Being able to control the information displayed in notifications on your iPhone is important for privacy and security. There may be times when you don’t want sensitive content visible when receiving a notification. Luckily, iOS provides a few different ways to hide content in notifications.
Why Would You Want to Hide Notification Content?
Here are some common reasons why you may want to hide content in iPhone notifications:
- Privacy – You may not want private messages or information displayed on your lock screen where others could see it.
- Security – Hiding notification content can help prevent sensitive information like account numbers, passwords, etc. from being visible if your phone is lost or stolen.
- Organization – Removing extraneous content can declutter notifications and make important info easier to find.
- Context – Content that makes sense in an app may be confusing out of context when displayed in a notification.
How to Hide Message Content in iOS Notifications
iOS provides a simple way to hide the content of messages in notifications from the Messages app.
Hide Message Previews
To hide message content previews:
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Scroll down and tap Messages
- Toggle off Show Previews
This will remove the message content from notifications, displaying only the sender’s name and app icon.
Use Notification Privacy
You can also use the Notification Privacy feature introduced in iOS 15:
- Go to Settings > Notifications > Notification Privacy
- Turn on the toggle for Messages
This hides the content and sender name until you authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. You’ll just see a notification saying “Notification Hidden.”
How to Hide Email Content in Notifications
Email apps like Mail also provide options to hide content in notifications:
Turn Off Mail Previews
- Go to Settings > Notifications > Mail
- Disable Show Preview
This will remove email content previews from notifications.
Use Notification Privacy
Just like with Messages, you can use Notification Privacy to completely hide Mail notifications until you unlock your iPhone.
Hide Content for Other Apps
Most apps that display notifications with sensitive content will have settings to disable content previews. Look in the app’s settings or in Notification settings for options like Show Preview or Notification Privacy. This includes apps like:
- Slack
- Banking and finance apps
Toggle off the Show Preview or enable Notification Privacy to hide their content.
Customize Notification Settings
For greater control, you can customize notification settings for each app:
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Tap the app
- Configure options like:
- Show Previews – Off to hide content
- Notification Privacy – On to hide notifications
- Sounds – Choose custom sound or none
- Badge App Icon – Toggle on/off
- Notification Grouping – Toggle on/off
Configure each app’s notifications to your preferences for security and privacy.
Temporary Notification Privacy with Focus Mode
iOS 15 also introduced a new Focus Mode feature that lets you temporarily hide notifications when you need to concentrate or prevent distractions:
- Go to Settings > Focus to configure a Focus mode
- Select apps/people to allow notifications from in this mode
- Enable Share Across Devices to sync your Focus profiles
Then to use a Focus mode:
- Swipe down from top right to open Control Center
- Tap the Focus icon
- Select your Focus mode, like Work or Personal
This will hide notifications from apps you didn’t choose to allow. Exit Focus when you’re finished.
Use Notification Summary Features
IOS also provides notification summary features to help manage notifications:
Scheduled Summary
Have notifications delivered in a daily scheduled summary instead of as they occur.
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Tap Scheduled Summary and enable it
- Choose a delivery schedule, like in the morning and evening
Notification History
View a history of recent notifications even if you dismissed them.
- Swipe down from the top right to open Notification Center
- At the top, tap Notification History to view your notifications
Hide Notification Badges
Another aspect of notifications you may want to control is the app icon badges that indicate unread counts. To hide these:
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Tap the app
- Toggle off Badge App Icon
This removes the unread counts from that app’s icon.
Hide Notification Dots/Flags
Notification dots/flags showing you have notifications are another visual you may want to disable.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion
- Toggle off LED Flash for Alerts
This will remove notification dots/flags from app icons.
Hide Lock Screen Notifications
Another approach is to hide notifications entirely from your lock screen. Go to Settings > Notifications and toggle off Show on Lock Screen for each app.
This removes notifications from being displayed on your lock screen.
Hide Notification Center
You can disable access to Notification Center by going to Settings > Notifications > Show in Notification Center and toggling it off.
This prevents pulling down from the top to see notifications.
Hide Notification Content on Lock Screen
A final option is to keep notifications on your lock screen but hide their content. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode and toggle off “Show Notification Preview.”
Notifications will appear on your lock screen but without any of their content shown.
Third-Party Apps to Manage Notifications
There are also third-party apps that provide more advanced control over locking down the notification experience on iPhone:
| App | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Lockdown Pro | Hide notification content on lock screen, Disable swipe gestures to open Notification Center |
| Echo | Hide notification content, Disable notification swipe gestures |
| Sierra | Hide notifications based on time, location, do not disturb; Requires signing up for premium service |
Conclusion
Controlling your notification experience is key for privacy, security, productivity, and reducing distractions. Use the built-in iOS options to hide notification content, badges, dots, previews, and more. Try different Focus modes for temporary notification privacy. And consider a third-party app like Lockdown Pro for even more control.
Customize notification settings on an app-by-app basis for your ideal experience. With the flexibility of iOS options, you can find the right balance for your needs.