Email notifications can be useful for staying up-to-date, but they can also become annoying and distracting if you get too many. Fortunately, most email services make it easy to adjust your notification settings and turn off notifications you don’t need.
In this article, we’ll go over how to turn off email notifications on some of the most popular email platforms and apps, including Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, Apple Mail, and the Gmail and Outlook mobile apps. We’ll provide step-by-step instructions for each option so you can easily make changes to reduce email distractions.
Why You May Want to Turn Off Email Notifications
Here are some common reasons you may want to turn off or limit email notifications:
- You feel distracted by notification pop-ups and sounds.
- You don’t want to be interrupted by emails that aren’t urgent.
- You find yourself compulsively checking email when you get a notification.
- You want to focus without distractions during work or leisure time.
- You’re receiving too many non-essential notifications.
Whatever your reasons, adjusting notification settings can help you take control over when and how often you’re alerted about new emails.
How to Turn Off Gmail Notifications
Gmail is one of the most widely used email services. Here’s how to adjust Gmail notification settings on desktop and mobile:
Desktop
1. Go to Gmail on your computer and click the Settings gear icon at the top right.
2. Select “See all settings.”
3. Click on the tab for “Desktop Notifications.”
4. Under the “New mail notifications” section, uncheck any notification options you want to turn off. For example, uncheck “Notify for every new message.”
5. Click “Save Changes” at the bottom when finished.
This will stop selected email notifications from popping up on your desktop.
Mobile App
1. Open the Gmail app on your iPhone or Android.
2. Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top left.
3. Scroll down and select “Settings.”
4. Tap on your account name.
5. Under “Notifications,” tap “Email notifications.”
6. Here you can toggle off notifications for different types of emails, like “All Mail,” “Primary,” and more.
7. Tap “Back” when finished.
Now you won’t get notifications on your mobile device for email types you’ve disabled. You can always come back to re-enable notifications at any time.
How to Turn Off Outlook Email Notifications
To stop Outlook email notifications, follow these steps:
Desktop
1. Open Outlook and click “File” > “Options.”
2. Select “Mail” from the left menu.
3. Go to the “Message arrival” section and uncheck any notification options, like “Play a sound” or “Show an envelope icon in the taskbar.”
4. Click “OK” to save your changes.
This will stop Outlook notifications on your desktop.
Outlook Mobile App
1. Open the Outlook mobile app and tap the menu icon in the upper left corner.
2. Select “Settings” from the menu.
3. Tap on your account name.
4. Under notifications, toggle off any email notifications you want to stop receiving.
5. Return to the main menu when finished.
Now Outlook will no longer send notifications for disabled email types to your mobile device.
How to Turn Off Yahoo Mail Notifications
To turn off notifications in Yahoo Mail:
Desktop
1. Sign into your Yahoo Mail account on your computer.
2. Click “Settings” at the top right and select “See all settings.”
3. Select the “Accounts” tab.
4. Under your email account name, click “Notifications.”
5. Uncheck the box next to “Email updates” to disable email notifications.
6. Scroll down and click “Save changes.”
You’ve now turned off Yahoo Mail notifications on desktop.
Mobile App
1. Open the Yahoo Mail app and tap your profile icon in the top left.
2. Select “Settings”.
3. Tap on “Notifications”.
4. Toggle off any notifications you want to disable.
5. Return to your inbox when finished.
Your mobile Yahoo Mail app will no longer send notifications for the email types you’ve disabled.
How to Turn Off Apple Mail Notifications
For Apple Mail on Mac devices, here’s how to stop notifications:
1. Open Apple Mail and select “Mail” > “Preferences.”
2. Go to the “General” tab.
3. Uncheck “Play sounds for new messages” and “Show new message notifications.”
4. Close Preferences when finished.
This will disable all Apple Mail notifications on your Mac.
To turn off notifications for the Apple Mail iOS app:
1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down and tap “Notifications”.
3. Select “Mail”.
4. Disable any notification options you don’t want by toggling them off.
5. Return to your home screen when finished.
Your Apple Mail app will no longer send notifications that you’ve disabled.
Other Ways to Reduce Email Interruptions
In addition to adjusting notification settings, here are a few other tips for minimizing email distractions:
– Set fixed times to check your email, instead of constantly keeping it open.
– Use features like Do Not Disturb on mobile devices to mute notifications during certain hours.
– Unsubscribe from any non-essential notification emails, like promotions.
– Disable notification dots/badges for email apps on your mobile home screen.
– Hide your email inbox and use another app as your computer home screen.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key points for turning off email notifications:
- Adjust notification settings in your email account and mobile app options.
- Uncheck boxes for notification sounds, badges, banners, etc.
- You can always re-enable notifications later if needed.
- Consider other ways to minimize email distractions, like setting a schedule.
Disabling unnecessary email notifications can help you stay focused and reduce interruptions. With the steps in this guide, you can easily take control of notifications in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, Apple Mail, and other popular email providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get notifications for some emails but not others?
Yes, many email services allow you to enable notifications for only specific types of emails. For example, in Gmail you can turn off notifications for promotions and social updates but keep them on for your primary inbox. Most apps give you granular control.
Will turning off email notifications cause me to miss important messages?
You shouldn’t miss anything critical, as long as you still actively check your email on your own schedule. Critical information that’s only sent via email (and not by another method like phone) may be worth leaving notifications on for. But you’ll likely realize you don’t need notifications for most day-to-day messages.
Can I get notifications for a certain email contact?
Some email providers let you set notifications for individual contacts. In Gmail, you can pin important contacts to the top of your inbox and always receive notifications for those. Outlook allows notifications from VIPs. Check your email app’s settings to see available options.
What if I change my mind later about notifications?
No problem – you can always go back into your settings and re-enable email notifications at any time. It’s easy to turn them on or off as needed.
How do I stop number badges/alerts from showing on my email app icon?
On mobile devices, you can typically disable badge notifications that show email counts on the app icon. In iOS, go to Settings > Notifications > your email app and toggle off “Badge App Icon.” On Android, disable “Show message count notifications” or “Badge icon” in the app settings.
Conclusion
Distracting, excessive email notifications can disrupt your day. Luckily, every major email provider allows you to customize notification settings. Refer to the steps in this guide to easily turn off email notifications on desktop and mobile apps for services like Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, and Apple Mail. Adjusting these settings can help you stay focused by only getting notified about the most important emails.
Email Service | Desktop | Mobile App |
---|---|---|
Gmail | Click Settings > Desktop Notifications | Tap Menu > Settings > Notifications |
Outlook | Click File > Options > Mail | Tap Menu > Settings > Notifications |
Yahoo | Click Settings > Accounts > Notifications | Tap Profile Icon > Settings > Notifications |
Apple Mail | Mail > Preferences > General | iOS Settings > Notifications > Mail |