How to Manage Gmail Notifications in 2024

Learn how to manage your Gmail notifications to enjoy a clean, distraction-free Gmail inbox with our comprehensive guide and the power of Clean Email.

How to Configure Gmail Notifications

Are you drowning in a flood of email notifications? Or maybe important emails are constantly slipping through unnoticed? Whichever end of the spectrum you find yourself on, mastering inbox Gmail notifications and learning how to use Gmail effectively can be a lifesaver.

We'll navigate through the maze of Gmail notification settings on PC and mobile, helping you to strike the perfect balance between staying informed and staying sane.

💡 Note: Rather than simply disabling email notifications, we advise you to address the issue of a cluttered inbox by using Clean Email. Clear out the overwhelming clutter and avoid the hassle of excessive mailbox alerts.

Managing Gmail Notifications on Desktop (Windows and macOS)

If you spend most of your time on a laptop or desktop, then configuring your email alerts correctly can make a world of difference in managing your workflow.

How to turn desktop Gmail notifications on/off:

  1. Log in to your mail account in your favorite web browser.
  2. Click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner and select See all settings.
  3. How to manage Gmail notificationsHow to manage Gmail notifications
  4. Navigate to the Desktop notifications section of the General tab.
  5. Use the Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail link to trigger a web browser notifications confirmation pop-up. Click Allow to confirm it.
  6. Select New mail notifications on or Important mail notifications on to turn alerts on. Alternatively, select Mail notifications off to turn off Gmail notifications.
  7. Click Save Changes at the bottom.

📌 Tip: To ensure a seamless flow of Gmail desktop notifications, it's essential to keep Chrome up and running. You can also use an extension like Checker Plus for Gmail to get new mailbox alerts even when Chrome is closed. We also recommend the extension to those who are wondering how to get Gmail notifications on Mac.

How to turn off Gmail notifications on Mac:

If you prefer using Gmail in the Apple Mail app instead of a web browser, here's a detailed guide on how to manage notifications there:

  1. Open the Apple Mail app on your Mac.
  2. Go to the Mail menu in the top-left corner of the screen.
  3. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
  4. In the opened window, click on the General tab.
  5. Under the New messages sound section, uncheck the box next to Play sound for other mail actions to disable all email notifications for the Mail app.

How to mute conversations on desktop:

  1. Open Gmail in your favorite web browser and log in to your account.
  2. Open the conversation (email) you want to mute in Gmail.
  3. Click on the three vertical dots directly above the email to open the More menu.
  4. Click the Mute option.

📌 Tip: Muting a conversation moves future responses to that thread directly to your archive so they don't clutter your inbox. But don't worry, you'll still be able to find these conversations through search or by checking All Mail, so don't hesitate to follow our instructions on how to mute Gmail notifications for specific conversations.

How to mute a sender in Clean Email

Gmail's mute feature, disliked for making muted messages vanish from the inbox, can cause important emails to be missed in the All Mail folder. Clean Email, an inbox organizer, provides a solution by marking received messages as read instead of hiding them.

To mute messages in Clean Email, simply:

  1. Log into the app with your mail account.
  2. Pick the Senders category from the left-side panel.
  3. Select the sender to mute and hit the Mute button.
  4. Click the button that says MuteClick the button that says Mute
  5. Confirm your choice to silence the sender, deciding whether to apply this to all current messages.

How to snooze emails on a desktop:

  1. Log in to your mail account.
  2. Open the message you want to snooze.
  3. Click the Snooze button (small clock) directly above the email.
  4. Select when you want the email to reappear in your inbox.

Managing Gmail Alerts on Mobile

Managing your Gmail notifications on iPhone and Android is a breeze once you know where to look. By following the step-by-step instructions below, you'll be able to turn your mobile device from a constant source of distraction into an indispensable productivity ally.

How to turn on/off Gmail notifications on iPhone and Android:

  1. Launch the Gmail app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top-left corner.
  3. Scroll all the way down and select Settings.
  4. Navigate to the Email notifications (iOS) or Manage notifications (Android) section.
  5. Choose the desired notification level (All new emails, Gmail high-priority notifications only, or None) and click Done in the top-right corner.

⚠️ Important: Ensure Gmail app notifications are enabled in the Notifications section of the Settings app.

How to mute emails in Gmail on iPhone and Android:

  1. Open the Gmail app and navigate to the conversation you want to mute.
  2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select the Mute option.

How to silence Gmail notifications temporarily:

  1. Open your device's settings.
  2. Look for the Focus (on iOS) or Sound & Notifications (Android) section.
  3. Tap on Do Not Disturb or Priority Only mode.
  4. Customize the settings to allow only priority notifications.
  5. Optionally, set a timer for how long you want notifications silenced.

