How to Turn Off iMessage Notifications on Mac

When you’re focused on work, iMessage notifications on your Mac can interrupt your concentration. Fortunately, you can disable these notifications to minimize distractions.

Disable iMessage Notifications via System Preferences

Open the System Preferences app. You can find it in your Dock or in the Launchpad.

Click on Notifications in the System Preferences window.

In the left sidebar, scroll down and select Messages. Then, under the “Message alert style” section, choose None. To disable sound notifications, uncheck the box next to Play sound for notifications.

To prevent message notifications from appearing in the Notification Center and on your lock screen, uncheck the boxes for Show in Notification Centre and Show notifications on lock screen.

If you prefer not to see the red badge icon on the Messages app when you have unread messages, uncheck the box next to Badge app icon.

With these settings adjusted, you won’t receive any visual or audio notifications from iMessage on your Mac.

Enable Do Not Disturb for Specific Contacts

If you want to mute notifications from particular contacts while still receiving others, you can enable Do Not Disturb for individual conversations.

Open the Messages app from your Dock or Launchpad.

Select the conversation with the contact you wish to mute.

Click on Details in the upper-right corner of the Messages window.

In the overlay menu that appears, check the box next to Do Not Disturb.

You’ll notice a crescent moon icon next to the conversation, indicating that Do Not Disturb is enabled for that contact.

Now, messages from this contact will arrive silently without alerting you.

Mute Audio Notifications for Messages

If you prefer to keep visual notifications but silence the alert sounds, you can mute the audio cues in the Messages app settings.

Launch the Messages app from your Dock or Launchpad.

In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on Messages, then select Preferences. Alternatively, you can press Command+, on your keyboard to open Preferences quickly.

In the Preferences window, go to the General tab. Uncheck the box next to Play sound effects under the “Application” section.

To prevent notifications when someone mentions your name, uncheck the box for Notify me when my name is mentioned. If you don’t want to be notified about messages from unknown contacts, uncheck Notify me about messages from unknown contacts as well.

With these settings, you’ll still see visual notifications but won’t hear any sound alerts when messages arrive.

Block a Contact in iMessage

If you’d rather stop receiving messages from a specific person altogether, you can block them in the Messages app.

Open the Messages app from your Dock or Launchpad.

In the menu bar at the top, click on Messages and select Preferences.

Navigate to the iMessage tab, then click on Blocked.

Click the + button at the bottom-left corner of the window. This will open your contacts list. Select the contact you wish to block.

The selected contact is now blocked and won’t be able to send you messages. To unblock them later, return to this menu, select their name, and click the – button.