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Configure Notification Rules per App and Quiet Hours

Windows 11 lets you silence one app, keep another loud and block everything outside working hours. Three settings pages do the whole job.

by@guidox updated:10/31/26 time:10 min level:Beginner tested on:Windows 11 24H2 works on:Windows 11 tools:Windows 11
TL;DR

Set **per-app** notification switches in Settings, schedule **Do not disturb** with priority apps allowed through, and check the **lock screen** and **badge** options separately. The banner and the sound are different switches.

Before you start

Requirements

  • Windows 11
  • Five minutes
Step by step

Instructions

01

Turn off the noisy app, not all of them

The per-app list sits under Notifications and holds every installed application with a package identity. Switching one off silences banners, sounds and the notification centre entry for that app only.

Settings > System > Notifications
02

Decide between banner, sound and centre

Each app exposes three separate switches: show banners, play a sound, and show in the notification centre. Killing the banner but leaving the sound is the usual reason a supposedly quiet app still pings.

tipTurning off the centre entry as well means a missed notification is gone, not waiting in the list. Keep the centre entry on for anything you might need later.
03

Schedule Do not disturb

The automatic rule takes a start and an end time and repeats daily or on weekdays. Outside that window the machine behaves normally, so a late meeting does not silence a call.

Settings > System > Notifications > Turn on do not disturb automatically
04

Let the important apps through

Priority apps break through the schedule. Add calls, messages and the one work tool you actually answer; a long list defeats the purpose.

Settings > System > Notifications > Set priority notifications
05

Fix the lock screen and badge switches

Lock screen notifications and taskbar badges follow their own settings under the same page. A clean desktop that still shows thirty unread badges means only the banner was switched off.

06

Check what survives a full-screen app

Full-screen games and presentations suppress banners by design. If a notification still cuts into a game, the overlay belongs to the game client or the graphics driver, not to Windows.

Settings > System > Notifications > Notifications > Allow notifications to play sounds
⚠ warningPresentation mode in some laptops is a vendor tool that overrides these settings. Look for its own switch before you file a bug.
Troubleshooting

Common issues

The app is missing from the list

It never registered a notification channel, or it is a desktop program without a package identity. Its own settings are the only lever.

Notifications arrive but make no sound

The per-app sound switch, the system sound scheme, or a muted output device. Check all three in that order.

Do not disturb ignores the schedule

The manual toggle is on, or an app holds focus assist. Turn the manual switch off and let the schedule run.

Banners appear on a second monitor only

The app remembers the display it last used. Reopen it on the primary display once.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Does this affect Focus Sessions?

Yes. A focus session and the schedule use the same suppression; the session just ends automatically.

Can I silence notifications for one hour?

Use the Do not disturb toggle in Quick Settings and set a duration there.

How to undo this

Switch every per-app toggle back on and turn the Do not disturb schedule off. Nothing is stored outside these settings pages, so the previous behaviour returns immediately.

Changelog · 1 entry
  1. 2026-10-31
    First version
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