Turn off all Snapchat notifications in your phone settings

The fastest way to silence Snapchat is to disable notifications at the operating system level, not inside the app itself. This stops all alerts — messages, stories, friend requests, everything — without changing any Snapchat settings. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Snapchat, then toggle Allow Notifications to off. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Snapchat > Notifications, then toggle Show notifications to off.

This method works because your phone's operating system controls whether any app can send you alerts, regardless of what the app itself is set to do. If you turn off notifications here, Snapchat cannot override that choice. You can still open the app and see messages and stories — they just won't interrupt you with a notification.

Key Takeaways

  • Disabling notifications in your phone's settings stops all Snapchat alerts at once, which is faster than adjusting individual notification types inside the app.
  • You can silence only specific types of notifications — like messages from certain friends or story updates — by using Snapchat's built-in notification controls.
  • Turning off notifications does not delete your account, log you out, or prevent you from using Snapchat when you open it manually.
  • If you want notifications back later, you can turn them on again in the same settings menu in under a minute.

Turn off specific notification types inside Snapchat

If you want to keep some notifications but silence others, use Snapchat's own settings. Open Snapchat, tap your profile icon in the top left, then tap the gear icon for Settings. Go to Notifications and you will see toggles for different alert types: Messages, Calls, Stories, Spotlight, Snap Map, Friend Activity, and others depending on your phone and app version.

Turn off any category you do not want to hear about. For example, you might keep Messages on so friends can reach you, but turn off Stories so you are not alerted every time someone posts. Each toggle works independently, so you have full control over which types of notifications get through.

Mute notifications from specific people

Snapchat also lets you silence alerts from individual friends without affecting notifications from everyone else. Open a conversation with that person, then tap their name at the top of the chat. Scroll down and tap Mute Notifications. You can choose to mute for 8 hours, 24 hours, or indefinitely. When you mute someone, their messages still arrive — you just will not get a notification when they send one.

This is useful if you want to stay connected to most friends but need a break from one person's constant messages. You can unmute them anytime by going back to their chat and tapping Unmute Notifications.

Turn off notification sounds and badges

If you want to keep notifications but remove the sound or the red badge number on the Snapchat icon, you can adjust those separately. In Snapchat Settings > Notifications, look for options like Notification Sounds or Notification Badges and toggle them off. On iPhone, you can also go to your phone's Settings > Notifications > Snapchat and turn off Sounds or Badges individually.

This approach keeps notifications arriving on your phone, but they will not make a sound or show a number on the app icon. You will still see them if you look at your notification center or lock screen, but they will not interrupt you with audio or a visual badge.

Disable notifications for Snapchat Stories and Spotlight

Story and Spotlight notifications can be especially frequent if you follow many people. In Snapchat Settings > Notifications, toggle off Stories to stop alerts when friends post. Toggle off Spotlight to silence notifications about trending content Snapchat thinks you might like. You can turn these back on anytime if you change your mind.

Some users find that turning off these two categories alone reduces notification clutter significantly, since they tend to arrive more often than direct messages. You can still see new stories and Spotlight content when you open the app — you just will not be notified about them.

What happens when you turn off notifications

Turning off Snapchat notifications does not affect your account, your messages, your friends list, or anything else. Messages and stories you receive will still be there when you open the app. You will not be logged out. Your account will not be deleted or suspended. The only change is that you will not receive alerts on your phone.

If you turn off notifications and later want them back, you can turn them on again in the same settings menu. There is no waiting period or reactivation process — the change takes effect immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people know I turned off notifications?

No. Turning off notifications is a setting on your phone only. Snapchat does not tell other users whether you have notifications on or off, and there is no way for them to find out. Your read receipts and online status work the same whether notifications are on or off.

Can I turn off notifications for just one friend?

Yes. Open a chat with that person, tap their name at the top, scroll down, and tap Mute Notifications. You can mute for 8 hours, 24 hours, or indefinitely. They will not know you muted them, and you can unmute anytime.

What if I turn off notifications but still want to see messages on my lock screen?

On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Snapchat and keep Allow Notifications on, but toggle off Sounds and Badges. On Android, keep notifications on but turn off Notification Sounds in Snapchat settings. Messages will still show on your lock screen without making noise.

Do I need to turn off notifications on both my phone and in the Snapchat app?

No. Turning them off in your phone's settings is enough — that stops all notifications from Snapchat. Turning them off inside the app also works, but you only need to do one or the other, not both.