On an iPhone, the notification display style you choose at the individual app level — specifically Count, Stack, or List— will override the global setting you’ve chosen under Settings > Notifications > Display As.
Here's how it works:
- iOS allows you to control how notifications appear on your Lock Screen and Notification Center. At the system level (Settings > Notifications), you can choose between:
- Count – Shows only the number of notifications at the bottom of the Lock Screen.
- Stack – Groups notifications by app into a collapsible stack.
- List – Displays all notifications in a scrollable list.
- However, individual apps can have their notification style settings, especially when configured from within the app’s notification settings. If an app is configured to display notifications as List, then that choice will take precedence, even if the global setting is set to Count or Stack.
Example:
Let’s say you’ve set your iPhone to show Count under Settings > Notifications. You prefer a minimalist Lock Screen.
But for your messaging app, you go into the app’s settings and choose List because you want to see each message preview as it arrives.
In this case, the app's setting will override the global Count setting, and you’ll see a full list of message notifications on your Lock Screen, specifically for that app.
Summary:
When there's a conflict between the system-level notification display preference (Count, Stack, or List) and an individual app’s preference, the app-level setting wins. iOS prioritizes what you set directly within the app or its notification configuration.
