How to Restrict Background App Notifications in Windows 11 Notification Settings

Understanding How 🪟 Windows 11 Handles Notifications

Windows 11 shows notifications as pop-up banners in the bottom-right corner of the screen and stores past alerts in the notification center. Knowing which kind of alert you are looking at makes it easier to decide what to keep and what to block.

• Banner Pop-ups: Small notification boxes that slide into the bottom-right corner of your screen for a few seconds, then disappear.
• Action Center (notification center): The place where past alerts are stored until you read or clear them. Open it by clicking the time and date in the bottom-right corner of your screen, or by pressing Win+N.
• Sound Alerts: Audio chimes that play whenever a new alert arrives.
• App Badges: Small red dots or numbers on app icons in your taskbar or Start menu that show unread items.

Background apps are programs that keep running quietly while you do other things. Many of them send updates to get your attention. When you restrict their notifications, they stop showing pop-ups and playing sounds. They can still do their work, but they do it without interrupting you.

Restricting notifications does not stop the app from running. If your goal is to stop the app from running at all, see the Task Manager section near the end.

Step 1Accessing Notification Settings in 🪟 Windows 11

The notification settings live in the Settings app, and they are only a few clicks away. Follow these steps to open them.

1. Click the Start button at the bottom of your screen.
2. Click the Settings icon, which looks like a small gear. You can also press the Win+I to open Settings⚙️ directly. The Settings window opens.

3. In the Settings⚙️ window, make sure System is selected in the list on the left side.
4. Click Notifications in the main list of options. The page is also reachable as Settings › System › Notifications.

You should now see the Notifications page. At the very top is a master switch that turns all notifications on or off. Below it are the Do not disturb settings, and further down is the list of apps that can send you alerts.

If you turn the master switch off, every app is silenced at once. That is a blunt tool, and you may miss alerts you want, such as calendar reminders. The steps in the next section let you be more selective.

Step 2How to Restrict Background App Notifications in 🪟 Windows 11 Notification Settings

Turning off alerts one app at a time lets you silence the noisy programs and keep the important ones. Here is how to do it.

1. Open the Settings⚙️ app by pressing the Win+I.
2. Click System, then click Notifications. The Notifications page opens.

3. Scroll down the page until you reach the section labeled Notifications from apps and other senders. A list of apps appears.

4. Look through the list of apps. Each one has an on/off switch next to it. The list only includes apps that have already asked to send notifications, so a program you just installed may not appear until it has sent its first alert.
5. Find the app that sends too many alerts and click its switch to turn it Off. The switch label changes to Off, and that app stops showing banners and playing sounds.

That’s it. The app you chose is now silent, and every other app keeps working as before.

If you don’t want to silence an app completely, click the app’s name (or the small arrow next to it) to open its sub-settings. There you can choose whether it shows banner pop-ups, plays a sound, or appears in the notification center. A common setup is to turn off the banner and sound but leave the notification center option on. The app is then quiet, but you can still read its alerts later.

To undo any of this, return to the same page and turn the app’s switch back on.

Step 3Hiding Notifications on the Lock Screen

Notifications on the lock screen can show message previews to anyone walking past your desk. You can hide them without changing how notifications behave once you are signed in.

1. Open Settings⚙️ by pressing the Win+I.
2. Click System, then click Notifications.
3. Click the main Notifications row at the top to expand it, if it is not already expanded. More options appear below it.

4. Uncheck the box labeled Show notifications on the lock screen. The check mark disappears from the box.

You should now have lock screen previews switched off, and the change applies immediately. There is no need to restart. To test it, press the Win+L to lock the PC and wait for a new alert. Nothing should appear on the lock screen.

Hiding previews matters in shared spaces. Coworkers and visitors can’t read your private messages, email alerts, or app updates while you are away. Your notifications still appear on the desktop and in the notification center once you sign back in. To undo the change, tick the box again.

Step 4Using “Do Not Disturb” to Silence All Background Alerts Instantly

Do Not Disturb is the quickest way to silence everything at once. It is useful when you are writing a report, joining a video call, or watching a movie.

1. Open Settings⚙️ and go to System › Notifications. The Notifications page opens.

2. Find the Do not disturb setting near the top of the page.

3. Click the switch to turn it On. The switch label changes to On.

That’s it. Do Not Disturb is now active and stays on until you turn it off.

If you are on an older Windows 11 build and don’t see Do not disturb, look for Focus assist instead. Microsoft renamed it in a later update. Updating Windows brings the newer layout.

When Do Not Disturb is active:

• Banner pop-ups stop appearing on your screen.
• Notification sounds are muted.
• Incoming alerts go straight into the notification center, so you can read them later.

