- Select an app under the notification settings list.
The app list may include built-in apps, third-party apps, websites, and other services that have requested permission to notify you. Select an app to see its available options.
Turn notifications on or off for an app
To stop an app from sending notifications:
- Open System Settings > Notifications.
- Select the app.
- Turn Allow notifications off.
This prevents the app from displaying notification banners or alerts and generally stops it from adding new items to Notification Center. It does not usually disable the app itself, stop messages from arriving, or prevent the app from showing information when you open it.
To allow notifications again, return to the same setting and turn Allow notifications on.
Warning: Disabling notifications can cause you to miss reminders, messages, security notices, or other time-sensitive information. If you only need a temporary break, use Focus instead of permanently turning notifications off.
Choose Banners or Alerts
When notifications are allowed, macOS may let you choose how they appear:
- Banners appear briefly and then disappear automatically.
- Alerts remain on screen until you dismiss them or take action.
Choose Banners when you want notifications to be visible without interrupting your work. Choose Alerts when you need to respond to notifications promptly.
Depending on the app, you may also see controls for displaying notifications in other places, such as Notification Center or the Lock Screen.
Change how an app displays notifications
- Open System Settings > Notifications.
- Select the app.
- Under the notification appearance options, choose Banners or Alerts, if both are available.
- Turn other display locations on or off according to your preference.
Some apps provide additional controls, while others offer only a small set of options. The app itself may also have notification settings inside its own preferences.
Control Notification Sounds
Notification sounds can be useful for messages and reminders, but repeated sounds can become distracting.
To control notification sounds for an app:
- Open System Settings > Notifications.
- Select the app.
- Turn Play sound for notification on or off, if the option is available.
Turning off the sound does not necessarily hide the notification. You can continue to receive banners, alerts, or Notification Center items without hearing an audio alert.
You can also change the Mac’s general sound level using the Control Center or System Settings > Sound, but lowering the volume affects other sounds as well. Per-app notification sound controls are more precise when they are available.
Control Notification Previews
A notification preview is the content shown in a notification, such as the beginning of a message or an event title. Previews are convenient, but they may reveal private information to anyone who can see your Mac’s screen.
Notification settings may include a Show previews menu with choices such as:
- Always
- When Unlocked
- Never
To change this setting:
- Open System Settings > Notifications.
- Select an app.
- Find Show previews.
- Choose the option you want.
When Unlocked is a useful privacy setting because notification content stays hidden while the Mac is locked. Never hides the preview even when the Mac is unlocked, while Always displays the notification’s content whenever it appears.
The wording and available choices can vary by app.
Use Notification Center
Notification Center collects recent notifications so you can review them after they disappear from the screen.
To open Notification Center:
- Click the date or time in the menu bar, if your Mac displays notifications there.
- Review the notification groups and widgets that appear.
- Click a notification to open the related app or take the available action.
- Click the close button on a notification or group to remove it.
You can also use the trackpad to swipe left from the right edge of the screen on supported Mac configurations.
Clear notifications
To remove one notification, move the pointer over it and click its close button.
To remove a group of notifications, click the group’s close button when that option appears. Some notification groups may require you to expand them first.
Clearing a notification removes it from Notification Center, but it does not necessarily delete the related message, email, reminder, or event from the app.
Manage Notification Center access
Notification Center may show information from several apps at once. To reduce clutter, return to System Settings > Notifications, select individual apps, and disable Notification Center access or turn off notifications entirely when those options are available.
Use Focus to Silence Notifications Temporarily
Focus lets you reduce interruptions during activities such as work, sleep, driving, or personal time. Instead of changing every app’s notification permission, you can temporarily silence notifications according to a Focus mode’s rules.
To use Focus:
- Click Control Center in the menu bar.
- Click Focus.
- Select a Focus mode, such as Do Not Disturb, if available.
- Choose when it should remain active, if macOS presents scheduling options.
You can configure Focus in System Settings > Focus. There, you may be able to:
- Choose which people can contact you.
- Choose which apps can send notifications.
- Set a schedule.
- Allow certain notifications through.
- Share Focus status with supported apps or services.
- Connect a Focus mode to a specific activity or setup.
Focus does not necessarily change an app’s permanent notification permission. When the Focus mode ends, notifications may be delivered according to your regular settings.
Focus and missed notifications
If a notification does not appear while Focus is active, check Notification Center after the Focus mode ends. Depending on the app and its settings, some notifications may have been silenced, grouped, delayed, or handled according to the Focus configuration.
If an important app must always reach you, add it to the allowed apps list for the relevant Focus mode.
Use Scheduled Summary When Available
Scheduled Summary groups selected notifications and delivers them at scheduled times instead of showing each one immediately. This can reduce interruptions from newsletters, social networks, shopping apps, and other nonurgent services.
To configure it:
- Open Apple menu > System Settings.
- Select Notifications.
- Find Scheduled Summary.
- Turn it on, if the option is available.
- Choose delivery times.
- Select the apps whose notifications should be included.
Urgent or time-sensitive notifications may be handled separately depending on the app and your settings. Review each app’s notification options if you need immediate delivery for a particular service.
