WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Many people rely on WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends and family through messages, photos, videos and calls. However, the constant notifications from incoming WhatsApp messages can be disruptive and distracting. Fortunately, it is possible to disable notifications for new WhatsApp messages while keeping notifications turned on for incoming WhatsApp calls. This allows you to stay focused when needed without missing important calls.
In this guide, we will walk through the steps to turn off WhatsApp message notifications on both iPhone and Android smartphones, while keeping call notifications enabled. Whether you have an iOS or Android device, customizing your WhatsApp notification settings only takes a few taps. Let’s get started!
Turning Off Message Notifications on iPhone
For iPhone users, you can easily configure your WhatsApp notification settings right from the Settings app. Here are the steps:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Notifications.
3. On the Notifications screen, scroll down and select WhatsApp.
4. On the WhatsApp Notifications screen, you will see the notification settings for Messages, Group Notifications and Calls.
5. Tap on Messages.
6. Select None to disable notifications for new WhatsApp messages. The Calls setting should remain enabled to keep getting notified for incoming WhatsApp calls.
Using WhatsApp Notification Settings on iPhone
Alternatively, you can also adjust your notification settings directly within the WhatsApp app for iPhone.
To turn off message notifications in WhatsApp:
1. Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the Settings tab at the bottom right.
3. Select Notifications.
4. On the Notifications screen, tap on Message notifications.
5. Turn the slider off for Messages to disable notifications. The Calls slider should remain enabled.
6. Tap Back to return to the main WhatsApp screen.
With message notifications turned off here, you will no longer get banners, sounds or vibrations when new WhatsApp messages arrive. But calls will still trigger a notification.
Disabling Message Notifications on Android
The process is very similar for Android users to selectively disable WhatsApp message notifications while keeping calls enabled. Here are the steps:
1. Open the Settings app on your Android phone.
2. Tap on Apps & Notifications (this may be labeled Notifications on some Android versions).
3. Select Notifications.
4. On the Notifications screen, find and select WhatsApp.
5. Tap on Messages to adjust the notification settings specifically for new messages.
6. Select None to turn off message notifications entirely.
7. Return to the previous screen and ensure the Calls notification setting is enabled.
Now when new WhatsApp messages arrive, your Android phone will not notify you. But incoming WhatsApp calls will still trigger a notification as normal.
Using In-App Settings on Android
The WhatsApp notification settings can also be changed directly within the app on Android:
1. Open WhatsApp and tap the 3-dot Menu button.
2. Select Settings > Notifications.
3. Tap on Message notifications.
4. Turn off notifications by unchecking the Show notifications toggle.
5. Return to the Notifications screen and make sure Calls notifications remain enabled.
6. Tap Back to exit the settings.
This will similarly disable new message notifications without affecting your call notifications within WhatsApp on your Android device.
Customizing Notification Sounds and Vibrations
If you want to keep receiving notifications for WhatsApp messages but change the notification behavior, you can also customize the sounds and vibrations using these steps:
**On iPhone**
– Open Settings > Notifications > WhatsApp > Messages
– Choose a different Sound to change the notification sound
– Toggle off the Vibrate toggle to disable vibration for messages
**On Android**
– Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > WhatsApp > Messages
– Tap Sound to change the notification sound
– Uncheck Vibrate to disable vibration for message notifications
This allows you to keep getting notified of new WhatsApp messages while modifying the notification experience. Choose silent or less disruptive sounds and turn off vibration for a subtler notification.
Why You Should Disable Notifications
There are a few good reasons to disable WhatsApp message notifications on your phone:
– **Reduce distractions** – Constant pings from incoming messages can disrupt your focus when you need to concentrate on work, driving, reading or other tasks. Disabling notifications eliminates this distraction.
– **Avoid constantly checking messages** – The urge to check every new message notification can be addictive. Turning off notifications helps break this habit so you can check messages on your own terms.
– **Silence group conversations** – WhatsApp groups can be noisy with too many notifications. Mute these group conversations for a less cluttered notification experience.
– **Unplug at certain times** – Disable notifications at night, on weekends or during family time to be present in the moment and focused on personal time.
– **Control digital habits** – Customizing your notification settings creates space to build healthier digital habits and be more intentional about when you use apps and respond to messages.
Benefits of Keeping Call Notifications Enabled
While disabling message notifications can be beneficial, here’s why it’s useful to keep call notifications turned on:
– Never miss an important WhatsApp call from family and friends.
