Notifications help users stay up-to-date on everything going on with the set of applications and services installed on a Windows computer. However, having a seemingly endless stream of notifications can be overwhelming and tiresome. So, if you are looking for a way to disable notifications in Windows 11, for example for a specific application or the entire operating system, you have come to the right place. Read until the end to learn how to turn off notifications and reduce distractions like a pro in Windows 11.
Turn Off Notifications in Windows 11 (2021)
In this article, we’ve included separate sections that cover the various scenarios in which you receive notifications and how you can disable them. Without wasting any time, let’s get started with the steps to disable notifications in Windows 11.
Note: This article focuses on disabling notifications in Windows 11. If you haven’t upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11 or reverted to Windows 10, check out our detailed guide on disabling notifications in Windows 10.
Disable Suggested Notifications
Nothing bothers me more than a machine telling me what to do. If you’re reading this, the feeling is probably mutual. With Windows 11, Microsoft sends recommended notifications to promote Windows 11 features. While this is helpful for beginners, advanced users tend to find it unnecessary and obligatory. If you don’t want to be distracted by suggested notifications, here’s how to turn them off completely in Windows 11:
1. If you get a suggested notification banner in Windows 11, you can easily remove it. Click on the horizontal ellipsis menu and Select “Turn off all notifications for recommended”.
2. Similarly, you can access the notification panel by clicking on the date and time option or using the new Windows 11 keyboard shortcut Win key + N. Next, find the suggested notification and Click on “Turn off all notifications for recommended” option under the horizontal ellipsis menu.
3. As an additional precaution, visit: System -> Notifications and scroll down until you find the checkboxes titled “Give suggestions on how I can set up my device” and “Get tips and suggestions when I use Windows”. Then, turn these options off. That way, you can be sure that Windows 11 won’t bother you with suggestions.
Disable An App’s Notifications From Notification Center
1. The Action Center is no longer the place for notifications in Windows 11, and the date and time is now accessible from the system tray icon instead. So, to get the option to disable notifications in Windows 11, open Notification Center and click on the horizontal ellipsis menu on a notification.
2. From the list of options, “
Turn Off All Notifications in Windows 11
1. If you want to avoid all distractions, you can choose to disable notifications completely in Windows 11. To do this, open the Settings app, navigate to: System -> Notificationsand Disable the “Notifications” toggle.
2. If you are someone who wants to receive some notifications without intruding too much, enable or disable lock screen notifications, notification sound and other options. You’ll find these options by expanding the Notifications drop-down menu in Settings.
Disable Lock Screen Notifications
For those who prefer a clean look on the lock screen, visit System -> Notifications and Disable the “Show notifications on lock screen” toggle. This is a feature you won’t need to disable in Windows 11 as Microsoft has removed the Quick Status icons from the lock screen.
Turn off Notifications for Individual Apps in Settings
Microsoft also makes it easy to disable notifications for individual apps in Windows 11. System -> Notifications Find the app whose notifications you want to disable in the Settings app and in the “Notifications from apps and other senders” section.
To make it easier to find the application, you can sort them by name or by most recently used applications. Once you find the app, disable the notification toggle next to the app list. You will no longer receive notifications from that app. You can repeat these steps for other apps as well.
Disable Notification Banners in Windows 11
1. While there is no universal toggle to disable notification banners in Windows 11, you can disable the feature individually for specific apps. Visit System -> Notifications and click on the target app under “Notifications from apps and other senders”.
2. You will now see a checkbox that says “.Show notification bannersUncheck “. and you’re all set. From this screen, you can also choose to disable notifications in the notification center for individual apps.
Set Notification Priority in Windows 11
1. If you don’t want to miss work or other important notifications from any of your favorite apps, you can set them as a priority. Click on the three-dot menu of a notification from the notification center and “
2. You also have the option to change the priority of app notifications from Settings app. To do this, select an app from the “Notifications from apps and other senders” section under it. System -> Notifications In the Settings app.
3. Set the priority of notifications after opening the notifications page of the app. You can do set an app’s notifications to have Highest, High, or Normal priority. Needless to say, you should set the priority of important apps to High to avoid missing updates.
Mute Notifications with Focus Assist
The Focus Assist feature, also available in Windows 10, gives you the flexibility to choose when you want to avoid distracting notifications. It activates automatically when playing a game or using a second monitor or projector to copy your screen. But if you want to enable it manually, follow the steps below to turn off notifications in Windows 11.
1. Open the Settings app on your Windows 11 PC and Click on “Focus assist” It’s under the System section.
2. When you enable Focus Assist, you can choose to see alarms or notifications only from the priority apps list. Choose the appropriate option according to your preference.
3. If you choose to receive notifications from the priority apps list, Click on “Customize priority list” to specify them.
4th place, Click on “Add app” to add an app to your priority list
5. Select the app from the list of apps displayed and you’re ready. You will be only get notifications from these apps When you enable Focus Assist.
5. You can also trigger Focus Assist mode with automatic rules, for example during working hours or while playing games. Enable toggles based on your use case to enable focus mode.
6. Finally, if you prefer to change the focus mode manually, open the Action Center and click the Focus Assist toggle to enable or disable Focus Assist. If you want to take your productivity to the next level, use third-party apps like Freedom or LeechBlock, as we explain in detail in our article on best practices for focusing on work.
Clear All Notifications in Windows 11
One last tip before completing this article is the ability to quickly turn off notifications with a click. Windows 11 is a handy “Clear all” button to help users turn off unnecessary notifications in bulk.
To do this, open the notification center by clicking on the date and time UI or using the new Windows + N keyboard shortcut. a new “Clear all” button in the upper right. Click on it to turn off all notifications in Windows 11.
Disable Distracting Notifications on Your Windows 11 PC
If you are an avid Windows user, you may have noticed that the steps to disable notifications in Windows 11 have not changed much compared to Windows 10. Having said that, we hope this article will help users trying Windows 11. First time or switching from Mac to a Windows PC because of all the great new Windows 11 features. If you found this guide helpful, check out our articles on how to take a screenshot in Windows 11 and check the screen in time in Windows 11.