By default, Ubuntu (using the GNOME desktop) displays notification banners that drop down from the top center of your screen. Whenever you receive a new email, a chat message, or a system update alert, a large grey rectangle will slide down, obscuring the top of whatever application you are currently using, accompanied by an alert sound.
While useful for staying connected, these banners are disastrous for productivity. If you are coding, giving a presentation, or watching a movie, a sudden banner popup can easily break your concentration or expose a private message to a room full of people. If you prefer to check your notifications manually on your own schedule, you can completely disable the pop-up banners.
How to Turn Off Notification Popups in Ubuntu
You can disable the intrusive banners directly from the native Ubuntu Notification settings.
- Click the network/battery icon cluster in the top-right corner of the Ubuntu top bar and select Settings (the gear icon).
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Notifications.
- At the very top of the main window, you will see a toggle switch labelled Do Not Disturb. Turning this on will silence notifications, but it often resets upon reboot or schedule.
- For a permanent fix, look slightly lower for the Notification Popups (or Banners) toggle switch.
- Click the toggle switch to turn it Off.
Your Ubuntu desktop will instantly become significantly less distracting. When you receive a new message or alert, it will quietly queue up inside the calendar/notification center (accessed by clicking the clock). Nothing will slide down, beep, or interrupt your workflow ever again until you choose to check the queue yourself.