Notifications on the Mac have improved significantly, but the settings are spread across enough places that it takes some effort to get them working the way you want. This guide covers the basics and then the more useful setup: Focus modes.
Notification settings per app
Go to System Settings > Notifications. Each app that sends notifications is listed here. For each app, you can choose:
- Allow Notifications: turn them off entirely for apps you do not need to hear from.
- Alert style: Banners disappear on their own. Alerts stay until you dismiss them. For most apps, banners are better unless you need to act before the notification disappears.
- Sound: disable sounds for apps that do not need to interrupt you audibly.
- Badge: the number on the app icon in the Dock. Useful for Mail and Messages; distracting for most other apps.
Notification Center
Click the date and time in the top right corner to open Notification Center. This shows notifications you have missed and widgets you have added. You can clear all notifications with the X button at the top. Notifications that require action (calendar reminders, system alerts) stay until you handle them.
Do Not Disturb
The quick way to silence everything: click the Focus icon in Control Center (or open Control Center from the menu bar and click Focus) and turn on Do Not Disturb. It silences all notifications until you turn it off. Useful during presentations or when you need uninterrupted concentration.
Focus modes: the more useful version
Focus modes let you define which apps and people can send you notifications, and set them on a schedule. macOS includes several built-in Focus modes (Do Not Disturb, Personal, Work, Sleep) and you can create custom ones.
To configure a Focus mode:
- Go to System Settings > Focus.
- Select a Focus mode or click the + to create one.
- Under Allowed Notifications, choose which people and apps can reach you when this Focus is active. Start with fewer allowed rather than more — you can always add exceptions.
- Set a Schedule: automatically activate by time, location, or when a specific app is open.
Focus filters
Within each Focus mode, you can set Focus Filters: rules for how apps behave when the Focus is active. Safari can show only your Work tabs. Calendar can show only your work calendar. Mail can filter to your work email. These are found at the bottom of each Focus mode settings screen and are worth configuring if you use separate accounts for work and personal.
Allowing calls when in Focus
Under each Focus mode, go to Allowed Notifications > People. You can allow calls from everyone, no one, favourites, or specific contacts. If you want phone calls to come through during work but not social media notifications, this is where you configure it. Enable “Allow repeated calls” to let through calls from someone who rings twice in three minutes — a common signal for urgency.
Sharing Focus status
If you share status with people via iMessage, your Focus mode can notify them that notifications are silenced when they message you. Go to the Focus mode settings and check the option to share Focus Status. This reduces “why did you not reply” messages without needing to explain what you were doing.