Block Annoying Website Notifications in Any Browser

Just imagine – you are deeply focused on an important task when, suddenly, a pop-up appears in the corner of your screen: “XYZ News wants to send you notifications.” You click “No.” Ten minutes later, it happens again – and then again from a different site. Today, anyone in India who browses the internet – whether on a laptop, desktop, or mobile – has to deal with this issue of unwanted website notifications. These push notifications are not merely irritating; they can often lead to malware, scam sites, and fake alerts.

In this guide, we’ll get straight to the point: how to block unwanted notifications on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Opera, as well as on Android and iPhone. No beating around the bush – just clear, step-by-step solutions.

First, let’s understand – where do these browser notifications come from?

When you visit a website, the browser asks, “Do you want to receive notifications from this site?” If you click “Allow” – either by mistake or without reading the prompt – that site can send you notifications indefinitely, regardless of whether you are currently visiting the site or not.

Here are the different types of notifications:

• Legitimate – News sites and blogs that send genuine updates.
• Aggressive Marketing – Alerts regarding offers, deals, and discounts every hour.
• Malicious – Scam sites that send fake virus alerts or lottery notifications.

In India, online news portals and shopping sites are the biggest abusers of this technology. So, let’s now look directly at how to block website notifications.

Block website notifications in Google Chrome

Chrome is the most widely used browser in the world and holds the top spot in India as well. Blocking notifications in it is quite easy.

Turn off notifications for all sites at once:

1. Open Chrome and click on the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Select “Privacy and security” from the left sidebar.
4. Click on “Site Settings”.
5. Go to Notifications.
6. Select “Don’t allow sites to send notifications”.

That’s it – no new site can ask you for notification permission anymore.

Turn off notifications for a specific site:

If you are receiving notifications from a particular site:

• Click the lock icon (🔒) to the left of the site’s URL.
• Select ‘Site settings’.
• Set ‘Notifications’ to ‘Block’.

Pro tip: In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings > Notifications and check the “Allowed to send notifications” list. Remove or block, one by one, the sites you have allowed – whether intentionally or inadvertently.

Block notifications in Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is somewhat more privacy-friendly and offers more detailed options for blocking notifications.

Steps to turn off all notifications in Firefox:

1. Open Firefox and click on the three lines (☰) in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Select Privacy & Security from the left-hand side.
4. Scroll down to find the Permissions section.
5. Click on Settings next to Notifications.
6. Check the box for “Block new requests asking to allow notifications”.
7. Click Save Changes.

Firefox offers another great option: you can view the full list of sites you have previously allowed and switch any of them to “Blocked.” This is the most controlled way to turn off browser push notifications.

Turn off notifications in Microsoft Edge

Edge is the default browser on Windows 11, and many people in India use it alongside Office 365.

Steps to block notifications in Edge:

1. Open Edge and click on the three dots (…) in the top-right corner.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Select “Cookies and site permissions” from the left side.
4. Click on Notifications.
5. Turn off the “Ask before sending (recommended)” toggle.

With this, Edge will no longer show notification requests from any site.

Remove sites previously allowed in Edge:

• On the Notifications page, click the “…” next to the sites listed in the “Allow” section and select Block or Remove.

Edge-specific tip: Edge also has a “Quiet notification requests” feature that silences notification pop-ups without blocking them entirely – this is great for those who want to allow them occasionally.

Turn off notifications in Safari (Mac and iPhone)

If you use a Mac or iPhone, the method for blocking website notifications in Safari is slightly different.

In Safari on Mac:

1. Open Safari and click on Safari in the menu bar.
2. Go to Preferences (or Settings).
3. Select the Websites tab.
4. Click on Notifications on the left side.
5. Uncheck the “Allow websites to ask for permission to send push notifications” checkbox.

In Safari on iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to Safari.
3. Turn off the “Allow Notifications” toggle in the Notifications section.

Block notifications in Opera and Brave.

Opera:

Opera is built on Chrome’s Chromium engine, so the settings are almost identical to Chrome’s:

1. Open Opera and go to Easy Setup or Settings (Alt+P).
2. Navigate to Privacy & security > Site Settings > Notifications.
3. Select “Don’t allow sites to send notifications”.

Opera has a bonus feature – a built-in ad blocker that stops many notification requests right from the start.

Brave Browser:

Brave employs even more aggressive blocking:

1. Go to the three lines at the top right > Settings.
2. Notification blocking is enabled by default in the Shields section.
3. To check manually: Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site and Shields Settings > Notifications.

Brave is for those who want more privacy and fewer interruptions while browsing.

