The Silent Notifications
Modern versions of Ubuntu (utilizing the GNOME desktop environment) include a “Do Not Disturb” feature designed to silence all incoming notification banners and sounds. This is incredibly useful when presenting, recording your screen, or trying to focus. However, Ubuntu has a built-in behavior where it automatically activates Do Not Disturb under certain conditions, most notably when the screen locks or when you are mirroring your display to an external monitor. While silencing notifications on the lock screen is good for privacy, some users rely on hearing the notification chime (e.g., for an urgent email or server alert) even when they have briefly stepped away and the screen has locked.
Disabling Automatic Do Not Disturb Triggers
To stop Ubuntu from automatically suppressing your notifications during screen locks or display mirroring, you need to adjust the privacy and notification settings within the GNOME control center.
Open the main Settings application (you can find this by clicking the system menu in the top-right corner and clicking the gear icon). In the left-hand sidebar, click on Notifications. At the top of the Notifications pane, you will see a master toggle for “Do Not Disturb”—ensure this is currently turned off. Directly below that, look for the option labeled Lock Screen Notifications. By default, this is often turned off for privacy, which effectively acts as an automatic Do Not Disturb while locked. Toggle this to the On position if you want to see (and hear) banners while the system is locked. If you only want to hear them but keep the text private, look for a “Show Message Content” toggle within the lock screen settings and disable it, while keeping the main lock screen notifications enabled. Ubuntu will now stop automatically silencing your system alerts when the screen goes dark.