How to stop notifications popping up on Windows 11

By Saadat Rafiq · 2 min read · 8 steps · Published 6 October 2026

Device

Windows

Shown on

Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 (build 26200.9457), Microsoft Cloud PC

App

Settings

Path

Settings › System

Real screenshots

8 of 8 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open the notification settings

   Open Start, Settings, System, Notifications. Scroll to Notifications from apps and other senders. Sort by Most recent to find the app that keeps popping up.

   Done

2. 

   Switch off one app

   Switch off the app in the list. It sends no banners and no entries any more.

   Done

3. 

   Or keep it but stop the pop-ups

   Click the app instead. Untick Show notification banners and leave Show notifications in notification center ticked. Its messages then wait quietly behind the clock.

   Done

4. 

   Turn off the sound

   On the same page, switch off Play a sound when a notification arrives.

   Done

5. 

   Silence everything for a while

   Back on the Notifications page, switch on Do not disturb. Banners stop and everything goes straight to the notification center until you switch it off.

   Done

6. 

   Or switch all notifications off

   The Notifications switch at the top turns them off for every app.

   Done

7. 

   Clear what is already there

   Click the clock on the taskbar to open the notification center and click Clear all.

   Done

8. 

   Stop Windows' own tips

   At the bottom of the Notifications page, expand Additional settings. Untick the welcome experience and tips and suggestions if you do not want them.

   Done

About this guide

A notification shows up two ways on Windows 11: as a banner that pops up in the corner, and as an entry in the notification center behind the clock. You can stop the pop-ups for one app, keep the entries, turn off sounds, or switch everything off.

The screenshots are our own, taken on Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 (build 26200.9457) running as a Microsoft Cloud PC, a Windows PC that runs in the cloud. The Settings app is the same on Home and Pro PCs; where the Cloud PC shows something different, the step says so.

Good to know

On each app's page you can also set its priority: Top, High or Normal. Only one app can be Top.

Timed quiet with a timer: how to use Do not disturb and Focus on Windows 11.

In short: Settings, System, Notifications: switch off an app, or click it and untick Show notification banners. Do not disturb for all at once. Additional settings for Windows tips.