The Constant Interruptions
Modern web browsers have granted websites unprecedented access to desktop features, most notably push notifications. When you visit a news site, a blog, or an online store for the very first time, Google Chrome will almost immediately display a small dropdown prompt near the address bar: “[Website Name] wants to show notifications.” This feature is intended for web apps like email or messaging services, but it has been heavily co-opted by marketing departments. If you are trying to research a topic across a dozen different websites, dealing with a notification permission popup on every single page click is infuriating and disrupts your browsing flow.
Silencing the Prompts Globally
To browse the web in peace and stop Google Chrome from automatically asking for notification permissions on every new site you visit, you must lock down the browser’s global privacy settings.
Open Google Chrome and click the three vertical dots (the customize menu) in the top-right corner. Select Settings from the dropdown. In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Privacy and security. In the main panel, click on Site settings. Scroll down the list of permissions until you find Notifications (it usually has a small bell icon next to it) and click it. Under the “Default behavior” section, you will see three options. Select the bottom option: Don’t allow sites to send notifications. By selecting this, you are telling Chrome to automatically deny all future requests silently. You will never see another prompt asking for permission, and no new websites will be able to push alerts to your desktop.