Learn how to… Update notification and action settings

Your guide Mark Wyciślik-Wilson says… “We show you just how useful Windows 10’s Action Centre can be, and how you can take control of notifications once and for all”

- Mark Wyciślik-Wilson

Notifications in Windows 10 let you get on with using your computer without worrying about missing out on anything. The Action Centre – found on the right-hand side of the screen – is where you’ll find a history of all the notifications generated by Windows, apps and websites.

Rather than face a constant barrage of messages, Microsoft includes numerous settings that can be used to take control of the notifications you see. You can, for instance, opt to hide notifications from certain applications, or choose to mute notifications during office hours to enable you to concentrate on work.

If you’ve been baffled by notifications, we’re here to guide you through how to better manage them so they are helpful rather than annoying. We’ll also look at how you can use the Action Centre to gain quick access to handy options.

Step-by-step Changing notification settings

1 Accessing notifications and changing settings

When a notification is generated by a web site, app, or Windows itself, it will pop up to the lower right of the screen. You can also see a list of archived notifications by clicking the Action Centre button to the far right of the task bar – it looks like a little speech bubble. In Action Centre, you can click the Manage notifications link to be taken to the relevant section of Settings.