Notifications, and how to quieten them
Decide what your phone is allowed to interrupt you for, instead of putting up with whatever it came set to.
They pile up in the drawer at the top of the screen, and many apps also put a red dot with a number on their icon. Clearing either only tidies the display — the message itself stays safely inside its app.
There is a faster route as well. When a notification you did not want appears, hold your finger on it. Most phones offer Turn off or Deliver quietly right there, without going anywhere.
Key points
- Almost every notification was switched on by the app rather than by you
- Settings, then Notifications — or hold the notification itself and turn it off there
- Nothing is lost by silencing an app; the message stays inside it
- Do Not Disturb lets named people through, so quiet does not mean unreachable
What to remember
- Settings, then Notifications, then the app. Every phone made puts it in exactly that order.
- A person or a time: worth an interruption. A company: almost never.
- Quiet is not the same as unreachable. Every phone can tell the difference between your son and a supermarket.
- A badge is a count, not a to-do list. Clear it in one press, or turn it off and never think about it again.
Try this
Wait for the next notification you did not want, hold your finger on it, and choose Turn off. One press, and that app never interrupts you again.
Practice: Notifications, and how to quieten them. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.