ANDROID
Notifications are useful until they are not. Google's Android Help page "Control notifications on Android" explains how to tame them for one app or for the whole phone. This guide groups the page's advice by what you want to change and keeps to what Google says.
Before you start: Google says some of these steps work only on Android 10 and up, and that settings can vary by phone, so your menus may use different names.
Where notifications show
Notifications show when you swipe down from the top of the screen. Some can also show on the lock screen and the home screen.
Clearing notifications
- To dismiss one notification, swipe it left or right.
- To clear all notifications, scroll to the bottom of the list and tap Clear all.
- To clear all silent notifications, tap Close next to Silent notifications.
- Some notifications can only be cleared when they are done. Google's example is a music player notification, which you can clear after you stop the music.
Notification history
Google says some devices may not have notification history. If yours does, it shows the day's notifications, recently dismissed ones and snoozed ones. To check whether your phone has it, open Settings and look for Notifications.
Snooze
Google says you can snooze a notification by tapping the down arrow on it and choosing Snooze. You need to turn on Allow notification snoozing in your notification settings first.
Choose what appears on the lock screen
In your notification settings, find the lock screen option (named Notifications on lock screen or On lock screen on some phones). Google lists these defaults:
- Do not show any notifications. Google notes this default applies to all apps.
- Show alerting and silent notifications (on some phones, show all notification content). You can still restrict certain apps with Hide sensitive notification content or Do not show notifications at all.
- Hide silent notifications on the lock screen.
Control notifications for one app
Google describes three ways:
- In Settings, open the notification settings and find the app under the recent list (or choose All apps). Turn its notifications on or off, or pick specific categories.
- On a notification itself: drag it slightly left or right after swiping down, then tap Settings.
- Inside the app: many apps have their own notification settings, for example to choose the sound.
Silent or alerting
On some Android devices you can choose, per app or category, between two types. Silent: no sound or vibration, but the notification still appears when you swipe down. Alerting: you hear a sound, see a message on the lock screen and find the app icon in the status bar. Google also lists a Minimize option for silent notifications and a Pop on screen option for alerting ones.
Notification dots
Some apps show a dot when you have a notification. Touch and hold the app icon to see the oldest notification, then clear each one to show the next. You can turn dots on or off with Notification dot on app icon in notification settings.
Emergency alerts
Google says you can turn alert types on or off, find past alerts, and control sound and vibration under Wireless emergency alerts. These cover certain emergency messages, like disaster warnings, threat notifications and AMBER alerts. Settings can vary by phone.
Source: Google Android Help, Control notifications on Android, https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079661 (read November 12, 2026). Steps can change, so check Google's page if your phone looks different.