For many Mac users, notifications are helpful and appreciated. They ensure that you don’t miss anything important, but there are times when you just want them to leave you alone. Luckily, turning off notifications is quite simple.
Disabling Notifications Manually with Do Not Disturb
Using the Do Not Disturb feature is the easiest way to turn off Mac notifications. It prevents you from seeing or hearing notifications, although you can still view them by opening the Notification Center. Here are a few ways to enable this feature:
Step 1: The simplest way to activate Do Not Disturb is to hold the Option key (labeled as Alt on some Macs) and click the Notification Center icon. It’s the icon on the far right of the menu bar that looks like three stacked lines.
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Step 2: The Notification Center icon will turn from black to gray, indicating that Do Not Disturb is now enabled. It will remain on until midnight or until you manually turn it off.
Step 3: Alternatively, you can swipe left from the right edge of the trackpad to bring up the Notification Center. Then, swipe downward to reveal two options at the top: Night Shift and Do Not Disturb.
Step 4: Click the dial next to Do Not Disturb to turn it on. Like the previous method, this will activate it until midnight or until you decide to switch it off.
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Step 6: If neither of the above methods suits your preference, you can create a custom keyboard shortcut. Open System Preferences, click on Keyboard, then navigate to the Shortcuts tab. On the left-hand column, select Mission Control, tick the checkbox next to Show Notification Center, and enter your preferred shortcut. Close System Preferences when you’re done.
Scheduling Do Not Disturb Automatically
If you have a consistent busy period during the day and want to avoid notifications, you can schedule Do Not Disturb to turn on automatically.
Step 1: Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen, then select System Preferences. Alternatively, you can click on the System Preferences icon in the Dock, which looks like a set of gray cogs.
Step 2: In System Preferences, click on Notifications.
Step 3: In the Notifications section, select Do Not Disturb at the top of the left-hand sidebar.
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Step 4: There are various options available. You can set specific times for Do Not Disturb to activate (e.g., during your working hours if you use your Mac for your job) or when the display is asleep and/or locked. You can also activate it when your Mac’s display is mirrored to TVs and projectors to avoid interruptions during a movie or presentation.
Step 5: If you want to receive calls while Do Not Disturb is enabled, you can check the box next to Allow Calls From Everyone. Alternatively, you can choose to allow only repeated calls in case of urgent matters.
Disabling Notifications for Specific Apps
If you only want to stop notifications from certain apps without muting all notifications with Do Not Disturb, you can use another method.
Step 1: Again, access System Preferences and select Notifications.
Step 2: On the left side of the window, find the app from which you want to stop notifications.
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Step 3: You should find a toggle option labeled Allow Notifications From [App Name]. Click on it, and the toggle will switch to gray, indicating that you have successfully blocked the app’s alerts.
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Step 4: If you don’t want to block notifications entirely but simply prevent them from appearing on your screen, you can confine alerts to the Notification Center. In the app’s settings, under [App Name] Alert Style, select None. Additionally, you can uncheck the checkboxes for Show Notification Preview, Badge App Icon, and Play Sound for Notifications.
Now, you can conveniently check alerts in the Notification Center instead of being distracted by pop-ups while you work.
For more Mac-related assistance, visit the OnSpec Electronic, Inc. website.
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