How do I clear notifications?

Notifications can pile up on our devices, causing distraction and clutter. While some notifications contain important information, many are just noise. Learning how to properly clear notifications can help you take control of your device and focus on what matters most.

Why you should clear notifications

Here are some key reasons to regularly clear out notifications:

• Reduce distraction – Notifications are designed to grab our attention. Having too many can lead to constant interruptions.
• Improve productivity – Clearing notifications helps you avoid distractions and focus on meaningful tasks.
• De-clutter your screen – Too many notifications clutter up your lock screen and notification tray.
• Manage anxiety – For some, a flood of notifications causes stress and anxiety. Taking control helps manage this.

In short, clearing notifications helps you take control of your digital experience and focus on what’s important. Letting notifications pile up can lead to distraction, reduced productivity and unnecessary stress.

How to temporarily clear notifications

For a quick way to temporarily clear notifications from your screen, try these steps:

1. Unlock your phone and swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal notifications.
2. Now swipe away to the left or right on each notification to dismiss it.
3. When you swipe a notification away, it will be cleared from your lock screen and notification tray.
4. Continue swiping away notifications until your screen is clear.

This handy gesture clears the notifications from view and gives you a clutter-free screen. But it doesn’t delete the notifications permanently. They will return the next time you receive an alert from the related app.

How to clear all notifications on Android

To fully clear all notifications on Android devices:

1. Open your Settings app.
2. Tap Apps & notifications.
3. Tap Notifications.
4. Tap Advanced.
5. Tap Notification history.
6. Tap Clear all to delete all notifications.

This will wipe your notification history clean, removing all current notifications from your tray. Useful if you have a huge backlog of notifications to clear out.

How to clear all notifications on iPhone

Here is the process for clearing all notifications on an iPhone or iPad:

1. Swipe down from the top edge of your screen to open Notification Center.
2. Press and hold on a notification.
3. Tap Clear to remove the notification.
4. Tap Clear All to remove all notifications.

This will wipe your notification tray completely clean in just a few taps. All notifications will be removed.

Clear notifications from specific apps

If you only want to clear notifications from certain overactive apps, try these steps:

1. Open Settings and tap Notifications.
2. Find the app you want to adjust.
3. Turn off Allow Notifications.

This stops that app from pushing notifications to your device entirely. You can toggle it back on anytime to resume notifications.

Use do not disturb mode

Both iOS and Android devices have a Do Not Disturb mode that can hide notifications:

• Android – Open Settings and tap Sound & vibration. Toggle on Do Not Disturb to enable it.
• iPhone – Swipe up to access Control Center, then tap the moon icon to enable Do Not Disturb.

This puts your phone in a silent mode with no sounds or vibrations. Notifications will still come in, but won’t flash or make noise. Great for focusing without distractions.

Adjust notification settings

For even more control, dive into the notification settings for each app. You can fine-tune:

• Notification style – Choose banner, popup, or none.
• Sounds – Pick a custom sound for each app.
• Vibration – Toggle vibration on/off.
• Priority – Make notifications high priority or low.

Tailor each app’s notifications so only important alerts come through. Disable sounds and vibrations for low priority apps.

Use Focus modes on iPhone

With iOS 15 or later, enable Focus modes to automatically clear notifications based on what you’re doing:

1. Go to Settings > Focus to configure modes like Work, Sleep, Fitness, Gaming, and more.
2. Customize which apps can send notifications in each mode.
3. Enable a Focus mode manually or set automatic on/off schedules.

Focus modes clean up your notifications screen by hiding non-essential apps. The phone will automatically switch modes and clear notifications based on your schedule and activity.

Set up automatic notification clearing

To keep notifications from piling up long-term:

• Removal by time – Enable automatic clearing of notifications after a set duration like 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month.
• Location-based – Clear notifications when leaving or arriving at set locations like home or work.

These automation features help keep notification clutter minimal so you can focus on the present moment.

Third-party notification manager apps

For even more control over managing notifications, consider apps like:

• NotiSave – Save and resurface notifications later for Android.
• FocusMe – Block distracting apps and schedule “no phone” times.
• Forest – Gamify productivity and phone usage.

These tools give you additional ways to clean up, organize, and schedule notifications so you only see what’s relevant in the moment.

Keep your notification tray clean

Here are some final tips for keeping notifications under control long-term:

• Disable unnecessary notifications from low priority apps.
• Take regular time daily or weekly to clear notification backlogs.
• Use Do Not Disturb mode when you need to focus without interruptions.
• Try Focus modes on iOS to automatically filter notifications.

Staying on top of notifications takes some work, but the benefits for your productivity and focus are immense. Take back control of your device by keeping your notification tray clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when you clear a notification?

Clearing a notification removes it from view on your device. The notification is no longer shown in your notification tray or lock screen. But it is still stored in the background if you need to access it again later. Clearing is temporary, while deleting removes it permanently.

Should I clear all my notifications?

It’s generally a good idea to frequently clear all notifications to declutter your device and avoid notification overload. But you may want to open and review important notifications first before clearing them, so you don’t miss anything vital.

Do cleared notifications come back?

Notifications you swipe away will reappear if that app sends you a new notification. That’s why it’s better to disable certain notifications entirely rather than just clearing them. For a more permanent fix, you’ll want to adjust notification settings.

What’s the benefit of clearing old notifications?

Clearing old, irrelevant notifications helps declutter your screen and remove digital distractions. This allows you to focus on current tasks without the temptation to constantly check old notifications.

Should I disable notifications for some apps?

Absolutely. Disabling notifications from low priority, distracting apps is a great way to minimize notification clutter. Turn off notifications for apps that don’t need your attention urgently. Enable Do Not Disturb to silence them as needed.

Conclusion

Keeping your notifications under control is crucial to staying focused in the digital age. Learn the various methods to clear notifications on Android and iPhone, and set up tools like Do Not Disturb to minimize distractions. Stay on top of your notification tray and you’ll be able to focus on the present moment.