I don't pro actively block any of them, because I do appreciate reminders, but once something starts to get annoying, it's cut off.
this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2025
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Anything time-sensitive. Emails, calls, messages, and calendar reminders. Then I have a Sleep setting that silences all of them when I go to bed.
No Ads
If a notification sends me an ad, I will block the app and also review whether I even need it. Anyone willing to shovel ads at me in my notifications is not my friend.
Other stuff is simple:
- If I need to know the information right away I allow a notification. Stuff like calls, messages, server monitoring, security, etc. Notifications that only fire when actively using or just after using an app also get to stay on if they are useful.
- If it's not urgent, I set a reminder in my to do list to review it on a recurring basis, for example "check Mastadon, weekly, Saturday"
Follow up question: how do you handle apps that have persistent notifications?
Most apps with persistent notifications that I used allowed you to turn off that notification in the app's settings. Others utilize androids notification category management to allow you to disable the persistent notification.
I have my phone permanently on Do Not Disturb, and anytime I have a notification I don't like, I block the app from sending notifications.
I basically have email, Signal, and missed phone calls left over (but voice messages are blocked).
I have my email silenced. The red dots are allowed but nothing else. Too much spam
I only use FOSS apps, so never had to block any apps from sending notifications.
I'm sure FOSS apps are less intrusive, but they still use notifications surely? I'd generally want a calendar or messager app to send me notifications, but I might want to block a specific app depending on my use case.
Well, I don't know what we're counting here. Generally, if FOSS apps have notifications which one might perceive as annoying, they'll have a checkbox in the in-app settings, so I don't need to *block* them.
There is one scenario, where I've blocked notifications, which is when an app wants to run in the background, then it has to put up a permanent notification. I hadn't counted that, since that's an Android requirement.
Aside from that, IMHO it's pretty clear-cut whether notifications are either necessary or subjective or not a good idea, so apps with user interests in mind can get that right quite well.
Okay, that makes sense. I took OP's question to be about what notifications you use/want and which you turn off. They describe allowing only calls and messages, and were asking what else people permitted. E.g. I don't allow my lemmy app to notify me about replies, but I'm sure some people do.
None at all. My phone is for looking up things, and for looking at pictures that make me happy. I don't need notifications for either of those, lol.
wait, you guys are blocking notifications? Are you allowed to do that??? /j
Calls and texts - and only through icons. Otherwise it's do not disturb 24/7.
Likewise except my watch vibrates and notifies me of incoming calls so I can then not answer them.
I allow notifications from my email provider, my bank, and IMs - although I disable group notifications. Everything else is prohibited.
Like yourself, SMS and phone calls. My bank app also handles authentication of online purchases a bit better with notifications enabled. Everything else is disabled.
On desktop I have notifications for email as well as those mentioned above.
none.
I keep my phone on silent no vibrate.
My father died three days before I checked my phone. my voicemail was filled with calls from him, "answer your phone boy!", " I'm dying son, please send help!", "you were always your mother's favorite..."
the silence is deafening--
SHIT there's another lost kid alert!
Calls, text, voice mails, my investment account when a stock sells, news alerts, when the washing machine finishes (so the load doesn't sit there)
SMS, calls, and doorbell
Phone
SMS/MMS
Family Link
That's it. Everything else can wait till I open it up.
Other than the necessities, the one app I allow notifications for is the C-SPAN app. They send maybe 1 notification a week for something like a live presidential address on a news event.
Anything that might create excessive notifications (social media/news) I use as a web app on top of not enabling notifications.
Only texts and calls are audible notifications. Everything else is slient.
I have it on by default, until its abused. Once it's abused it's never getting it back
Messages, phone calls, cameras, financial alerts, and a game discord (only server and game news specifically).
The only thing that's allowed to notify me is my pager for work
Sms, calls, discord, Google voice, work emails (I rarely get a work email...maybe a couple of times per month)
I have my personal Gmail to get silent notifications so I know if something happened but I'm not repeatedly spammed.
Most other things are off unless they are unobtrusive. Ex: my robot vacuum stays enabled for notifications so I know when it is done cleaning, Uber eats is enabled for order tracking but disabled for promotions
All that aren't excessive. I'll take those Taco Bell and Starbucks ads every now and then no problem
Aurora Pro - Banners, Sounds, Badges
Authenticator - Banners, Badges
BankID - Banners, Sounds
Calendar - Banners, Sounds, Badges
FaceTime - Banners, Sounds, Badges
Find My - Banners, Sounds, Badges
Krisinformation - Banners, Sounds, Badges
Messages - Critical Alerts,Banners, Sounds, Badges
Phone - Banners, Sounds, Badges
Reminders - Banners, Sounds, Badges
Swish - Banners, Sounds, Badges
Tracking Notification - Banners, Sounds
Every time I have to manually go into my authenticator I think to myself "I should really turn on your notifications so that I can just do this from the top-menu"
And then I hit my confirmation, close the app and don't think about it again until I manually open it again lol
Messaging apps, calendar, the ringer for phone calls, my Lemmy app ( although Connect for Lemmt seems hit and miss on delivering notifications, which is fine by me.)
Only apps where I NEED to potentially respond to something. So texts, phone calls, alarm system, Snapchat (but only specific people/groups) and the pager app I use for volunteering at my local hospitals. Everything else, turned off.
Been trying to decide on what to allow on my computer/home server.
But on my phone I allow texts, emails (don't get many of them), discord (dms and certain chats), phone, and that is probably it. So just communication applications.
My sports betting apps. Need to know when the hot games are on🔥
Same as OP except I also get notifications for software updates through Obtainium.
That's on mobile, on desktop I don't allow any notifications.
Phone and text. Everything else can fuck off
none.
I think the only apps I have currently giving me notifications that aren't permanent or semi-permanent notifications (netguard, browser, and my local music player app) are my calendar, messaging app, and a single game. I refuse to let either the number of open apps and notifications on my device pile up to more than maybe 5 each, max.
Phone is on vibrate all the time. Signal only, but also have Pushbullet set up so I can send notifications when new movies/tv show episodes are downloaded and added to my Jellyfin.
Calls, Messages, Whatsapp, Banking App, Browser (for downlods).
Beyond calls and texts I'm very selective with my YouTube "bell" subscriptions so I allow notifications there as I generally want to watch them.
Calendar. Banking apps. That's it.
All notifications are silent and have been forever. If it's important someone will call me, otherwise I don't want my phone to interrupt what I'm doing.