Notifications on an iPhone: this is how you manage notifications

The more iPhone apps you install, the more often you will be disturbed with notifications. That’s why Apple gives you full control over which notifications you receive — and how. In this article you can read everything about managing your iPhone notifications.

Manage notifications on your iPhone

There are many ways to manage your notifications. This is useful, because this way you determine exactly how the notifications arrive and which apps may or may not disturb you. You can read about the possibilities of your iPhone notifications in this article.

Disable iPhone Notifications

Many apps send meaningful notifications, but some apps send notifications where you never do anything. In that case, you can turn off the iPhone notifications:

1. Open the Settings app and tap “Notifications”;
2. Tap on the app for which you want to turn off push notifications;
3. Turn the switch behind ‘Allow notifications’ to gray.

From this point on, the app will never bother you with notifications again. The notifications are also not shown in the Notification Center. Doesn’t have to be so drastic? Then look further at ‘Silent delivery’.

Also interesting: Switching from Android to iPhone: the complete switching guide

Deliver iPhone notification silently

Another way to make iPhone apps less disruptive to you is to deliver the notifications silently.

The notification will appear in the Notification Center where all notifications are collected, but you will not receive a push notification. This is how you set it up:

1. Open the Settings app and tap ‘Notifications’;
2. Tap the app where you want to deliver the notifications silently;
3. Uncheck the ‘Access screen’ and ‘Strips’ box.

Turn notification sound on or off

Can an app notify you of a notification with a loud ‘ping’? Or should it stay with a visual strip on the access screen?

You determine it in the Settings app:

1. Open the Settings app and tap ‘Notifications’;
2. Tap on the app from which you do not want (or do not want to receive) sound;
3. Toggle the switch behind ‘Sounds’ on or off.

Also read: Forwarding apps between iPhone, iPad and Mac: this is how Apple Handoff works

Show or hide notification content

Can a notification also contain the content, so that you can immediately read, for example, which message someone has sent?

Or would you rather not, because then everyone can read which message you receive? Here’s how to determine whether a notification shows the content:

1. Open the Settings app and choose ‘Notifications’;
2. Tap an app where you want to customize the notification style;
3. Choose ‘Show preview’ at the bottom;
4. Set the option to ‘Always’, ‘If Unlocked’ or ‘Never’.

The ‘If unlocked’ option is only available for iPhones with facial recognition (Face ID). Notifications only show the content of the notification when the software recognizes your face.

You can also arrange this for all apps at once. To do this, go to “Settings > Notifications” and tap “Show preview” at the top.

Read more: Tip: This is how you transfer WhatsApp conversations from Android to iPhone

Enable or disable grouped notifications

Are multiple notifications coming in from one app? Then they are grouped by default.

To read them all, tap them to expand the notifications. Not a fan of the grouped notifications? Here’s how to disable the option:

1. Open the Settings app and tap ‘Notifications’;
2. Select the app where you want to adjust the grouping of notifications;
3. Tap ‘Group notifications’ at the bottom;
4. Choose ‘Automatic’, ‘On app’ or ‘Off’.

With ‘Automatic’ an algorithm determines how the notifications are grouped. That almost always comes down to the same as with ‘On app’.

Manage notifications from a notification

In this article we will always lead you to the Settings app, but it is also possible to perform actions from a notification. That’s how you do that:

1. Swipe a push notification to the left;
2. Tap ‘Manage’;
3. Choose ‘Deliver silently’ or ‘Turn off’.

With Deliver Quietly, notifications appear in Notification Center, but not on the Lock screen. Also, no sound is played, so you will no longer be disturbed by the notification. ‘Turn off’ is more disastrous; you will no longer receive the notifications anywhere.

More tips for iPhone beginners

Are you new to the world of iPhones? Welcome! iPhoned is the starting point for Apple fans, no matter how much experience you have. For example, for iPhone starters, we created the iPhone beginner’s guide.

It contains everything you need to know to get started with Apple’s wildly popular smartphone. You can find the articles via the links below.

• iPhone for Beginners: Downloading Apps, Video Calling, and More Basic Features

• Fast charging an iPhone: this is how your phone is full in no time

• Step-by-step plan: This is how you protect your privacy on an iPhone extra well

• 5 games to try right away on your new iPhone

• New iPhone? This is how you transfer all data and contacts securely