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Protecting Your Privacy by Managing Notifications

Notifications are helpful, but they can also expose more information than you expect. Adjusting your notification settings reduces this risk and keeps more of your communication protected.

Author(s):
Kayla Young

Why Notifications Matter for Privacy 

Even when an app encrypts your messages, the notification system on your device may not. Message previews, sender names, or parts of your conversation can appear outside the app. This can allow other people, other apps, or automatic backups to access information that is intended to stay private. 

How to Turn Off or Limit Notifications 

iPhone 

  1. Open Settings. 

  1. Select Notifications. 

  1. Choose each app you want to adjust.

  1. For encrypted messaging apps such as Signal or WhatsApp, turn off or adjust: 
    • Allow Notifications. 
    • Show on Lock Screen. 
    • Show Previews (set to Never). 

These changes prevent message content from being stored or displayed outside of the encrypted app. 

Android

Menus vary by manufacturer. 

  1. Open Settings. 

  1. Select Notifications. 

  1. Tap App Notifications or App Settings. 

  1. For encrypted messaging apps, turn off: 
    • Lock screen notifications 
    • Notification previews 
    • Sensitive content display 

These adjustments help reduce the visibility and storage of message content outside the app, keeping your private conversations more secure. 

Summary 

Turning off or limiting notifications is a simple way to protect your privacy, especially when using encrypted messaging apps. These quick changes help ensure that your messages stay inside the apps designed to protect them.