Where to find and delete notifications
The place you delete notifications depends on what device you're using and what app sent them. On most phones and computers, notifications sit in a notification center or panel that you can open and clear. The steps differ between iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac — and some apps let you delete notifications directly from the notification itself without opening the full center.
On an iPhone, swipe down from the top of the screen to open Notification Center, then swipe left on any notification and tap the trash icon. You can also tap "Clear" at the top to remove all notifications at once. On Android, swipe down twice from the top to open the full notification panel, then swipe left or right on a notification to dismiss it, or long-press it and tap "Remove" or the trash icon.
On Windows 10 or 11, click the notification icon in the bottom right corner of your taskbar (it looks like a speech bubble), then click the X on any notification to delete it. You can also click "Clear all" at the top. On Mac, click the notification center icon in the top right corner, then hover over a notification and click the X that appears.
Key Takeaways
- Each device has its own notification center — iPhone uses the top swipe-down panel, Android uses the top swipe-down panel, Windows uses the bottom right corner, and Mac uses the top right corner.
- You can delete individual notifications by swiping or clicking the X, or clear all notifications at once using a "Clear all" button.
- Deleting a notification does not uninstall the app or stop future notifications from that app.
- To stop an app from sending notifications permanently, you need to change notification settings within the app itself or in your device's settings.
Deleting notifications from specific apps
Some apps send notifications directly to your lock screen or home screen, and you can delete those without opening the notification center. On iPhone, press and hold a notification on your lock screen, then tap "Remove" or swipe left and tap the trash icon. On Android, long-press a notification on your lock screen and tap "Remove" or the trash icon.
For notifications that appear as badges (the small red circles with numbers on app icons), you cannot delete the badge itself — it disappears only when you open the app and clear the unread items inside. For example, if your email app shows a badge with "5", opening the app and reading or deleting those five emails will clear the badge.
The difference between deleting and disabling notifications
Deleting a notification removes it from your screen right now, but the app can still send you new notifications in the future. If you want to stop an app from sending notifications altogether, you need to change your notification settings, not just delete the current ones.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications, find the app in the list, and toggle off "Allow Notifications". On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Notifications, find the app, and toggle off "Allow notifications" or "Show notifications". On Windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications, find the app in the list, and toggle off "Notifications". On Mac, go to System Settings > Notifications, find the app, and uncheck "Allow notifications".
You can also customize which notifications you see without turning them off completely. Most apps let you choose whether to receive alerts, badges, sounds, or banners. For example, you might want email notifications to appear silently in your notification center but not make a sound or show on your lock screen.
Clearing old notifications in bulk
If your notification center has built up dozens of old notifications, you can clear them all at once instead of deleting them one by one. On iPhone, open Notification Center and tap "Clear" at the top. On Android, open the notification panel and tap "Clear all" or swipe down on the panel itself. On Windows, click the notification icon and click "Clear all" at the top. On Mac, open Notification Center and click "Clear all" at the bottom.
Some phones also let you clear notifications by age. On Android, you can often swipe up on a notification to dismiss older ones in a group, or tap "See all" to view notifications from the past few hours or days and delete specific ones.
Notifications that keep coming back
Some apps resend the same notification if you delete it without addressing what it's about. For example, if you delete a message notification without reading the message, the app might send the notification again in a few minutes. To stop this, either open the app and deal with the item (read the message, respond to the alert, or dismiss the prompt), or disable notifications from that app entirely.
System notifications from your device itself — like software updates, storage warnings, or security alerts — cannot be deleted the same way as app notifications. These usually require you to take action (install the update, clear storage, or acknowledge the alert) before they disappear. If you want to stop seeing these notifications, you can often disable them in your device's settings, though some (like critical security alerts) may not have an off switch.
Notification settings you might want to change
Beyond turning notifications off or on, most devices let you control how notifications appear. You can choose whether notifications make a sound, vibrate your phone, light up your screen, or appear on your lock screen. You can also set "Do Not Disturb" or "Focus" modes that silence notifications during certain hours or when you're doing specific activities.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and tap an app to see options like "Sounds", "Badges", "Lock Screen", and "Notification Grouping". On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Notifications, tap an app, and look for options like "Sound", "Vibration", and "Importance level". On Windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications and toggle individual notification types on or off. On Mac, go to System Settings > Notifications, click an app, and choose how alerts appear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a notification delete the message or email inside it?
No. Deleting a notification only removes the alert from your notification center. The actual message, email, or item stays in the app. If you delete a message notification but want to read the message later, you can still open the app and find it there.
Why do some notifications keep coming back after I delete them?
Apps often resend notifications if you dismiss them without taking action on what they're about. For example, a calendar reminder might reappear every few minutes until you open the event or snooze the reminder. Open the app and address the notification, or turn off notifications from that app in your settings.
Can I delete notifications from my smartwatch or other devices?
Yes, but the steps vary by device. Most smartwatches let you swipe left on a notification to delete it, or you can clear all notifications at once from the notification center. Check your device's manual or settings app for the exact steps, as they differ between Apple Watch, Wear OS, and other platforms.
What's the difference between clearing notifications and clearing app cache?
Clearing notifications removes alerts from your notification center only. Clearing app cache removes temporary files the app stored on your device, which can free up space and sometimes fix app problems, but it does not affect notifications. These are separate actions with different purposes.
Will turning off notifications stop me from seeing messages or emails?
Turning off notifications stops the alerts, but messages and emails still arrive in the app. You just won't be notified when they come in. You can still open the app and read them whenever you want — you'll just have to check manually instead of being alerted.