How to Silence Notifications on MacBook, MacOS

Every problem you encounter will have at least one solution, and unwanted notifications are no exception. Luckily, there's a simple way to turn off notifications on MacBook that not everyone knows about. It's related to the Notification Center, Apple's hub containing all notifications and information about everything. Currently, Dashboard has been removed from MacOS Catalina, and this is also the home of useful widgets. Let's see what we can do to silence notifications on MacBook, MacOS in the following article.

How to Silence Notifications on MacBook, MacOS
 

Turn Off Notifications on Macbook
 

1. How to manually enable Do Not Disturb?

The easiest way to silence notifications on Mac is by using the Do Not Disturb feature. It will silence notification sounds, so you won't see or hear them anymore (although you can still view notifications by opening Notification Center). Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Press the Option key (Alt key on some Macs) and click on the Notification Center icon located at the top right of the menu bar.

Step 2: The Notification Center icon will change from black to gray. This means the

Do Not Disturb feature has been turned on. It will remain active until late at night or until you turn it off.
Step 3: In addition, there's another way to activate Do Not Disturb, which is by swiping left from the right edge of the trackpad.

Step 4: Swipe down and two options will appear at the top of the Notification Center: Night Shift and Do Not Disturb.
Step 5: Click on the switch next to the Do Not Disturb option to enable the feature. Similar to the above method, the Do Not Disturb feature will remain active until midnight or until you turn it off.

Step 6: If neither of the above methods suits you, you can create a custom shortcut by opening System Preferences > Keyboard, selecting the Shortcut tab. In the left column, click on Mission Control, check the Show Notification Center option, and enter the desired shortcut.
 

2. How to schedule Do Not Disturb automatically

If you know you'll be busy at a certain time and don't want notifications to disturb you then, you can schedule Do Not Disturb automatically.

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen and select System Preferences. Alternatively, click on the System Preferences icon in the Dock. It looks like a group of gray wheels.
Step 2: From there, click on Notifications.
Step 3: In the Notifications section, click on Do Not Disturb.

Step 4: There are several options here. You can turn on Do Not Disturb for a specific period, such as during work hours if you're using a MacBook, or when the screen is asleep or locked. You can also enable this feature when your MacBook is connected to a TV or projector so you won't get interrupted while watching a movie or giving a presentation.

Step 5: If you want to allow people to call you when the Do Not Disturb feature is active, then check the Allow calls from everyone option. You can also choose to only allow repeat calls in case someone is trying to reach you urgently.
 

3. How to disable notifications from a specific app

Do Not Disturb is a useful feature, but it silences notifications from all apps on your Mac. If you only want to silence notifications from one or two specific apps, you can follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Open System Preferences and click on Notifications.
Step 2: In the left column, select the app you want to disable notifications for.

Step 3: Click on the switch next to Allow Notifications from 'app name' to block notifications from that app.

Step 4: Alternatively, you can allow this app to send notifications but hide them in the Notification Center so they never interrupt your work. Under 'app name' alert style, click on None. Then, uncheck the options Show notification preview, Badge app icon, and Play sound for notifications.

This will prevent you from being disturbed by notifications from this app, but still allow you to view them in the Notification Center when you have time.

Additionally, you can refer to how to enable Low Battery or Full Battery notifications on MacBook here to take appropriate battery charging or unplugging measures.