– Get notified for incoming WhatsApp calls related to work, so you don’t miss crucial business conversations.
– Calls are often more time-sensitive than messages, so it’s essential to be notified of them.
– Helps avoid playing phone tag if someone urgently needs to reach you.
– Certain contacts may prefer calling at times rather than messaging back and forth.
Keeping call notifications on while silencing messages provides the right balance for reducing distractions while still receiving and responding to urgent communications in real time over WhatsApp.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you have turned off WhatsApp message notifications but are still getting notified of new messages, here are some troubleshooting tips:
– Double check that the Message notification settings are disabled in both your iPhone Settings or Android Settings and within the WhatsApp app itself. The in-app settings can override your overall notification settings.
– Restart your phone to refresh the notification settings across all apps. New settings don’t always take effect until a reboot.
– Check that you haven’t enabled override options like “Deliver Quietly” for specific WhatsApp contacts. This will bypass the notification settings.
– Make sure notification settings are adjusted at the conversation level in WhatsApp, not just globally. Mute specific groups or chats.
– Update to the latest version of the WhatsApp app in case it’s a bug causing incorrect notifications.
– As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp to reset all settings. Backup your chats first.
– Contact WhatsApp support if notifications are still not behaving as expected.
Following these tips should help get your WhatsApp notifications configured correctly so you only get notified of calls, not messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about managing WhatsApp notifications:
Does Do Not Disturb mode turn off WhatsApp notifications?
Yes, enabling Do Not Disturb will block all notifications, including from WhatsApp. But this disables notifications system-wide, not just for WhatsApp. To only turn off WhatsApp message notifications, you need to change the app-specific settings.
How do I mute WhatsApp groups and specific contacts?
– On iPhone: Go to the chat, tap the contact name, scroll down and select Mute.
– On Android: Long press the chat, tap More > Mute notifications.
This will override your general notification settings for those specific conversations.
Can I get notifications for only certain contacts?
Unfortunately, neither WhatsApp for iPhone nor Android allows you to enable notifications for only selective contacts. You can either mute specific contacts/groups or mute all chats except calls.
How do I customize notification sounds for groups or contacts?
– On iPhone: Go to the chat, tap the contact name, scroll down and select Custom Notifications to change the sound.
– On Android: Long press the chat, tap More > Custom Notifications and select the sound.
Will disabling notifications impact calls or messages?
No, turning off notifications will not affect your ability to send/receive messages and calls in WhatsApp. You just won’t get notified when new messages arrive. Calls will still come through normally.
Step-by-Step Instructions
For quick reference, here are the condensed steps to disable WhatsApp message notifications while keeping calls enabled:
**On iPhone**
1. Open Settings
2. Tap Notifications > WhatsApp > Messages
3. Select None
**In WhatsApp for iPhone**
1. Tap Settings
2. Select Notifications > Message Notifications
3. Turn off slider for Messages
**On Android**
1. Open Settings
2. Tap Apps & Notifications > Notifications > WhatsApp > Messages
3. Select None
**In WhatsApp for Android**
1. Tap Menu > Settings > Notifications
2. Uncheck Show Messages Notifications
Following these simple steps will allow you to take control of your WhatsApp notifications and eliminate distractions from constant message pings. Just be sure to keep calls enabled so you never miss an important WhatsApp phone conversation.
Conclusion
WhatsApp has become a key communication platform for billions of people. But constant message notifications can interrupt your day and drain productivity. By customizing your WhatsApp notification settings, you can disable disruptive notifications for new messages while continuing to get notified for urgent WhatsApp calls.
Whether you have an iPhone or Android device, the process is quick and straightforward. Simply access the Notification settings either through your phone’s Settings app or within WhatsApp, and turn off notifications specifically for Messages while leaving Calls enabled.
With notifications silenced for non-time-sensitive messages, you can focus without distractions and check WhatsApp on your own terms. But you’ll never miss an incoming WhatsApp call from your important contacts when it really matters. Regaining control over your notifications helps optimize how and when you use your devices and apps.
Try tweaking your WhatsApp notification settings to find the right balance for your needs. The flexibility to disable certain notification types gives you more options to reduce digital noise and streamline the mobile experience. Just be sure to keep an eye on those WhatsApp calls so you don’t miss the conversations that warrant real-time responses!