Turn off notifications on Android Chrome

Most people in India use Chrome on Android phones for browsing. Blocking website notifications on mobile is slightly different but just as easy.

Turn off all notifications in Android Chrome:

1. Open the Chrome app, tap the three dots (⋮) in the top right.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Find the Notifications section.
4. Under “Sites,” turn off the “Show notifications” toggle.

Turn off notifications for a specific site (Android):

• Go to Chrome Settings > Notifications > Sites.
• You will find a list of allowed sites there.
• Tap on the site you want to block and turn off the toggle.

You can also do it via Android System Settings:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Chrome.
2. Tap Notifications.
3. Find the ‘Sites’ category and turn it off.

Remove existing notifications too

Blocking only new notifications isn’t enough – it’s also important to clear sites you’ve previously allowed.

Steps to remove old sites in Chrome:

1. chrome://settings/content/notifications – Type this URL directly into Chrome.
2. Look for the “Allowed to send notifications” section.
3. Click the three dots next to each site.
4. Select Block or Remove.

If there are many sites, handling them one by one is tedious. The extensions listed below come in handy for this.

Best Free Tools and Extensions for Notification Control

Don’t want to rely solely on browser settings? Then try these free tools:

1. uBlock Origin (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera)
This is the most popular and powerful free ad blocker. It blocks not only ads but also notification request pop-ups. Enabling the “Annoyances” filter in uBlock Origin stops most notification requests right away.

• Download: ublockorigin.com – Completely free and open-source.

2. Notification Blocker (Chrome Extension)
This is a dedicated Chrome extension designed solely to block notification pop-ups. Install it and forget about it.

• Download: Search for “Notification Blocker” on the Chrome Web Store.

3. AdGuard (Windows/Android app)
AdGuard is an app-level ad blocker that works across the entire phone or PC – not just in the browser. Its free version handles basic notifications and ad blocking.

• Download: adguard.com – Free version available; Premium is approximately $2.99/month.

4. Brave Browser (A tool in itself)
If notification issues are severe, downloading the Brave Browser is the easiest solution. It blocks trackers, ads, and notification requests by default.

• Download: brave.com – Absolutely free.

Disable System-Level Notifications in Windows 11 and 10

Sometimes, notifications originate not just from the browser but from the Windows system level. It is important to disable these as well:

In Windows 11:

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to System > Notifications.
3. Toggle off notifications for Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.

In Windows 10:

1. Go to Settings > System > Notifications & actions.
2. Find the browser app and turn off the toggle.

This step is necessary if notifications continue to appear even after the browser is closed.

Turn off system-level browser notifications on an Android phone

Sometimes, notifications persist even after you’ve changed your Chrome or Firefox app settings. Then, turn off your Android System

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Apps & notifications (or just Apps).
3. Select Chrome or whichever browser you use.
4. Tap Notifications.
5. Turn off the toggle for All Chrome Notifications, or just turn off the Sites category.

How do you identify malware that comes from spam notifications?

This is an important point that few people are aware of. Some websites get you to allow notifications and then send fake alerts, such as:

• “Your phone has a virus! Click now.”
• “You’ve won ₹50,000! Claim it.”
• “Your account will be suspended – Verify now.”

Never click on these. These are phishing and scam notifications.

If ‘Allow’ was selected by mistake:

• Immediately add that site to the ‘Block’ list under Notifications in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
• Run a free malware scan on your PC using Malwarebytes Free (malwarebytes.com).
• Review the browser’s full list of permissions.

For more tech tips and troubleshooting guides, visit fixtech.in. You will find practical guides there that solve these problems at the root.

Smart browsing habits to avoid notifications

Once you have blocked everything, keep the following in mind:

• Don’t click “Allow” blindly – if a pop-up asking for notification permissions appears on a site, select “Block” or “Don’t allow” 99% of the time.
• Stay away from unfamiliar sites – sites offering free movies, cracked software, or lottery prizes are the most aggressive in requesting notification permissions.
• Keep uBlock Origin enabled at all times – it is the easiest and most effective safeguard.
• Every few months, check the “Allow” list under Chrome > Settings > Notifications and remove any unnecessary sites.

FAQs – About blocking website notifications

Final Thoughts

Honestly, blocking website notifications isn’t a complex technical task; it just requires a little attention and five minutes to adjust your settings. Whether you use Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Chrome on mobile, the process is simple. Just follow the steps outlined above, install uBlock Origin, and – if the notification issue is particularly bothersome – give the Brave Browser a try. And remember: any site that repeatedly asks for notification permission is one you should block, not allow. Now that you know how to block website notifications, enjoy an uninterrupted browsing experience.