WhatsApp includes built-in notification settings that I use to manage notifications for calls, messages, and group chats. When I get too annoyed, I mute all notifications through my device settings in one go. In this guide, I’ll show you how I silence annoying WhatsApp notifications and discuss the potential drawbacks associated with each option.

1Disabling All WhatsApp Notifications for Android and iPhone

When I need to switch to work mode and want to avoid being disturbed by WhatsApp notifications, I silence all notifications from my device settings in one go. While this method helps me focus on work, I occasionally miss some important updates from my friends and family.

If you want to stop receiving all notifications from WhatsApp, you can do this through your phone’s settings, but be aware that you might miss some important messages.

To disable notifications on Android, follow these steps:

To disable notifications on iPhone, follow these steps:

Disabling all notifications is one of theways to disappear from WhatsApp without deleting the app.

2Muting Notifications for a Specific Chat or Group Chat

When a friend starts bombarding me with memes on WhatsApp or one of my group chats becomes super active while I’m working, I prefer to mute only those specific chats while keeping the rest unmuted. This way, I can still receive important notifications from friends and family.

However, I still get disrupted by notifications from other chats that I haven’t muted, so I often find myself muting chats in the middle of my work to maintain focus.

If you don’t want to mute all WhatsApp notifications but only specific contacts or groups, you can mute notifications individually for them. When you do so, WhatsApp won’t notify users that you’ve muted them, and you won’t receive any notifications from them until you unmute them again or the time you’ve set expires.

To mute a specific contact or group, follow these steps:

To mute a chat on iOS, long-tap on it and selectMute.

Youwon’t receive notificationsfrom the muted contact or group chat, but you’ll still get other notifications as usual.

To unmute the chat, tap on thethree vertical dotsin the top-right corner, and selectUnmute notifications. On iOS, long-tap a mute chat and selectUnmute.

3Managing Notifications for Messages, Calls, and Groups

WhatsApp offers some handy settings that allow me to mute notifications from all the group chats I’ve joined while still receiving notifications from individual contacts.

By disabling group notifications but keeping notifications from individual chats unmuted, I ensure that I won’t miss any important messages from my contacts. This helps me stay updated without getting distracted by group notifications, which I can check later when I have free time.

Similarly, WhatsApp allows muting notifications for audio and video calls, which is a lifesaver when I’m in a situation where I can’t pick up any calls. By turning off call notifications, I can avoid disruptions from incoming calls while still keeping track of messages and group notifications.

There are also times when I’m expecting an important call but don’t want to be bothered by incoming messages from individual contacts or group chats. In such cases, I mute messages and group notifications while keeping call notifications on. If I need to mute everything, I do so directly from my device settings.

To manage these notifications, follow these steps:

To disable message notifications, tap onNotification toneand selectNoneorSilent. Then, tap onVibrateand selectOff. Likewise, turn off the toggles next toUse high priority notificationsandReaction notifications. Repeat the same steps to turn off specific or all kinds of notifications for groups.

To mute call notifications, tap onRingtoneand selectNoneorSilent. Then, tap onVibrationand selectOff.

That’s all. You will no longer receive the calls, messages, or group notifications that you’ve disabled.

You can also mute call or message notifications for individual chats or specific groups. To do that:

You also have the option tocustomize notification sounds for the WhatsApp app to something less annoying on your Android phone.

4Turning Off Lock Screen Notifications

I dislike receivingnotification pop-ups on my lock screenbecause they divert my attention, even when I’ve set my phone aside after locking it. Therefore, I’ve developed the habit of turning off lock screen notifications for all installed apps. If you only want to mute lock screen notifications for WhatsApp, you may easily do so.

If you don’t want to see WhatsApp message previews on your phone’s lock screen, here’s how you can disable that:

On iOS, launch the Settings app, openNotifications, and tap onShow Previews. Then, selectNever.

The above tweaks allow me to effortlessly control WhatsApp notifications, ensuring I only receive those that are essential to me. If you also want to eliminate these interruptions, you can follow the same steps to disable them.

Just keep in mind that if you decide to start receiving notifications from WhatsApp again, you’ll need to re-enable them using the same process you used to disable them.