Changing notification settings on a Mac allows you to customize how and when alerts appear, reducing distractions and improving productivity. The process involves accessing the Notifications menu in System Settings (or System Preferences in older macOS versions), where you can adjust global notification behaviors and app-specific preferences. Key options include turning notifications on/off, selecting alert styles (banners, alerts, or none), managing notification previews, and configuring Focus modes to automatically filter alerts during specific activities.

• Access notifications settings via Apple menu > System Settings > Notifications (macOS Ventura or later) or System Preferences > Notifications (older versions) ^[1][3]
• Alert styles can be set to Banners (temporary), Alerts (persistent), or None for each app ^[2][4]
• Focus modes allow scheduling Do Not Disturb periods or customizing notifications for scenarios like work or sleep ^[4][6]
• App-specific controls let you disable notifications entirely or adjust sound, badges, and preview visibility ^[1][8]

Customizing Mac Notification Settings

Adjusting Global Notification Preferences

The Notifications menu in macOS provides system-wide controls that apply to all apps unless overridden by individual app settings. These global preferences determine how notifications behave by default, including where they appear, whether previews are shown, and how they’re grouped. To begin, open System Settings (or System Preferences in older macOS versions) by clicking the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen, then selecting Notifications from the sidebar ^[1][3]. This menu is divided into two main sections: global notification settings at the top and app-specific settings below.

Key global notification options include:

• Show Previews: Choose between Always, When Unlocked, or Never to control when notification content is visible. Selecting "When Unlocked" hides sensitive information until you authenticate ^[1].
• Notification Center Sorting: Decide whether notifications are sorted by Recents (most recent first) or Manually (user-defined order) ^[6].
• Allow Notifications When Mirroring or Sharing the Screen: Toggle this to prevent notifications from appearing during screen sharing or AirPlay sessions ^[1].
• Do Not Disturb: Schedule automatic quiet hours or enable manually to suppress all notifications temporarily. This can be accessed via the Focus tab in newer macOS versions ^[4].

For users with multiple monitors, note that notification alerts cannot be moved from the top-right corner of the primary display, though you can reposition the menu bar itself to another screen via System Settings > Displays > Arrangement ^[7]. Some users employ third-party tools like PingPlace to force notification repositioning, though this requires additional software and may not be stable ^[7].

Managing App-Specific Notifications

Each app installed on your Mac can have unique notification settings, allowing granular control over how (or if) it alerts you. To adjust these, scroll through the list of apps in the Notifications menu and select the one you want to customize ^[1][8]. The available options vary slightly depending on the app but generally include:

• Allow Notifications: Toggle this to enable or disable all notifications from the app. Disabling may affect functionality for apps relying on alerts (e.g., messaging or calendar apps) ^[5].
• Alert Style:
• None: No visual alert (notifications still appear in Notification Center).
• Banners: Temporary pop-ups that disappear automatically after a few seconds.
• Alerts: Persistent pop-ups that require manual dismissal ^[2][4].
• Show in Notification Center: Choose how many recent notifications from the app are stored (e.g., 1, 5, 10, or all) ^[8].
• Badges: Enable or disable the red badge icons on app dock icons, which indicate unread notifications ^[1].
• Sounds: Toggle notification sounds on or off, or select a custom sound for the app ^[2].
• Critical Alerts: Allow certain apps (like alarms or security tools) to bypass Do Not Disturb settings ^[1].

For web browsers like Safari or Chrome, you can also manage website-specific notifications. In Safari, navigate to Safari > Settings > Websites > Notifications to block or allow alerts from individual sites ^[8]. Chrome users may encounter greyed-out settings if the Mac is managed by an organization (e.g., work or school devices), requiring IT administrator permissions to modify ^[9].

Troubleshooting Greyed-Out Settings

If notification settings for an app appear greyed out, this typically indicates:

• The app is managed by an organization (e.g., work or school Macs with MDM policies) ^[9].
• The app itself does not support notifications or has restricted background permissions.
• A macOS bug requiring a restart or software update. Check for updates via System Settings > General > Software Update ^[1].

In such cases, contact your IT department if the device is company-owned, or reinstall the app if the issue persists ^[9].