You can also switch it on and off quickly. Click the time and date in the bottom-right corner to open the notification center, then use the bell icon (Do not disturb) at the top of the panel. On some builds, the Do Not Disturb button is also available in the quick settings panel. If you don’t see it there, click the pencil (Edit quick settings) icon to add it. To turn Do Not Disturb off, use the same switch or button again.

For a timed break from alerts, use a focus session. A focus session is a countdown from the Clock app that you can start from the notification center. While it runs, Windows silences notifications, hides taskbar badges, and stops taskbar icons from flashing. When the timer ends, those alerts return. Open the notification center, set the number of minutes in the focus section, and click the button to start it. If you don’t see the focus section on an older build, open the Clock app and choose Focus sessions there.

Step 5Setting Up Automatic Rules for Focus and Quiet Hours

Windows can turn on Do Not Disturb for you at set times or in certain situations, so you don’t have to switch it on by hand every time.

1. Open Settings⚙️ and go to System › Notifications. The Notifications page opens.

2. Click the Do not disturb section to expand its options.
3. Look for the Turn on do not disturb automatically subsection. On some builds the wording is slightly different, such as “Automatically turn on do not disturb”. The automatic options are listed there.

4. Tick the boxes that match how you work. You can have it turn on during a set time window (such as late at night), when you duplicate your display for a presentation, or when you play a game. Depending on your build, you may also see options for full-screen apps and for the first hour after a Windows feature update. If you want certain apps or calls to get through anyway, click Set priority notifications in the same Do not disturb section and add them to the priority list.

You should now see each box stay ticked once you click it. If you pick the time-based option, set the start and end times when the page offers them. Your background apps will then stay quiet during gaming sessions and meetings without any extra effort. To stop an automatic rule, clear its box.

The priority list is useful when Do Not Disturb is on but you still need a few alerts, such as calls or a work chat app. Anything on the list can break through the silence. Everything else goes quietly to the notification center. To remove an app from the list, open Set priority notifications again and take it off.

Expert Tip 1: Stopping App Badge Counts to Reduce Visual Clutter

App badges are the little red dots or numbers on taskbar icons. They are quiet compared with pop-ups, but they still pull your eye. Turning them off gives you a calmer taskbar.

1. Open Settings⚙️ and go to System › Notifications.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Additional settings section to expand it.
3. Uncheck the box labeled Show notifications on the taskbar🖥️, or look for the setting related to app badge notifications.

The exact wording of this option varies between Windows 11 versions, and on many builds the badge control is not on this page at all. If you can’t find it, open Settings › Personalization › Taskbar, expand Taskbar behaviors, and clear Show badges on taskbar apps. The red dots and numbers should disappear from your taskbar icons right away, and no restart is needed. Tick the box again to bring them back.

That’s it. Your taskbar icons no longer show unread counts.

A clean taskbar means fewer unread counts to react to. That helps you stay on your work instead of checking icons every few minutes.

Expert Tip 2: Managing Hidden Background Apps Through Task Manager

Turning off notifications does not stop an app from running. If a program still drains your battery or starts itself every time you sign in, Task Manager lets you stop it from starting up with Windows.

1. Right-click the Start button at the bottom of your screen.
2. Select Task Manager📊 from the menu. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. The Task Manager📊 window opens.

3. In the Task Manager📊 window, look at the icons down the left side and click Startup apps. Its icon looks like a small gauge or speedometer. A list of programs appears.

4. Review the list of programs that start automatically when you sign in. The Startup impact column shows which ones slow your PC the most.
5. Find a background app that you do not need running right away.
6. Right-click the app and select Disable. Its status changes to Disabled.

You should now have one less program starting with Windows. The change takes effect the next time you sign in or restart. The app is not removed. You can still open it by hand, and to undo the change you right-click it in the same list and select Enable.

Disabling startup apps you don’t need keeps the PC responsive, saves battery on laptops, and means the app won’t send notifications until you open it yourself. Only disable programs you recognize. If you aren’t sure what an entry is, leave it alone, since some are security or driver tools.

For apps installed from the Microsoft Store, there is one more option. In Settings › Apps › Installed apps, click the three dots next to the app and choose Advanced options. Under background app permissions you can stop the app from running in the background. Not every app shows this option, and classic desktop programs don’t have it.

Summary

Windows 11 gives you several layers of control over notifications. You can silence individual apps, hide sensitive previews on the lock screen, schedule quiet hours with Do Not Disturb, start a focus session for a timed break, remove taskbar badges, and stop unneeded apps from starting up. Start with the noisiest apps, then add the other changes as you need them. Every setting can be reversed in the same place you changed it.