Ubuntu utilizes a unified notification center that drops rectangular alert bubbles from the top-center of your screen whenever an event occurs. If you receive a new email in Thunderbird, a message in Slack, or a system update warning, the operating system automatically forces a popup window to appear over whatever application you are currently using.
If you are giving a live presentation via Zoom, recording a screencast, or simply trying to focus on writing code, having massive notification banners repeatedly dropping down over your work is incredibly distracting. Furthermore, if you are sharing your screen, a popup notification could accidentally reveal private messages to your entire team.
You can use Ubuntu’s built-in “Do Not Disturb” mode to completely suppress all visual notifications, keeping your screen clean and focused.
How to Turn On Do Not Disturb in Ubuntu
You can toggle this feature directly from the GNOME calendar/notification applet.
- Look at the top bar on your Ubuntu desktop.
- Click on the Date and Time (usually located in the exact top-center of the screen) to open the notification tray and calendar.
- At the very top of the notification tray, you will see a toggle switch labeled Do Not Disturb.
- Turn this toggle to the On position.
How to Make Do Not Disturb Permanent
If you want notifications permanently disabled so you never have to toggle them again:
- Open the Settings app in Ubuntu.
- Click on Notifications in the left sidebar.
- Turn the master Do Not Disturb toggle switch to the On position.
With Do Not Disturb active, apps will still generate notifications, but Ubuntu will silently catch them and hide them inside the notification tray. No popup bubbles will ever appear on your screen, allowing you to check your alerts manually only when you are ready.