How to Fix: Disable All Windows 10 Notifications (or a few)

Infopackets Reader Debra P. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

Lately I have been inundated with Windows 10 popup notifications that come from websites I've visited previously. I also receive a lot of email alerts. The popups are coming from bottom right corner of my screen and I have no idea how to stop it. Can you please tell me how to disable all Windows 10 notifications? "

My response:

I asked Debra if she would like me to connect with her using my remote desktop support service in order to have a closer look, and she agreed.

Below I will discuss my findings.

How to Fix: Disable All Windows 10 Notifications (or a few)

First, let's talk about why the notifications are appearing and how to limit or prevent it from happening.

The notifications are actually coming from apps or programs that are installed on the system, then those notifications are redirected through the "Windows 10 Action Center." The Action Center is in the lower right corner of the task bar near the clock and look like a speech balloon (pic). Microsoft made the Action Center as a way to streamline and centralize alerts from programs, apps, and even Windows 10 itself.

By default, the Action Center will display all notifications that are sent to it. However, it can also be configured to display notifications from only a few apps, or all notifications can be disabled entirely.

Option #1: Disable All Windows 10 Notifications

By far the quickest and easiest way to disable all Windows 10 notifications is to flick a single switch off in the Windows 10 Settings (described below).

This comes with major caveats, however, as silencing everything at once may prevent an important alert from appearing - such as a calendar reminder, for example. If this won't fit your needs, then scroll down to the next major heading entitled "Disable Notifications Individually by App or Program".

If you wish to disable all Windows 10 notifications, do the following:

1. Click Start, then click Settings (the cogwheel icon). The "Windows Settings" page will be displayed. At the top there is a text field. Type in "Notifications" (no quotes). Below that, click the option "Notifications & actions settings".
    
2. The "Notifications & Actions" window will appear. Ensure that "Get notifications from apps and other senders" is turned off.

Disable Notifications Individually by App or Program

If you need some important notifications appearing but are inundated by others, you will need to investigate which app or program is sending too many notifications, then choose a method to disable the notifications.

There are two ways to disable Windows 10 notifications:

1. If it's a Microsoft Store app, use the Windows 10 "Notifications & Actions" in the Settings to disable notifications.
   
   To do so: click Start, then click Settings (the cogwheel icon). The "Windows Settings" page will be displayed. At the top there is a text field. Type in "Notifications" (no quotes). Below that, click the option "Notifications & actions settings". The "Notifications & Actions" window will appear. Under the heading "Get notifications from these senders", choose which apps you want to receive alerts from. You may also wish to disable the "Get tips, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows" option to disable Microsoft promotions.
    
2. You can also disable or modify the notifications through the app or program itself. In this case, you need to open the app or program to see what notification settings are available.

Let's look at some examples.

Example #1: Disable Chrome Notifications in Windows 10

Google Chrome is a considered a "program" and not an app. Therefore app notifications can only be managed through the program itself.

In Debra's case, she uses Google Chrome to browse the Internet. Sometimes when she visits a website (such as ZDNet.com, for example), it will prompt with a message "[This website] wants to show notifications" then gives the option to "Allow or block" (pic).

Depending on the frequency of articles being published on that site, the alerts can pile up quickly through the Windows 10 Action Center. This is especially since Debra also allowed a bunch of other websites to send notifications.

To disable Chrome notifications in Windows 10, Chrome needs to be modified to only allow certain sites to send notifications (the less annoying ones, for example), or shut the notifications off entirely.

To do so:

1. Open Chrome; at the top right click three dots, then click the "Settings" option.
    
2. At the bottom, click Advanced. Under "Privacy and security," click Site settings, then click "Notifications."
    
3. At this point you can choose to block all, block a site, or allow a site.

Example #2: Disable Windows Mail Notifications in Windows 10

Windows Mail is considered an "app" and comes pre-bundled with Windows 10. Because it's an app, notifications can be managed one or two different ways (but this also depends on the app). In this case, Windows Mail has two methods.

To prevent Windows Mail from sending too many notifications, do the following:

1. To do modify the notification settings in the Windows Mail app: open the Mail app, then select the "Settings" option in the left hand corner. Next, select "Notifications" then choose the account you want to disable notifications.
    
2. Another way to do this is with the Windows 10 Settings. To do so: click Start, then access "Settings", then navigate to "Notifications & Actions" (as described previously) to shut off notifications.

I hope that helps.

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About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.