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Level 1

37 points

Why can't I turn off some app badge notifications?

The Facebook app, for example. I'll click the Settings app, scroll down to Notifications, turn Notifications off. The Facebook app still has a red number on its icon. OK, I'll try it differently. I'll go into the Settings app, turn Notifications ON, and select Facebook from the list. I'll then turn Sounds off. Alerts off. Badges OFF! But there will still be a little red number on the Facebook app icon.

What gives? How do I turn that badge off!?

I'm using an in iPhone 4 with the latest iOS, but I've had this problem for a while.

Posted on Apr 16, 2011 8:43 PM

27 replies

Jalpuna Author

Level 1

37 points

Apr 17, 2011 1:10 PM in response to Jalpuna

This has really gotten annoying now.

I cleared all notifications in Facebook. The red badge number went away. I closed the app and, sure enough, the badge was gone. FINALLY.

I opened Notifications in the Settings app to make sure badges on Facebook were turned off. They're off. But if I get a new message on Facebook and open the Facebook app, when I close it, the frigging red badge is BACK unless I clear the notification in Facebook.

Is it impossible to turn badges off even if you turn them off?!?

Apr 17, 2011 1:14 PM in response to Jalpuna

Jalpuna wrote:

Sheesh. Apple really needs to fix the notifications thing. OFF should mean OFF. Not Future Off or Everything but the ones you already have on off. It should mean off. Grumble.

Apple has nothing to do with it. The badges are controlled 100% by the app, so you need to get Facebook to fix it.

Jalpuna Author

Level 1

37 points

Apr 17, 2011 1:21 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

That leaves me confused. Why is there an option in the Settings app under Notifications to turn off the badge notification if selecting OFF doesn't turn the badge notifications off? Am I missing something here?

Apr 17, 2011 1:31 PM in response to Jalpuna

The option doesn't say BADGE notifications, it just says NOTIFICATIONS. That is the ability for an app to get notifications. What the app does with them is up to the app. It is possible for an app to receive notifications and not display a badge, and it is possible for an app to display a badge without receiving a notification. I have sevaral apps that display badges but are not even capable of receiving notifications. And if you think about it, the Mail app displays a badge showing the number of unread messages even if you have Push and Fetch off.

Jalpuna Author

Level 1

37 points

Apr 17, 2011 1:34 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Settings app: Notifications > Facebook > BADGES > OFF.

How much clearer could that possibly be? That's badges. Why is there an option to turn them off if turning them off does not turn them off? Am I missing something here?

Apr 17, 2011 1:41 PM in response to Jalpuna

Notifications > Facebook is a Facebook options app. It is provided as part of the Facebook app.

Jalpuna Author

Level 1

37 points

Apr 17, 2011 1:46 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

#FACEPALM

So, in other words, Apple included the option in the Settings app to turn off notifications as a joke? It must serve a purpose, right? Why does it exist if turning notifications off does not turn notifications off?

Even flipping the main Notifications button off does not turn them off. So, the question becomes, what exactly does the option to turn off notifications actually do if it does not turn off notifications?

Apr 17, 2011 2:02 PM in response to Jalpuna

I and others have tried to explain it several times, and you don't get it.

NOTIFICATIONS is the capability for an app to be awakened when its associated server has content for it. The server (facebook.com in this case) sends a message to Apple, and Apple forwards that message to the phone. The phone wakes the app and delivers the notification. The app receives the notification and does SOMETHING with it. What it does has nothing to do with iOS or the iPhone, it is entirely up to the app as to what to do. It may retrieve the content that is available (or it may not), it may display a badge (or it may not).

If you turn the main NOTIFICATIONS button off the app will not longer receive NOTIFICATIONS. But that does not stop the app from displaying a badge, because badges are under the control of the app. And, if the app has a background process (and Facebook does), it can still receive content even if NOTIFICATIONS are off. It can also retrieve content and display a badge when you launch it. Just like the Mail app does even if you have Push turned off.

If you go to Notifications > Facebook > BADGES > OFF.that tells the Facebook app that you don't want to see a badge. If the Facebook app still displays a badge it is not obeying your directive. That is the fault of the app developer. iOS HAS NO CONTROL OVER BADGES, The APPLICATION controls badges. Why can you not grasp this?

This will be my last response in this thread. I've said all there is to say, and more than once. I'm sure I'm boring other readers.

Jalpuna Author

Level 1

37 points

Apr 17, 2011 2:07 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

"If you turn the main NOTIFICATIONS button off the app will not longer receive NOTIFICATIONS"

But that is not correct - at least, not in some cases. Here's proof. I'll clear all facebook notifications. The badge disappears (because there are now no notifications on the server). Got it. I then turn the badge notifications off for that app. But when a NEW notification arrives, I obviously DO RECEIVE it because the badge turns back on.

No longer receive? But it does still receive new notifications.

Apr 17, 2011 2:24 PM in response to Jalpuna

Yes you can turn off annoying notifications for saving iPhone battery from Settings > Notifications. Their select your application and make it off.

Jalpuna Author

Level 1

37 points

Apr 17, 2011 2:10 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

For the record, I'm not saying you're wrong about how the notifications system is supposed to work. Perhaps this is an isolated issue with certain apps. I don't know. But I do know that, on my iPhone, I can clear all notifications and turn notifications off for the facebook app yet still continue to receive them. A web search shows that people are having a similar problem with the OKcupid app. Interestingly, not everyone appears to be having this problem. For some, clearing the notifications and then turning them off seems to work. In my case, it isn't working that way. I turn them off for the specific app but still continue to receive future notifications.

Apr 17, 2011 2:28 PM in response to Jalpuna

If you read all of my last message I explained that. Notifications are only one way an application can receive updates. It was created before the phone supported multitasking. The other way, which I described in my previous message, and which it completely different from notifications, is to have a background process that periodically checks for content updates or can even open a connection and listen for them. These are not notifications. The only way to stop these is to kill the background process. I'm sure Facebook does this because a lot of people have reported that Facebook is a battery hog.

Why can't I turn off some app badge notifications?