How to Silence or Play a Sound Notification for Each App in Windows 11

Windows 11 lets you set notification sounds for each app separately. You can mute a noisy program and still hear alerts from something important, like your email client. All of it is done in the Settings ⚙️ app, and the changes apply straight away. You don’t need to restart.

Step 1Open Your Windows Settings

First, open the Settings ⚙️ app. The keyboard shortcut is quickest, but the Start menu ⊞ works just as well.

1. Press Windows key + I together. Settings opens right away, and you can skip the next two steps.
2. If you prefer the mouse, click the Start button. It’s the Windows logo on the taskbar 🖥️. By default it sits in the centre of the taskbar. If you’ve moved the taskbar icons to the left, it’s in the bottom-left corner.
3. Click the Settings gear icon in the Start menu ⊞. If you don’t see it, click All apps and choose Settings from the list. The Settings ⚙️ window should now be open, with a category list on the left.

Step 2Go to Notifications

Next, go to the page that controls all notifications. The path is System › Notifications

1. Click System in the list on the left side of the Settings ⚙️ window.
2. Click Notifications in the main area on the right. You should see the main notification controls at the top, including the master Notifications switch and the Do not disturb option. Below them is the list of apps.

Turn it on first if you want per-app control. Also check that Do not disturb isn’t on. It silences banners and sounds for all apps, and that can look like a per-app problem when it isn’t.

Step 3Find the App You Want to Change

Windows lists only apps that have sent a notification or registered for them, so a program you’ve never heard from may not appear yet.

1. Scroll down to Notifications from apps and other senders. The list shows apps that have recently sent alerts. Use the sort option beside the list if you’d rather see it by name than by most recent.
2. Find the app you want, such as Mail, Calendar, or another program. If it isn’t visible, keep scrolling, because the list can be long.
3. Click the app’s name. The page for that app opens. It shows settings for that app only, so changes here won’t affect your other programs.

If the app’s own Notifications switch at the top of its page is off, the other options, including the sound, are hidden. Turn that switch on to see them.

Step 4Turn Off the Notification Sound

The last step is the sound switch itself. It sits on the same app page, a little way down.

1. Look for the option Play a sound when a notification arrives. Some builds word it more briefly, as "Play a sound". It's one of the switches beneath the banner options.
2. Click the switch to set it to Off. The app can still show a banner and add alerts to the notification centre, but it no longer makes a noise.
3. To bring the sound back, return to this page and set the switch to On.

Some programs, such as chat and email clients, also have their own sound options inside the app. If an app still beeps after you've turned the Windows switch off, check that app's own settings. The sound may be coming from there rather than from a Windows notification.

Reference:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/notifications-and-do-not-disturb-in-windows-feeca47f-0baf-5680-16f0-8801db1a8466#id0ebd=windows_11

Summary

Muting a noisy app takes only a few clicks: System › Notifications, pick the app, and turn off its sound. Do this for the apps that interrupt you most and leave the ones you rely on switched on. That keeps the interruptions down without making you miss anything important.