The Notification Center has become a staple feature on the iPhone, allowing users to easily manage and organize notifications from various apps. However, with constant updates and new settings, it can be overwhelming for users to navigate and customize the Notification Center to their preferred preferences. In this article, we will guide you through the steps of customizing Notification Center settings on your iPhone, so you can stay on top of your notifications in a way that works best for you.
1. Accessing Notification Center Settings
To get started, open the Settings app on your iPhone and select “Notifications”. This will open the Notification Center settings where you can make changes to your notifications and customize the way they are displayed.
2. Choosing the Right Notification Style
The first option you will see is “Notification Style”. This allows you to choose between different styles for your notifications such as banners, alerts, or none. Banners appear at the top of your screen and disappear automatically, while alerts require you to take an action before they disappear. You can also choose to have no notification style, which will turn off all notifications for that app.
3. Managing Notifications
Next, you can manage notifications for each app individually under the “Notification Style” option. You can choose to allow or disallow notifications, as well as customize the sound, badge, and lock screen options for each app’s notifications. This gives you more control over which apps can send you notifications and how they appear on your lock screen.
4. Grouping and Ordering Notifications
Under the “Notification Grouping” section, you can choose to group notifications by app or keep them separate, based on your preference. This is useful if you have multiple notifications for the same app. You can also change the order of notifications by selecting “Sort Order” and choosing between recent or manual.
5. Managing Notification Previews
For increased privacy, you can choose to disable notification previews from showing on your lock screen. This means that the content of the notification will only be visible when you unlock your device. You also have the option to show or hide notification previews while your iPhone is unlocked under the “Show Previews” option.
6. Customizing Notification Grouping
If you have many notifications from a particular app, you can choose how they are displayed under the “Notifications Grouping” section. By selecting “By App” you will see a summary of notifications from each app, whereas selecting “Automatic” will organize notifications by date and time. You can also choose “Manual” to group notifications in any order you like.
7. Managing Critical Alerts
Critical alerts are notifications that override Do Not Disturb and Silent Mode settings. These are typically used for emergency or urgent situations. Under the “Critical Alerts” option, you can manage which apps can send you critical alerts and how they are displayed on your iPhone.
8. Fine-tuning Siri Suggestions
Siri Suggestions appear in the Notification Center from time to time based on your app usage and are meant to provide a convenient shortcut to frequently used features. You can manage Siri Suggestions under the “Siri Suggestions” option. You can choose to disable them entirely or individually for each app.
9. Choosing Your Notification Settings for Widgets
In iOS 14, you can add widgets to your home screen for quick access to information from your favorite apps. You can choose to customize which apps can display widget notifications under the “Notification Center” section.
10. Enabling Do Not Disturb While Driving
If you don’t want to be disturbed while driving, you can enable the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature under the “Notifications” section. This will automatically silence notifications when you are driving and send an automatic response to those trying to reach you.
In conclusion, customizing Notification Center settings on your iPhone gives you the freedom to manage and organize your notifications in a way that suits your lifestyle. By following these steps, you can streamline your notifications and ensure that you only receive important alerts without being overwhelmed. Take some time to explore the various options and experiment with different settings to find the perfect balance for your needs.