Limitation: Scheduled Summary is not available in every situation, and its exact controls can vary by macOS version, app, and notification type. If you do not see it, use per-app settings or Focus instead.
Manage Website Notifications
Websites can request permission to send notifications through a browser. These notifications may appear even when the website is not open, depending on the browser and its settings.
If a website is sending unwanted notifications:
- Open the browser that requested permission.
- Open its settings or preferences.
- Find the website notification or permissions section.
- Block or remove the website’s permission.
You can also look for the website in System Settings > Notifications and turn off its notifications there if macOS lists it as an app or website notification source.
Removing macOS permission may stop the notifications, while changing the browser permission can prevent the website from requesting or sending them again.
Manage Notifications from the Lock Screen
Notification settings may allow notifications to appear on the Lock Screen. This can be convenient, but it can also expose message previews.
To reduce Lock Screen information:
- Open System Settings > Notifications.
- Select the relevant app.
- Turn off its Lock Screen notification option, if available.
- Set Show previews to When Unlocked or Never.
This is especially useful for messaging, email, finance, health, and work-related apps.
Adjust Notifications in an App
Some apps include additional notification controls that are not available in macOS settings. For example, an app may let you choose which conversations, accounts, channels, or event types can notify you.
If an app continues to send notifications after you change its macOS settings:
- Open the app.
- Look for Settings, Preferences, or an account menu.
- Open the app’s notifications section.
- Disable unwanted categories or conversations.
- Save the changes, if required.
The macOS permission controls whether the app can send system notifications. The app’s own settings control what the app tries to notify you about.
Troubleshooting Missing Notifications
If notifications are not appearing, work through these checks.
Confirm that notifications are allowed
Go to System Settings > Notifications, select the app, and make sure Allow notifications is turned on. Check the display style, Notification Center access, sounds, and preview settings as needed.
Check Focus
Open Control Center and look at Focus. If a Focus mode is active, open System Settings > Focus and check whether the app or person is being silenced.
Check Scheduled Summary
If the app is included in Scheduled Summary, its notifications may be delayed until the next scheduled delivery. Remove the app from the summary if you need immediate notifications.
Check the app’s settings
The app may have its own notification controls. Verify that notifications are enabled for the correct account, conversation, calendar, mailbox, or category.
Check sound and output settings
If notifications appear but make no sound:
- Check whether Play sound for notification is enabled for the app.
- Open System Settings > Sound and confirm that the output device and volume are correct.
- Check whether the Mac is connected to headphones, speakers, or another audio device.
- Make sure the notification is not being silenced by Focus.
Check Notification Center
A notification may have appeared briefly and then moved into Notification Center. Open it from the menu bar and review recent items.
Restart the app or Mac
Quit and reopen the affected app. If that does not help, restart the Mac from Apple menu > Restart.
Warning: Before quitting an app or restarting the Mac, save any unsaved work. Some apps may not restore unsaved changes.
Check for software or account problems
If one app still does not notify you:
- Confirm that you are signed in to the correct account.
- Check your internet connection when the app requires one.
- Look for pending updates for the app.
- Check whether the service itself has a maintenance or delivery problem.
- Test whether notifications from another app work.
If notifications from every app are missing, review Notifications, Focus, sound settings, and Notification Center before reinstalling or resetting anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn off all notifications on a Mac?
The quickest temporary method is to use Control Center > Focus and select Do Not Disturb, if available. For permanent changes, open System Settings > Notifications and turn off notifications for individual apps. macOS may not provide one universal switch that permanently disables every notification source in every configuration.
How do I turn off notifications for one app?
Open Apple menu > System Settings > Notifications, select the app, and turn Allow notifications off.
Why are Mac notifications not showing?
Check whether the app is allowed to send notifications, whether Focus is active, and whether the app is included in Scheduled Summary. Then check the app’s own notification settings and Notification Center.
How do I stop notification sounds but keep banners?
Open System Settings > Notifications, select the app, and turn Play sound for notification off while leaving notification display options enabled.
How do I hide message content in notifications?
Select the app in System Settings > Notifications and set Show previews to When Unlocked or Never, if the option is available.
Do notifications appear when my Mac is locked?
They may, depending on the app’s notification settings and your privacy options. Disable Lock Screen notifications or hide previews if you do not want notification content visible while the Mac is locked.
Does Focus permanently disable notifications?
No. Focus generally changes notification behavior temporarily or according to its schedule. Your normal per-app notification permissions remain in place unless you change them in System Settings > Notifications.
Can I get notifications from my iPhone on my Mac?
Notification behavior between Apple devices depends on your device setup, signed-in account, app support, and Continuity-related settings. If an expected notification is missing, check the app’s notification permission on the Mac and review notification and Focus settings on the relevant devices.
Final Thoughts
The most useful place to manage Mac notifications is System Settings > Notifications, where you can control each app’s permission, appearance, sounds, previews, and delivery locations. Use Notification Center to review recent alerts, Focus to silence interruptions temporarily, and Scheduled Summary to group less important notifications when that feature is available. If notifications disappear, first check per-app permissions, Focus, scheduled delivery, and the app’s own settings.