Google Chrome notifications aren’t always the easiest thing to master. Some websites like Facebook will ask if you want to turn on notifications in Chrome, but it’s an easy window to miss or ignore if you aren’t sure what it is.
But there are other times when you turn on notifications for a site like Facebook only to regret the decision either because they're too much or you're already getting notifications in another way (via your computer's OS, your phone, your smartwatch, etc.). Here's how to take control of your Chrome notifications whether you're using a PC, Mac or mobile:
Find your notification settings
The first thing you need to know is how to get to your notification settings in the browser, which are a bit hidden. Click on the 'hamburger' menu in the top right of your Chrome window and click Settings.
Scroll down the settings screen and click the link at the very bottom that says Show advanced settings… and then click the Content settings… button directly under the Privacy heading. Scroll down to the Notifications section to see your basic notification settings, which look like this:
Turning notifications off or on
If you don’t want to see any notifications while browsing Chrome, the easiest thing to do is select the option Do not allow any site to show notifications. But if you want to be more selective, you can turn individual website notifications off when you click on the Manage exceptions… button.
This section will show you which websites have asked for your permission to show notifications and whether or not you allowed it. With the exception of Google sites and apps like Mail, Docs and Drive, you can turn any website notifications on and off from here.
In the bottom box, you can also block notifications from entire domains or specific IP addresses. To block entire domains, put [*.] before the web address and select block. For example, to block all Google domains from sending notifications, type [*.]google.com into the area to cover all Google sites.
With this knowledge at your fingertips, you now have complete control over your Chrome notifications. Go forth and browse.
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Your social networks want your attention. Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, even online collaboration tool SlackSlack Makes Group Communication Faster and EasierSlack Makes Group Communication Faster and EasierGroup emails can really kill productivity. It's time to put mail clients to rest and use collaboration services like newly launched Slack.Read More – they want you to know when you have a message, and thanks to a new Chrome update, these apps can tell you even if you don’t have the right app installed.
All they need is for you to be signed into Chrome, and for you to have agreed to receive notifications.
But what if agreeing to these updates isn’t what you intended? What if their incessant beeps and whirrs is what made you sign out of the social network’s apps in the first place? Could you be ready to flush your smartphone away, almost hammered into submission by the news that Eric from accounts has uploaded a new Simpsons/Discworld mashup?
Hold on – there is a way around this. These notifications can be disabled.
Enabling Social Network Notifications in Chrome
Receiving notifications usually occurs when a website offers you the feature upon visiting it. This happens because you have notifications enabled, but you may not be aware of this prior to feature being offered.
You can check for it in Settings > Site Settings > Notifications – you’ll find that the default option is Ask first, and this allows you to specify whether you want notifications on a site-to-site basis.
For instance, upon visiting Facebook, you’ll see a popup giving you the option to Block or Allow notifications, sent from the browser to your Android’s notification area.
Note that notifications are not available in Incognito modeIncognito This: Turn Private Browsing On & Off With A Single Click (Chrome)Incognito This: Turn Private Browsing On & Off With A Single Click (Chrome)Read More.
Which Social Networks and Websites Offer Browser Notifications?
Various websites and services offer browser notifications, a practice that saves you installing an app that would do largely the same thing. Along with Facebook, eBay, Vice News, Product Hunt, Pinterest and Slack – among others – are offering support for browser notifications, which will enable you to stay up-to-date with the latest notifications.
This might mean information about an item you’re bidding on at eBay, or a message from a colleague on Slack. And it might mean someone replied to your comment on Facebook.
As useful as these updates are, of course, things can start getting out of hand. One of two updates might be useful, but having them buzzing your phone every five minutes – which can happen, particularly with Facebook – can be particularly irritating.
So, how do we disable these notifications in Chrome?
How to Disable Mobile Social Network Notifications in Chrome
Say Facebook notifications in Chrome are becoming spammy, but you still want to know when eBay is sending you a message. The way to deal with this is to open the Chrome browser on your Android device, and visit the website you want to disable.
