Turn Off Notifications in Android With These Simple Steps

Most of us have taken to the new smart phone technology like ducks to water, going from very few people having them a decade or so ago, to now everyone and their mother…and their sister, and their aunt, and everyone else not only having a smart phone, but rarely being separated from it for more than a few minutes. One of the benefits of this technology is that we are now always able to be updated about anything and everything. While we are usually the ones that are making the effort to find this information, sometimes it’s our phone taking the initiative and informing us via notifications. Notifications are basically the phone’s way of telling us one of our apps wants our attention, and they exist in both the Android and Apple’s iOS operating systems.

If you’ve grown weary of one (or many) of your Android notifications, and want to eradicate them, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’ll show you how to pick and choose which notifications you see, if any. If you’re a developer and you’re considering making an app for Android, this article on the things to know before creating an app, and this course on Android app development should be good places for you to start.

How to Get Rid of Pesky Android Notifications

Even though notifications can be helpful and informative, letting you know when it’s your turn to play a game, or giving you an important news update, sometimes they can be annoying, and are even sometimes used to spam people. If you need to get rid of one of these troublesome notifications, you’re in the right place. Let’s begin by showing you a couple of ways to get rid of notifications on the newer version 4 Androids, including the Jelly Bean, and the KitKat.

Method 1 

This method allows you to change the settings directly from the notifications bar, and is the most convenient way to change your notifications settings.

1. Pull down the notification bar to identify which app whose notification settings you’d like to alter.
2. Long press the offending app until a box appears.
3. Press the box that says “App Info”.
4. Uncheck the box that that says “Show Notifications”.

That’s it! It’s super easy, and if you decide to change your mind in the future, you can go back into the “App Info” settings and change it back. If you’d like to take full advantage of your Android phone’s video capabilities, this course on shooting outstanding video with your device will help you get the most out of your phone’s camera.

Method 2

This method goes through the settings menu, and is how you would change your notification settings back if you so desire.

1. On your home screen, go to the Settings menu.
2. Under the heading “Device”, click “Manage Apps”.
3. Next, click on the app that’s causing problems.
4. Finally, turn off the app’s notification ability.

Turning Off Notifications on Older Versions of Android

If you happen to have a version of Android that’s older then the 4 versions, you may be out of luck when attempting to kill pesky notifications. Instead of being able to control each individual app’s notification settings, the app’s developer dictates whether or not the settings can be modified. In order to check to see if an app’s notifications can be changed in older versions of Android, click on the app, go to the menu page, then check in the settings to see if you can change things around. If you’re curious about how to make an app for Android, you’re going to have to learn some Java, and this course on Java essentials for Android will teach you what you need to know about this programming language.

Part of the allure of smart phones, and most other high-tech gadgets, is the ability to streamline and customize the entire experience, making your phone or gadget unlike anyone else’s. A big part of that personalized experience, the ability to download any number of apps, is not only a source of learning and entertainment, but also the cause of many a headache when spam and other unnecessary notifications are sent to you, but now you know how to handle this little problem. If changing your notifications is all you know about your Android device, this course on Android tutorial for beginners will get you familiar with other simple concepts.