Notifications from Messages still show up even if I am logged out or the app is closed, why?

Question

Level 1

5 points

Notifications from Messages still show up even if I am logged out or the app is closed, why?

Whether I am logged into accounts on Messages or not, whether the app is even open or not, I get a loud *ding* and a banner pop-up when someone sends me an IM, text or iMessage.

My computer is a home recording studio. I also use it to watch movies and TV. While I do want these alerts when I'm doing ordinary work or being social, I need to be able to actually disable them during times when a rogue noise can ruin an hour's work or a pop-up on a screen interrupts a poignant scene in a film.

I would have thought logging out would do this, after all, up until this application, that's what logging out has always meant in any other messaging protocol. But now, not even closing the application actually produces the cone of silence.

Notifications in System Preferences is completely without use for this.

There has to be a (reasonable, quick and easy) way to toggle something like this on and off, no?

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Nov 13, 2014 6:35 PM

Reply

Answer 1

JimJohnMarks Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 13, 2014 7:12 PM in response to William Lloyd

I'm sorry you can't believe it. Try it. You'll find it is true. I'm having a conversation with someone via Messages right now and I'm not logged in. As I said, even closing the app doesn't actually work.

I will try the lock screen suggestion, but if I'm actively using the machine to record, that seems unlikely to be the right answer. Hopefully manually toggling DND will work, but that's an obnoxious thing to force people to do.

Apple used to be so good at elegant UX. It is very frustrating the direction OS X has gone the last few releases.

Reply

Answer 2

Nov 14, 2014 1:11 PM in response to JimJohnMarks

Hi,

In the Messages Menu > Preferences > General section.

Tick the box on the line about "When I Quit, Set my Status to Off Line"

This will stop the IMAgent support app form "listening" to the AIM. Jabber or even Yahoo servers for 'new' messages.

In Messages beta it also seemed to work for the iMessages account but it no longer seems to do this.

It is this "feature" to Listen to the servers that makes this bit the correct function

Whether I am logged into accounts on Messages or not, whether the app is even open or not, I get a loud *ding* and a banner pop-up when someone sends me an IM, text or iMessage.

For the iMessages account you should untick the "Enable this Account" box to be sure.

If SMS Text Forwarding is Enabled then set the iPhone to Do Not Disturb so it too is isolated from the server and then an pairing or Sync to the iPhone number should also be excluded.

9:11 pm Friday; November 14, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Reply

Answer 3

Nov 13, 2014 6:58 PM in response to JimJohnMarks

This should be controlled by System Preferences->Notifications->Messages->Show Notifications on lock screen.

You've tried turning off notifications entirely for messages? I really can't believe that logging out doesn't address this.

As for a way to turn it off: If you open up Notification Center (right edge of screen) and scroll to the top, there is a "do not disturb" setting you can toggle. It should kill all notifications.

Reply