In the address bar, tap the lock, and in the drop-down menu, select Site Settings > Notifications >Block. You’ll need to repeat this for any other websites you want to prevent from sending notifications.
Meanwhile, if you want to block your phone from ever receiving notifications through Chrome, you can open the Chrome menu and go to Settings > Site Settings > Notifications and select Blocked.
Turn Off Facebook Notifications Chrome Windows 10
And don’t forget, these services almost all have apps (Facebook in particularDid You Realize There Were So Many Facebook Apps?Did You Realize There Were So Many Facebook Apps?There are several great mobile companion apps for Facebook available that can help you stay updated, send fun messages, and connect in different ways.Read More), whose notifications you may be able to configure in more detail.
Social Network Notifications on Your Desktop
This isn’t all about the mobile Chrome browser, however. It’s just as likely that your desktop version of Chrome will give you the chance at some stage to receive notifications that you might soon find are irritating you.
To allow or block notifications, Windows and Mac users should open the Chrome browser menu (Chrome OS — which you can try on most PCsHow To Try Google Chrome OS On Your PCHow To Try Google Chrome OS On Your PCHow many times have you been approached by a friend or family member who says that they really have very little use for a big, powerful computer, since all they do with it is check..Read More — users can access this by clicking the account picture in the status area), then Settings > Show advanced settings > Privacy > Content settings…. Find Notifications, and choose from Allow all sites to show notifications, Ask when a site wants to show notifications or Do not allow any site to show notifications, depending upon which option suits you best.
Disabling notifications for particular sites is again a little different.
In Windows, click the bell-shaped notification icon in the system tray at the bottom-right corner of the desktop, then the gear icon, and untick any website that you want to disable notifications for. This can also be used to disable notifications for apps and extensions.
Mac OS X users should follow the same steps, but they’ll find their notification icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Chromebook users, meanwhile, should wait until a notification appears, and click the number in the lower-right corner that indicates this. Next, click the settings icon, and untick the website, app or extension that you wish to disable.
That’s it — no more irritating notifications. Well, not until you get your next spam emailHow Did Internet 'Spam' Get Its Name?How Did Internet 'Spam' Get Its Name?Read More or SMS text messageStop Spam Texts Forever with These TipsStop Spam Texts Forever with These TipsSpam texts are dumb. I could have provided a much more detailed introductory sentence, but I believe we can all agree here. Ever had this kind of moment? 'Oh man! A new text message! Wonder..Read More…
Chrome notifications can be useful; they can also be frustrating. Skyrim mod cat race 2. Have you used them? Perhaps you disabled them due to over-active alerts? Tell us about it in the comments.
Explore more about: Browser Extensions, Facebook, Google Chrome.
- In my Facebook setting, I had accidentally turned ON to receive Chrome notifications and suddenly stopped receiving e-mail notifications of updates, posts, comments. I had since turned the Settings to OFF for Chrome notifications and still do not receive e-mail notifications which is my preference. Can someone help with this? thanks
- You are a life saver! Thank you.
- Is there any way to stop FB notifications on a PC using chrome?
- 'Could you be ready to flush your smartphone away, almost hammered into submission by the news that Eric from accounts has uploaded a new Simpsons/Discworld mashup'?Why in the world would I subscribe to Eric from accounts' updates in the first place? If anything, I'd hide him from my newsfeed.
- Thank you! Enabled Facebook by accident and I was going nuts! :D
- Same here, thanks!
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Sometimes, it's useful to set up notifications on Google Chrome so that you will get an alert if there's been an update on a particular website. For example, you might get desktop notifications when you receive a new email or get Chrome notifications from your favorite news site, when a major story breaks. If you're getting too many notifications, though, you may want to disable some, or all of them. You can do this through the browser's settings menu.
How Chrome Notifications Work
Sometimes, when you're browsing the Web, you'll be prompted by a specific website to allow or disallow that page to show notifications in your browser. If you accept, the website's owner will be able to send messages that pop up on your computer when you have a new notification. Generally, the site will load, if you click the notification.
