The Permission Begging
The modern internet relies heavily on push notifications. When you visit a news website, a blog, or a web app, the site will frequently execute a script that causes a small prompt to drop down from the top-left corner of Google Chrome, asking: “www.example.com wants to Show notifications.” If you click “Allow,” that website can blast desktop alerts onto your screen even when you aren’t actively reading it. For most users, these constant permission requests are nothing but an annoying distraction that must be dismissed on every single new website they visit. To achieve a peaceful browsing experience, you must revoke the browser’s ability to even ask the question.
How to Turn Off Desktop Notifications
You can permanently block all notification requests via the site settings.
- Open the Google Chrome desktop browser.
- Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner and select Settings.
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy and security.
- In the main window, click on Site settings.
- Scroll down to the “Permissions” section and click on Notifications.
- At the top of the screen, under “Default behavior,” select the radio button next to “Don’t allow sites to send notifications.”
Absolute Silence
The change takes effect instantly. From this moment forward, if a website attempts to run a script asking for permission to send you desktop alerts, Google Chrome will instantly and silently block the request in the background. The annoying drop-down prompt will never appear on your screen again, allowing you to read your articles in peace.