Notifications in Windows are designed to keep you informed about important updates, messages, and alerts. Whether it's a new email, a calendar reminder, or a system update, notifications help you stay on top of things without constantly checking your apps.
To help you manage these notifications and minimize distractions, Windows offers a feature called Do Not Disturb. This feature allows you to silence notifications during specific times or activities, ensuring uninterrupted focus.
How notifications work
Notifications in Windows can appear as bannerson your screen and are also accessible in the notification center. You can customize which applications can send you notifications, the priority and the style of these alerts.
When you have new notifications, the notification bell icon on the taskbar lights up.
For notifications that display as banners, you can select the quick action buttons within the banner to perform specific tasks, such as dismissing a reminder or snoozing an alarm.
To check the notifications you missed, open the notification centerusing one of the following options:
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Selectthe clock or the notification bell icon on the taskbar
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Press theWindows logo key+ N
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Swipe from the side of the screen
Actions on notifications in the notification center
In the notification center, you can take different actions on notifications:
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Read more details or take an action, such as replying to a message without opening the related app
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If a notification has an arrow next to the time, select the arrow to expand it and check more details or additional actions
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Select the close button on a notification to clear it. You can also select the close button next to the app name to clear all notifications from a specific app
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Turn off all notifications for a specific app: select the more button > Turn off all notifications
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Select the Clear allbutton to remove all notifications from the notification center
Configure notifications
Managing notifications is essential to avoid being overwhelmed by constant alerts. By customizing your notification settings, you can ensure that you only receive the most important updates, allowing you to stay focused and productive without unnecessary interruptions.
Expand each section to learn more:
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In the Settings appon your Windows device,openSystem>Notificationsor use the following shortcut:
Notifications
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Toggle the switch next to NotificationsOn or Off
To adjust notification settings for each app on your Windows device:
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In the Settings appon your Windows device,openSystem>Notificationsor use the following shortcut:
Notifications
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Select the app under Notifications from apps and othersenders. Adjustthe notification preferences, here are the available options:
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Turn notifications on or off: disable notifications for specific apps if you no longer want to receive them
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Show notification banners: enable or disable pop-up banners for notifications
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Show notifications in notification center: choose whether notifications should appear in the notification center
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Hide content when notifications are on lock screen: prevent sensitive notifications from showing on the lock screen
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Play a sound: toggle the sound for incoming notifications
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Priority of notifications: Set the priority to Top, High, or Normal. Only one app can be set as Top priority, and High priority notifications will appear above Normal ones in the notification center
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Adjust these settings to ensure important alerts are highlighted and less critical ones are minimized.
There are two additional notification settings that you might want to review.
In the Settings appon your Windows device,openSystem>Notificationsand expand Additional settings or use the following shortcut:
Notifications
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Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what's new and suggested: enable this checkbox to get a welcome screen with new features and suggestions after updates or when you sign in
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Get tips and suggestions when using Windows: enable this checkbox to receive helpful tips and suggestions while using Windows
Do not disturb
Do not disturbin Windows is designed to help you stay focused by silencing notifications during critical times. This feature can be activated manually or set to turn on automatically with Focus or under specific conditions.
To manually turn on do not disturb, open the notification center and select the bell icon withzZon it. This will silence all notifications until you manually turn it off.
When you are ready to receive notifications again, return to the notification center and select the same button to disable do not disturb. You can then review any notifications you missed while do not disturb was active.
Withdo not disturbon, you will only receive banners for alarms, reminders, and apps of your choice. Other notifications are sent directly to the notification center until you turn it off.
Configure do not disturb
You can configure do not disturb by setting the conditions to turn it on automatically and by adjusting priority notifications. Expand each section to learn more:
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In the Settings appon your Windows device,openSystem>Notificationsor use the following shortcut:
Notifications
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Expand Turn on do not disturb automaticallyand configure the conditions, which include:
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During certain time of the day
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When duplicating the display
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When playing a game
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When using an app in full-screen mode
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For the first hour after a Windows feature update
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With priority notification settings, you can configure if calls, reminders, and certain app notifications are allowed while do not disturb is on:
In the Settings appon your Windows device,openSystem>Notifications> Set priority notifications or use the following shortcut:
Notifications
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Under Calls and reminders, select the checkboxes to allow incoming calls or reminders while do not disturb is on
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Under Apps, select which apps are allowed to send notifications while do not disturb is onby selecting the button Add apps
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