How to Enable or Turn Off Outlook Notifications

It’s all about what works for you

Microsoft Outlook’s mail alerts can be a double-edged sword. They help you stay on top of your emails but can also disrupt your focus and productivity. This tutorial will show you how to enable or turn off Outlook notifications and help you strike a balance between staying informed and avoiding distractions.

How to Enable or Disable Outlook Notifications in Windows

If you use Microsoft Outlook as the email client on your Windows 10/11 computer, you can configure the program to send you desktop notifications whenever your email accounts receive new mail. You must access the Outlook Options dialog to manage your mail notification settings. Here’s how:

You can also check the sub-option labeledEnable preview for Rights Protected messages (May impact performance)to receive notification previews for protected messages.

Next, check the boxes next to the following options if you need additional cues for incoming mail.

If Outlook’s new mail notifications distract you, re-open the Outlook Options dialog, selectMail, and disableDisplay aDesktop Alertand any other alert types you want. If you only want to pause notifications briefly, a better alternative is toactivate Do Not Disturb or Focus Assist in Windows.

How to Enable or Disable Outlook Notifications in macOS

Like on Windows, Microsoft Outlook for Mac can send notifications when receiving new mail. Visit the Outlook Preferences pane to enable email alerts and manage how they work.

Other options related to incoming email that you can enable include:

To disable Outlook notifications, revisit the Notifications and Sounds screen within theOutlook Preferences and uncheckDisplay an alert on my desktopand other alert types. You can also eliminate distractions by putting your Mac on Do Not Disturb/Focus.

How to Enable or Disable Desktop Notifications in Outlook.com

If you use the web version of Outlook on your Windows or Mac computer, you can enable desktop notifications for instances when you don’t have the web app open in a tab. To do that:

Optionally, selectView all Outlook settings(underneath theDesktop notificationsoption) and chooseGeneral>Notifications. Then, decide between receiving desktop notifications for all incoming messages (Messages in Inbox) or emails from your favorite contacts only (Messages from favorite people).

To disable Outlook.com’s desktop notifications on your PC or Mac, re-open the web interface’s Settings sidebar and deactivate the switch next toDesktop notifications.

How to Enable or Disable Outlook Notifications on Android

If you miss or skip the prompt that enables notifications after installing Outlook on your Android, you can activate alerts through the app’s built-in Notifications management pane. However, before you do that, you must check if Outlook has system permissions to send you new mail alerts. To do that:

With Outlook notifications active on your Android device, you must:

If you want to disable email notifications in Outlook on Android, go to the app’s Notifications screen again and setNotificationsfromtoNone. Or, put your Android phone in Do Not Disturb mode.

How to Enable or Disable Outlook Notifications on iPhone

Before setting up and customizing Outlook alerts on your iPhone or iPad, you must give the app permission to send notifications. Here’s how:

Once you’ve done that, visit Outlook’s Notifications management screen to enable and manage new email alerts.

Additionally, tapSound for New Mailto set up a sound for incoming mail.

To disable email notifications in Outlook on iOS, visit the same screen as above and selectNoneunder each email account. Alternatively, enable Do Not Disturb or use Focus on your iPhone.

Enable Outlook Email Alerts or Turn Them Off

Keeping track of incoming emails is important, but so is maintaining your focus. It’s all about finding what works best for you, so enable, customize, or disable email alerts in Outlook per your needs and preferences.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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