The red dot above an app on your home screen shows how many missed notifications you have. Sometimes this is useful, but often it is not. This is how you disable badge app symbols on your iPad and iPhone.
Turn off red dots on the iPhone: this is how you do it
The red dot that shows how many unread emails or WhatsApp messages you have is called a ‘Badge’. For some apps, such as the Phone, it is useful to check how much you have missed.
However, there are also plenty of programs that demand unnecessary attention with their red dot. Think of a game in which you have been upgraded or a wallpaper app that announces that new backgrounds are available. Fortunately, it is possible to disable their badge.
This is how you turn off the red dots above an app icon:
- Open the Settings app and tap ‘Notifications’;
- Go to the app whose badges you no longer want to see;
- Slide the switch at ‘Badges’, and you’re done.
From now on you will no longer see how many unread notifications the app has ready for you. We can advise everyone to go through the list of apps critically and only allow important programs to show dots. That way, your home screen stays organized and you stay focused.
Also read: 5 practical tips to make your iPhone less addictive
This will make your iPhone less addictive
In the same menu you can also turn off a number of functions, making your iPad or iPhone less addictive. For example, if you slide the switch at ‘Allow notifications’, the app will no longer show notifications. You can also indicate here whether you are happy with an app playing sound when a notification has arrived.
Looking for more ways to spend less time on your smartphone? Check out our guide in which we explain how to make your iPhone less addictive with iOS 12.
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