If you decline to allow notifications, then generally, the site won't be able to prompt you again, unless you change your Chrome settings. If you use multiple browsers, you might be prompted separately to allow notifications in each of them, since each browser has its own notification system.
Notifications from your browser are separate from other notifications you might receive on your computer or smart phone.
Turning Notifications Off
If you don't want to receive notifications at all in Chrome, you can disable them entirely. Also, you won't be prompted to allow notifications when you visit sites that push them out.
To do this, go to the Chrome Preferences menu by clicking the 'Chrome' menu and clicking 'Preferences' or by clicking the dropdown menu indicated by the icon with three dots, then clicking 'Settings.' Scroll to the bottom of the menu and click 'Advanced.' From there, click 'Content Settings.'
Click 'Notifications' and click the toggle switch next to 'Ask before sending (recommended).' That setting will change to 'Blocked.'
If you have notifications enabled that might contain sensitive information, such as the contents of email messages or the fact that you use a particular website, you may want to temporarily disable notifications if you're using your computer in front of a friend or coworker or if you plan to use the computer to give a presentation. You can turn notifications back on when you go back to using the computer in a more private setting.
Change Notification Settings by Site
That same menu enables you to change your notification preferences for individual sites rather than disabling them altogether. Below the 'Ask before sending' toggle, you should see a list of sites under 'Block.' Those sites are not allowed to send you notifications.
Below that list, you'll see a second list of sites labeled 'Allow.' Those sites are ones where you opted in to receive notifications.
If you no longer wish to receive notifications from a site, click the menu icon next to it on the 'Allow' list and click 'Block.' If you want to be prompted by the site before it can send you notifications again, click 'Remove.' You can click the menu icon next to a site on the Block list and click 'Remove' to unblock it. Chrome may then prompt you again to allow notifications when you visit the site.
Notifications in Other Browsers
Other browsers manage notifications separately. On Mozilla Firefox, you can find notification settings under the 'Options' menu, also known as 'Preferences' on a Mac, by clicking 'Permissions,' then 'Notification Settings.' You can disable notifications from particular sites or in general, just as in Chrome.
If you're using Microsoft Edge, click the 'three dots' menu button at the top right corner of the browser window, then click 'Settings.' Scroll down and click 'View advanced settings.' Scroll down to 'Notifications' and click 'Manage' to access the notification settings.
On Apple Safari, click the 'Safari' menu and then 'Preferences.' Click on the 'Notifications' tab to block notifications from some or all websites.
References (5)
About the Author
Steven Melendez is an independent journalist with a background in technology and business. He has written for a variety of business publications including Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, Innovation Leader and Business BVI. He was awarded the Knight Foundation scholarship to Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
Photo Credits
- Patrik Stollarz/Getty Images News/Getty Images
Choose Citation Style
Melendez, Steven. 'How to Remove Notifications From Google Chrome.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/remove-notifications-google-chrome-29518.html. 16 January 2019.
Melendez, Steven. (2019, January 16). How to Remove Notifications From Google Chrome. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/remove-notifications-google-chrome-29518.html
Melendez, Steven. 'How to Remove Notifications From Google Chrome' last modified January 16, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/remove-notifications-google-chrome-29518.html
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Some mobile websites, like Facebook, will deliver push notifications to Chrome on Android so you don't miss an update or reply. This usually comes in the form of a pop-up asking you to allow notifications. If you're quickly scrolling through a site, it's too easy to accidentally tap the pop-up.
Looking for a way to turn off these notifications for good? Here's how:
In the top right-hand corner of Chrome for Android, tap the overflow menu. Head to Settings > Site settings > Notifications.
Here you'll need to tap on the mobile address for the website that's bugging you with notifications. Then, you can revoke this access two ways:
- Clear and reset all data and cookies associated with the website, which will log you out of it and discontinue notifications.
- Only disable the notifications by tapping on the bell icon and choosing Block.
Now you'll only receive notifications from the websites of your choosing.
Looking for the settings in the desktop version? Check out How to turn off Google Chrome desktop notifications.
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