Get rid of notifications in Sequoia

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Community+ 2026

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Get rid of notifications in Sequoia

I am being constantly pestered by alert notifications. For example, I started downloading a file in Firefox and it presented me with an alert about notification sounds and banners. It was an alert, not a banner, so it wouldn't go away until I clicked on it. I turned off Notifications for Firefox in System Settings yesterday so it shouldn't have appeared. This isn't a Firefox notification, it's one appearing at the top right of my display from the Notification Center. I've set Firefox to only let me get notifications from my email provider and this wasn't a download from them.

Is this something that is counterintuitive such as I have to allow notifications for Firefox in general but then go in and disable all the items in the > window instead?

It isn't just Firefox that is doing this but I am getting Notifications of one kind or another every 10 minutes or so despite my having them disabled for just about all things in System Settings. Most of them are just general ones about the types of notifications I might see so it really is the System doing this. I am doing updates and reinstalling a bunch of apps to replace the 32 bit ones I lost in upgrading machines. Frankly I never used to pay any attention at all the any kind of notification so I'd prefer to have them all off all the time if it comes down to it.

Mac mini (M4)

Posted on Jul 11, 2025 10:58 AM

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Answer 1

Limnos Author

Community+ 2026

Level 10

436,495 points

Jul 12, 2025 11:46 AM in response to Smilin-Brian

Smilin-Brian wrote:

Set a focus to ➢ Do Not Disturb.

Seem somewhat laborious but I'll give that a try, thanks.

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Answer 2

Jul 12, 2025 11:40 AM in response to Limnos

Set a focus to ➢ Do Not Disturb.

Take care! 👋🏼😉

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Answer 3

Old Toad

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217,056 points

Jul 11, 2025 3:48 PM in response to Limnos

If it's websites that are sending the notifications try this in Safari's Web Site settings pane:

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Answer 4

Limnos Author

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Jul 11, 2025 5:59 PM in response to Old Toad

Thanks, I never use Safari. It's not web sites, it's definitely the OS. I use Firefox and years ago I told it not to send me notifications. Even if some get past it, it will ask me if I want to let sites send me notifications and I tell it no.

So I start to download an app in Firefox and it's the OS sending me a notification. Likewise, I install an app and it tells me it may show me banners, sounds or alerts. I turned off everything I could see that would send me an alert and only left a few on for banners such as weather in case there's a tornado. All the Notifications I get are in the form of alerts that need clicking on to make disappear.

While I am on about persistent Sequoia annoyances, it is always forgetting my Apple password. When I reboot it says there is a problem doing something in iCloud because it needs my password. This never happened with High Sierra. I entered my password once and it was happy for years. With Sequoia I have to enter it several times per day.

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Answer 5

Old Toad

Level 10

217,056 points

Jul 12, 2025 10:12 AM in response to Limnos

The only other thing I can think of is go to the System ➙ Notifications settings pane and turn off notifications for the offending apps:

⬇︎

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Answer 6

Limnos Author

Community+ 2026

Level 10

436,495 points

Jul 12, 2025 11:33 AM in response to Old Toad

I have them all turned off except for a few apps that don't actually send me anything (at least not in the past 48 hours). For example, I do have Weather set to notify me but even when there was an air quality alert it didn't send me anything. I definitely have Notifications turned off for Firefox but when I was downloading a file I got a notification about it. Not inside Firefox but from the Apple Notifications area at the top right. Plus it was an alert, not simply a banner, so it persisted until I clicked on it. Honestly, I know when I am downloading something and don't need to see a reminder persist until I get distracted and have to leave what I am doing to get rid of it. I think it is the system that is catching a download taking place and is notifying me about it, but I don't see anywhere to control actual system notifications.

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