How to block all notifications or notifications from specific apps in Windows 11
Windows 11's notification system may be used by applications to send notifications to the user's desktop. Apps may use it to send reminders to the user. A common scenario that is supported are push updates by sites. Subscribe to them, and you will get notifications on the desktop when the site updates.
Sometimes, these notifications may be annoying or unwanted, for instance, when you clicked allow instead of block when asked about them in your browser of choice. While it is possible to manage notifications in the browser, doing so is not as straightforward as it could be, as you have two main options to deal with them:
- Open the site in question and click on the icon to the left of the site address to change the notification status.
- Open the settings of the browser and navigate several levels to reach the site settings options. There you need to find the site in question and modify the preference.
Again, there is a browser setting supported by most web browsers to turn off notifications entirely. All Chromium-based browsers have these in the Site Settings, and in most, loading chrome://settings/content/notifications opens the right configuration screen. Just switch the setting to "don't allow" and you are done.
Firefox-compatible users load about:preferences#privacy in the browser's address bar, scroll down to Permissions, select the Settings button next to Notifications, and check the "block new requests asking for notifications" to deal with it in the browser.
Windows 11 notifications
Web browsers are not the only types of apps that may send notifications. Calendar and mail applications, games, and any type of app may use the system.
Windows 11 users who don't want to receive any notifications can turn them off completely in the operating system. This speeds up the process significantly.
Here is how that is done:
- Select Start and then Settings.
- Open System and there the Notifications section.
- To turn off all Notifications, toggle the main Notifications setting at the top of the page that opens.
You may also disable notifications for specific applications. Keep the main Notifications setting turned on for that. Scroll down to the application listing and locate the program that you want to modify. The listing is sorted by recency, but you may change that to an alphabetical listing if you prefer it. There is no find option on the page.
Use the main On/Off toggle to set the notifications permission to off for selected applications.
The ">" button opens additional customization options:
- Define how notifications are displayed (on the desktop as banners AND/OR in the Notification Center).
- Enable or disable playing a sound when notifications arrive.
- Set a display priority for notifications from the app in the Notification Center.
You could modify the preferences for the app so that notifications are only displayed in the Notifications Center and not on the desktop.
You may undo any change easily with another click on the toggle or the checkbox.
Now You: do you make use of notifications on your devices?
There is not still W11 23H2 and these instructions are nonsense by now. :[
It worked for me just fine. You’re probably not following the instructions clearly.
Just tried the password option and the OOBE option and didnt work.
Worked perfectly. Thank OP.
Worked perfectly for me just now. Specifically, the regedit option.
Is this cut and paste from a Microsoft PR paper, because it 1000% BS:
“By listening to user insights, Microsoft has demonstrated its commitment to refining the Windows experience based on real-world needs.”
Windows 11 is proof they don’t give a s*it.
Worked for me just now
I agree! Windows 11 was a downgrade to me and I kept all 8 computers in our family on Windows 10 as a result. They didn’t listen to any customers. The taskbar was THE main reason I stayed away from Windows 11. With 6 monitors, it is impossible to navigate so many browser tabs, without the feature. I will try the new version in the virtual box to see if it is worth it yet.
Microsoft did a terrible job with this implementation.
They simply need to employ the creator of StartAllBack to fix Windows. He is smarter and more talented than the entire campus of Microsoft employees.
lol
Thank you so much! I work in IT and this is extremely useful information!
Thanks man. The second method worked great!
I used the second method, and i got exactly what i expected.
Using the Bypass 2: Use a banned email address email worked fantastically as I had gone to far to use the bypass 1.
I will be back when I next have a problem.
Keep you the great work
W11 File Explorer is the worst crap ever done. W11 is the biggest shame ever.
Just one more reason for me to go to Linux when Windows 10 ages out.
@ MarineRecon,
Be careful which Linux distro you choose. Some of them don’t include the Wayland protocol which is a security issue i.e. apps can copy, paste and inject data without user interaction.
It’s included in Fedora: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/latest/system-administrators-guide/Wayland/
How about a DARK MODE for your website? That would be oh so nice.
Something like this : [https://img.justpaste.me/image/8617] maybe?
Done with ‘Dark Reader Extension for ? Firefox’ [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/darkreader/]
This comment was written on [https://www.ghacks.net/windows-11-installation-has-failed-how-to-fix-this-upgrade-error/#comment-4573155}
Definitely NOT! Once you get older and your eyesight starts to fail you’ll positively loathe dark mode.
Not sure what eye problems *you’re* having, but for me the exact opposite is true. Dark Mode is MUCH easier on my Eyes.
BTW- I’m 52, and have worked in IT all my life. Been staring at monitors for hours each day, most days of the week since the late 1980’s.
Microsoft completely ruined File Explorer by converting to XAML/WinUI/whatever new bloated modern garbage. Its worse than it ever was.
i tested it on win10 current edition. speeds up explorer like a charm
SO what is the priority numbers to give preference to ethernet over wireless?
Worked very well happy to have Windows Photo Viewer back in action in Windows-11
Worked for me (registry option) thank god, I can use the search option to find things on my computer again. Thank you so much!
Install Everything Search and dispense with Microsoft’s crappy search tool. https://www.voidtools.com/
Martin wrote an article on it: https://www.ghacks.net/2020/10/09/add-everything-search-to-the-windows-taskbar-for-even-faster-searches/
I presume the text “WindowsCopilot,,” is a typographical error (2023/09/17/how-to-disable-windows-copilot-in-windows/). The broken comment system unfortunately looks like it is populating itself via AI autopilot.
Hopefully, this Windows Copilot nonsense fails even more spectacularly than Cortana. Who requested this? We want all of the UX features removed back in 11, not this copilot nonsense.
I really don’t mind all of these Windows enhancement but Microsoft get one thing very wrong. ‘Opt in’, is far better than seek information and work to disable.
Turn off Windows Copilot entirely is not good enough.
How to uninstall Copilot entirely ?
@ ilev,
Use Gpedit or the registry. Explained in this article: https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/17/how-to-disable-windows-copilot-in-windows/
With that snake oil salesman Panos gone, hopefully Windows can return to a normal desktop operating system without all the insanity it has right now in Windows 11.
Can we please stop being ‘politically correct’ (lying) and call them ads again instead of ‘suggestions’?
@ Martin,
Does your gpedit hack also turn off all the other “subscribed content” shown in the registry screenshot? Do you happen to know what all those are?
Thank you, I used the fake email option, it worked great.
I wish I had read this article a few months ago, as I purchased two refurbished Windows 10 Pro PCs to replace two older ones. The 1st one I entered an existing Microsoft account I had and it imediately setup OneDrive, adding it to the path names for the common folders such as Documents, Music, video, etc. I tried to just disable OneDrive but then had odd problems finding my data copied from another older PC. long story short I was able to remove all the entries from the registry after un-installing OneDrive.
The second refurbished PC I didn’t connect the WiFi adapter so during installation I was able to click on the no Internet option. Basically I did as you suggested above; set up a local login, disabled OneDrive from running on bootup, and eventually unInstalled it. No problems with folder paths, etc.
The registry option worked for me, but only me, not any other users. How do I make this apply to all users? Yes, I have admin rights.
Just decided to create a Windows 11 system image (went OK) and then went to look for this Co-Pilot crap, but it’s nowhere to be found on my system even though I’ve got the Pro version.
What I did find though in User Configuration –> Administrative Templates –> Windows Components –> Cloud Content was the option to turn off all that Spotlight stuff. Glad to see the back of that anyway.