How to see notifications on your iPhone
Notifications on your iPhone appear in three places: the lock screen, the notification center, and banners at the top of your screen while you're using an app. The easiest way to see all your notifications at once is to swipe down from the top of your screen — this opens the Notification Center, which shows every notification you've received, grouped by app and sorted by time.
If your phone is locked, swipe down from the top of the screen to see notifications there. If your phone is unlocked and you're using an app, the same swipe opens the Notification Center. On iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X and newer), swipe down from the top-right corner instead. On iPhones with a home button, swipe down from the very top of the screen.
You can also see notifications on your lock screen without opening the Notification Center. When your phone is locked, notifications appear as banners, cards, or a list depending on how you've set them up. Tap any notification on your lock screen to open the app that sent it.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Notification Center and see all notifications in one place, organized by app.
- Notifications appear on your lock screen automatically, and you can tap them to open the app that sent them.
- Banners appear at the top of your screen while you're using your phone, and they disappear after a few seconds unless you tap them.
- You can customize how each app sends notifications — some apps can send badges (red numbers), sounds, or vibrations instead of visible alerts.
Understanding notification styles on your lock screen
Your iPhone can display lock screen notifications in three different styles, and you control which one each app uses. List style shows notifications stacked on top of each other, so you can see multiple alerts at once. Count style shows only a number badge on the app icon, without any text. Stacked style shows one notification at a time, and you swipe left or right to see others.
To change how an app sends notifications, go to Settings, tap Notifications, find the app name, and tap it. You'll see "Lock Screen" as an option — tap that and choose List, Count, or Stacked. This setting only affects how notifications look on your lock screen, not in the Notification Center.
Banners that appear while you're using your phone
When you're actively using your iPhone, notifications from apps appear as banners at the top of your screen. These banners stay visible for a few seconds, then disappear automatically. If you tap the banner while it's visible, the app opens. If you ignore it, the notification moves to your Notification Center but doesn't disappear.
Some apps send critical alerts, which make a sound and vibrate even if your phone is on silent mode. These are usually reserved for time-sensitive information like medication reminders or home security alerts. Most regular app notifications respect your silent switch and won't make noise if it's turned on.
Clearing notifications you've already read
Notifications stay in your Notification Center until you remove them. To clear a single notification, swipe left on it in the Notification Center and tap the trash icon. To clear all notifications from one app, swipe left on the app's section header and tap Clear.
You can also clear your entire Notification Center at once. Open the Notification Center, scroll to the very top, and tap "Clear" in the top-right corner. This removes all notifications but doesn't change any of your notification settings — apps will still send new notifications the same way they did before.
Badge numbers on app icons
A badge is the small red circle with a number that appears on an app icon. It shows how many unread notifications you have from that app. Some apps use badges to show unread messages, others use them to show pending tasks or updates.
Badges appear on your home screen and in your app library. They stay there until you open the app or clear the notification. If you find badges distracting, you can turn them off for individual apps. Go to Settings, tap Notifications, find the app, and toggle off "Badge App Icon". The app will still send you notifications — you just won't see the red number.
Finding notifications from a specific app
If you're looking for a notification from one particular app, open your Notification Center and scroll through the list. Notifications are grouped by app, so all messages from one app appear together. The most recent notifications appear at the top.
If you can't find the notification you're looking for, it may have been cleared already. You can also check the app itself — many apps keep their own record of alerts and messages inside the app, separate from your iPhone's notifications.
Notification Center organization by time
Your Notification Center automatically sorts notifications into two sections: "Today" and "Earlier". Notifications from the current day appear under "Today", and anything older moves to "Earlier". This makes it easier to find recent alerts without scrolling through old ones.
You can collapse either section by tapping it. This is useful if you want to focus on today's notifications without the clutter of older alerts. Collapsing a section doesn't delete the notifications — they're still there if you tap the section again to expand it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't I see notifications on my lock screen?
The app may have notifications turned off entirely. Go to Settings, tap Notifications, find the app, and make sure "Allow Notifications" is toggled on. You can also check if Do Not Disturb is enabled — swipe up from the bottom (or down from the top-right on newer iPhones) to see your Control Center and look for the moon icon.
Can I see notifications from when my phone was off?
Yes. When you turn your iPhone back on, it will show you all notifications that arrived while it was powered down. These appear in your Notification Center and on your lock screen just like regular notifications. They stay there until you clear them or open the app.
What's the difference between the Notification Center and notifications on my lock screen?
The Notification Center is a complete list of all your notifications in one place. Lock screen notifications are a preview of recent alerts that appear when your phone is locked. Both show the same information, but the Notification Center lets you see everything at once and clear notifications in bulk.
Do notifications disappear if I don't read them?
No. Notifications stay in your Notification Center until you manually clear them, even if you ignore them for days. They don't expire or disappear on their own. You can clear them one at a time or all at once using the Clear button.
Can I see notifications from deleted apps?
No. Once you delete an app, its notifications disappear from your Notification Center. If you reinstall the app later, you won't see the old notifications — only new ones from that point forward.