How to Turn Off Notification Sounds in Windows 11

Windows 11 is designed to keep you connected, utilizing a robust notification system that slides banners into the corner of your screen whenever you receive an email, a calendar reminder, or a system update alert. By default, every single one of these banners is accompanied by a distinct “chime” sound. While helpful if you are away from your desk, a constant barrage of notification dings can completely ruin your concentration when you are actively trying to work. If you want to keep the visual banners but silence the disruptive audio, Windows 11 allows you to turn off notification sounds entirely.

How to Disable All Notification Sounds

The most efficient way to achieve peace and quiet is to disable the audio for all incoming notifications globally, via the Settings app.

1. Click the Start button and select the Settings gear icon (or press the Windows Key + I shortcut).
2. Ensure you are on the System tab in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. In the main pane, click on Notifications.
4. Look near the top of the Notifications page. You will see a master toggle switch to turn all notifications on or off. Do not click the toggle; instead, click the word “Notifications” next to it (or the small downward arrow) to expand a hidden menu.
5. In this expanded menu, you will see a checkbox labelled “Allow notifications to play sounds.”
6. Uncheck this box.

From this moment on, you will still receive the visual pop-up banners in the corner of your screen for emails and updates, but they will appear in complete silence.

How to Mute Specific Applications Only

Perhaps you want to hear a ding when you receive an important Microsoft Teams message, but you want your email app and the Xbox app to remain completely silent. You can customize the audio on a per-app basis.

1. Open the Settings app and go to System > Notifications.
2. Ensure the master “Allow notifications to play sounds” box (from the previous section) is checked (turned on).
3. Scroll down to the section labelled “Notifications from apps and other senders.”
4. You will see a list of every app installed on your PC that is capable of sending alerts.
5. Click directly on the name of the app you want to silence (e.g., click on the word “Mail,” not just its toggle switch).
6. This opens the specific notification preferences for that single application.
7. Locate the toggle switch labelled “Play a sound when a notification arrives.”
8. Turn this toggle Off.

Repeat this process for any other noisy applications in the list. This method allows you to create a customized alert profile, ensuring you only hear the sounds that truly matter to your workflow.