How to Work with notifications

Set up app notifications

To configure notifications for any app that uses them, go to Settings > Notifications and tap the app’s name. Each has the same basic set of options. Some provide extras, such as previewing messages on the Lock screen.

Refine your choices

To disable all notifications from an app, switch off Allow Notifications. Otherwise, set whether items appear on the Lock screen, are added to Notification Center, play a sound, or show as a badge on the app’s icon.

Respond to a banner

When a banner (or alert) appears at the top of the screen, tap it to go to the relevant place in the corresponding app, or swipe down from it (or apply 3D Touch if your device has it) to respond from where you are.

Opening notifications

At the Lock screen, swipe right on an item to jump to the corresponding place in its app to deal with it. To respond to one in Notification Center, tap it instead, as swiping right there will take you to the Today view.

Richer notifications

iOS 10 enables apps to show richer content when you open a notification in place, instead of going to its corresponding app. If your device has 3D touch just press hard to pop open the richer view.

Without 3D Touch

On devices without 3D Touch, you can swipe right to left on the notification to reveal an option to View the notification. Tap this and you get the same rich notifcation view as if you’d used 3D Touch.

Clear old notifications

Regardless of whether your device has 3D Touch, at the Lock screen or in Notification Center you can dismiss an item by swiping left on it and tapping Clear. Depending on the app, other commands may be available here, too.

Clear all notifications

Notification Center groups old items by reverse order of date. To clear a whole group of items, tap the X to the right of its heading. To get rid of all notifications, apply 3D Touch to an X and then tap Clear All Notifications.