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The iOS notification system is one of the most effective ways to manage incoming notifications from various apps. It provides users with a simple method to view all notifications in a single place and the ability to interact with these notifications without leaving the app they are currently using. However, not all users are aware of the ways to manage their iPhone notifications. This article explains everything you need to know, including how to add and remove apps from Notification Center, clear notifications, enable or disable notification sound alerts, change the notification type, remove notifications from the lock screen, and how to interact with notifications on your iPhone.
Add and Remove Apps from Notification Center
To manage iPhone notifications, you need to decide which alerts to appear in Notification Center, which you can access by swiping down from the top of the screen. You can make notifications accessible in Notification Center by following these steps:
- Go to Settings> Notifications on your iPhone.
- Scroll through the list of apps and choose the app you want to add or remove from Notification Center.
- Enable the ‘Allow notifications’ option to allow notifications and enable the ‘Show in notification center’ switch to add app notifications to the notification center.
- To remove apps, turn off the “Show in message center” switch. To completely disable the app’s notifications, turn off the “Allow notifications” switch.
Clear Notifications from Notification Center
If you find that Notification Center gets crowded when notifications come in, you can clear them with these simple steps:
- To clear a single notification, swipe left on the notification and tap ‘clear’.
- To clear all notifications, tap the “x” to the right of the Recent tab in Notification Center and tap “Clear” to confirm the deletion. Those with 3D Touch may press the “x” and tap “Clear all notifications” to quickly clear the list.
How to Enable or Disable Notification Sound Alerts
If you find the notification sound annoying, you can turn it off completely by following these steps:
- Go to Settings> Notifications.
- Scroll through the list of apps and choose the app you want to mute.
- Turn off the Sound switch.
Enable or Disable Badge App Icons
Badge app icons are useful to let you know if there are any unread notifications for an app. However, for those who like to keep their home screen clear, badges can get extremely annoying. If there are specific apps that consistently show annoying badges, you can disable them with these simple steps:
- Open Settings> Notifications.
- Scroll through the list of apps and tap the app you want to edit.
- Disable the “Badge App Icon” to disable badges for that app.
- Repeat the process for other annoying apps.
How to Change the Notification Type
You can choose from two different types of notifications: banners and alerts. If you want to change the notification type, follow these steps:
- Open Settings> Notifications.
- Scroll through the list of apps and select the app you want to edit.
- Under the “Alert style when unlocked” section, choose none, banners, or alerts (there is a small animated picture above each option to illustrate what it looks like).
- Repeat the process for all other apps you want to edit.
How to Remove Notifications from the Lock Screen
If you want to hide notifications from the lock screen, follow these steps:
- Open Settings> Notifications.
- Scroll through the list of apps and select the app you want to edit.
- Turn off the Show on lock screen switch to remove it from the lock screen.
- Repeat the process for all other apps you want to edit.
How to Interact with Notifications
The easiest way to interact with notifications is to tap on them. Tapping a notification will open the corresponding app so you can respond to the last notification. If the app supports Quick Reply, you can swipe down from the banner notification to quickly reply to your incoming message without leaving the app you are currently using. You can also swipe right in the Notification Center to reveal contextual quick actions for the notification, depending on the notification and the app. For those with a 3D Touch supported iPhone, you can press them to access a context menu. This context menu may vary in design depending on the app and notification.
Managing iPhone notifications can enhance user experience and reduce distractions. Follow these simple steps to customize your notifications per your preferences.
FAQs
1. How do I disable notifications for a specific app on my iPhone?
Go to Settings> Notifications, scroll through the list of apps and select the app for which you want to disable notifications. Turn off the toggle switch next to Allow Notifications to disable notifications for that app.
2. How do I turn off notifications for a specific contact on my iPhone?
If you want to turn off notifications for a specific messaging contact, open the Messages app, swipe left on the conversation, and tap Hide Alerts. Alternatively, you can open the contact info and select Hide Alerts from there.