How to Manage Notifications in Microsoft Teams (Without Missing What Matters)

Teams can quickly turn into a constant stream of pings, banners and red badges. The trick isn't to switch everything off — it's to keep the alerts that matter and silence the rest.

1. Click ⋯ (Settings and more) next to your profile picture.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Notifications and activity.

Here you can choose:

• Chat — notifications for new messages, mentions and reactions.
• Channels — notifications for channels you follow.
• Meetings — when meetings start and meeting chat messages.
• Activity — @mentions, replies, likes and reactions.
• Notification style — Teams banners or Windows/Mac notifications, and whether to show a preview.

Recommended: Keep @mentions and replies to you on. Turn likes and reactions off — they're rarely urgent.

That group chat that never stops?

1. Hover over the chat in your Chat list.
2. Click ⋯ (More options).
3. Click Mute.

You'll still see the messages when you open the chat, and you'll still be notified if someone @mentions you directly. Unmute the same way.

Tip: You can also hide old chats from the list with ⋯ > Hide. They reappear if someone posts again.

1. Hover over the channel and click ⋯ (More options).
2. Click Channel notifications.
3. Choose:
• All activity — every new post and reply.
• Off — only notifications when you're mentioned directly.
• Custom — choose exactly what you want.

During a busy meeting, the chat can buzz constantly. Open the meeting chat, click ⋯ and choose Mute (or Mute until I join or send a message).

Need an hour of focused work?

1. Click your profile picture and set your status to Do not disturb.
2. Use Duration so it turns off by itself.

All notifications are silenced — except from people on your priority access list. To set it up, go to Settings > Privacy > Manage priority access and add your manager, key clients or family.

Stop Teams buzzing in the evening and at weekends:

1. Open Teams on your phone and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Notifications (or Settings > Notifications).
3. Tap Quiet time (or Quiet hours).
4. Turn on Daily quiet hours and set the times, and choose Quiet days like Saturday and Sunday.

You can also block notifications on your phone while you're active on your computer.

Open Activity on the left. It lists your mentions, replies and reactions. Use the filter to show only @Mentions or Unread items.

Start in Settings > Notifications and activity, then mute noisy chats and set busy channels to Off. Keep @mentions on, and set quiet hours on your phone so work stays at work.