How to snooze an email in Gmail on mobile:

  1. Open the Gmail app and find the message you want to snooze.
  2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the screen.
  3. Select the Snooze option to snooze Gmail notifications and make the message temporarily disappear from your inbox.
  4. Choose when you want the message to reappear in your inbox.

How to clear all Gmail notifications on mobile:

  1. Open your device's notification panel.
  2. Swipe away Gmail notifications or tap Clear All (Android) / X button → Clear (iOS).
  3. Optionally, open the Gmail app and mark emails as read to clear notifications.

Optimize Email Management With Clean Email

If you've mastered how to manage Gmail notifications on PC and mobile but are still bothered by an overwhelming influx of emails, then you should use Clean Email's powerful features to tame your inbox once and for all.

Clean up your inbox with Clean EmailClean up your inbox with Clean Email

What's Clean Email, you ask? It's a capable and highly secure inbox organizer for Gmail and other popular email services. It offers several powerful tools designed to optimize your email management process. You can sign up for the trial period, try its premium features for free, and see for yourself how they enhance your overall email experience. Among them:

The Unsubscriber tool helps you effortlessly unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters and promotional emails. Thanks to its excellent usability, you can quickly opt out of unwanted mailing lists and consequently receive much fewer notifications and avoid.

Unsubscribe from emails with Clean EmailUnsubscribe from emails with Clean Email

Learn more about how to get rid of spam notifications for a cleaner, more manageable inbox.

Like your personal email gatekeeper, Screener intercepts and screens messages from new senders. This way, you can decide which emails are important enough to warrant your attention and keep your notifications in check.

Stop spam emails with Screener feature in Clean EmailStop spam emails with Screener feature in Clean Email

Auto Clean is like your personal email assistant, enabling you to create customized rules for different types of emails. Say goodbye to the tedious task of manually organizing your emails – let Clean Email do the work for you.

Auto Clean feature with Clean EmailAuto Clean feature with Clean Email

Smart Folders are predefined filters that make it easy to see messages that have something in common (sender, content, age) in one place. You can then effortlessly organize your messages in bulk.

Smart Folders feature in Clean EmailSmart Folders feature in Clean Email

Privacy Monitor in Clean Email checks if your credentials have been compromised in any known email data leak so that you can change them promptly.

Privacy Monitor feature in Clean EmailPrivacy Monitor feature in Clean Email

All these features are available on mobile for easier inbox management, helping you efficiently manage your email routine on the go, no matter where you are.

As a cherry on top, Clean Email is all about user privacy and security. The inbox organizer complies with Gmail's strict privacy policy, and it doesn't store any emails on its servers.

💡 Note: It's important to note, though, that Clean Email cannot turn off Gmail notifications from specific senders. Even if you mute a sender in Clean Email (automatically marking it as read), you will still receive a push notification in your email client. However, you can learn how to turn off email notifications to manage your overall email notification settings more effectively.

Conclusion

Whether you're wrestling with a continuous onslaught of email pop-ups or, worse, missing those all-important messages, mastering the art of managing email alerts is crucial. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively manage Gmail notifications on PC and mobile devices, enhancing your overall email experience with Clean Email.


FAQs

How to turn on Gmail notifications?

To turn on Gmail notifications, open Gmail in your web browser and log in to your account. Click on the gear icon in the top right corner, select “See all settings”, navigate to the “Desktop notifications” section, and enable “New mail notifications on” or “Important mail notifications on” depending on your preference. Save your changes to activate email alerts.

How to turn off Gmail notifications?

To get rid of Gmail notifications, open Gmail in your web browser, click on the gear icon in the top right corner, select “See all settings”, navigate to the “Desktop notifications” section, and choose “Mail notifications off”. Save your changes to disable Gmail notifications.

How to mute Gmail notifications?

To silence Gmail notifications for specific conversations, open the conversation in Gmail, click on the three vertical dots above the email, and select the “Mute” option. Muting a conversation will prevent it from triggering notifications and will move future responses directly to the archive.

How to clear Gmail notifications?

To clear Gmail app notifications, swipe away the notifications from your device's notification panel or mark the emails as read within the Gmail app.

Why am I not getting Gmail notifications?

If you are not receiving email notifications, there are a few potential reasons. First, ensure that alerts are enabled both in the Gmail notification settings and in your device's settings. Also, check that your internet connection is stable and your Gmail account is not experiencing any issues. If the problem persists, try logging out and back into your mail account or restarting your device.

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