To turn off every YouTube notification on an iPhone, open Settings, tap Notifications, tap YouTube, and turn off Allow Notifications. If you only want fewer alerts, leave that switch on and trim them inside the YouTube app under Settings > Notifications instead.
Applies to: iPhone with iOS 17 or later and the current YouTube app. Checked against Apple Support and YouTube Help (Google) on October 6, 2026.
Before you start: pick the right kind of “off”
YouTube alerts are controlled in two places, and they do different jobs.
| What you want | Where to change it | Result |
|---|---|---|
| No YouTube alerts at all on this iPhone | iPhone Settings | The iPhone stops delivering anything from the YouTube app |
| No more “you might like this” alerts | YouTube app settings | Recommended video alerts stop; channel alerts continue |
| Silence one channel | The bell on that channel | You stay subscribed but that channel stops notifying you |
| One bundle per day, or quiet alerts | YouTube app settings | Alerts still arrive, but once a day or without sound |
None of these options unsubscribes you from a channel, deletes your watch history, or removes the app.
Turn off all YouTube notifications in iPhone Settings
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap Notifications. A list of your apps appears.
- Find and tap YouTube in the list.
- Turn off Allow Notifications. The change is saved right away, and the iPhone stops delivering alerts from YouTube.
Apple also documents a second route to the same switch: open Settings, tap Apps, tap the app, tap Notifications, and then turn Allow Notifications on or off. Use whichever route your iPhone shows. Apple’s page on turning notifications on or off for a specific app covers that path.
Turn off YouTube notifications from an alert you just received
If a YouTube alert is already sitting on your Lock Screen or in Notification Center, you can act on it without hunting through Settings.
- Swipe left on the YouTube notification.
- Tap Options.
- Choose Turn Off to stop YouTube notifications. For a short break, choose Mute for 1 Hour or Mute for Today instead.
These choices are described in Apple’s guide to using notifications on your iPhone.
Keep some alerts: change settings in the YouTube app
These steps only work while Allow Notifications is still on for YouTube in iPhone Settings.
- Open the YouTube app and make sure you are signed in.
- Tap your profile picture at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Turn off the alert types you do not want. YouTube Help names two switches here: Recommended videos, which controls alerts about videos from channels you are not subscribed to, and Subscriptions.
Two other settings on the same screen reduce interruptions without turning alerts off:
- Scheduled digest combines the day’s YouTube push notifications into one notification delivered at a time you choose. It is off by default. YouTube warns that you may hear about a live stream only after it has ended, and the feature is available on phones, not tablets.
- Disable sounds & vibrations keeps the alerts coming but makes them silent during a set period. The default quiet period is 10 PM to 8 AM, and you can tap the setting to choose your own start and end times.
Google lists these options in Manage YouTube notifications.
Turn off notifications for one channel
- In the YouTube app, open the channel’s page or one of its videos.
- Next to Subscribed, tap the notification bell.
- Choose None. You remain subscribed, but that channel no longer sends you notifications.
The other two choices are All, which sends alerts for long-form uploads and live streams, and Personalized, which sends only selected alerts that YouTube picks based on things like your watch history.
To review many channels in one sitting, tap the Subscriptions tab, tap All at the top right, and then tap the bell next to each channel.
How to confirm it worked and how to undo it
After you turn off Allow Notifications, open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, then Settings > Notifications. YouTube shows a Notifications are turned off message there, which confirms the iPhone is blocking them.
To get alerts back, return to Settings > Notifications > YouTube and turn Allow Notifications on. Tapping the Notifications are turned off message inside YouTube opens the same iPhone screen.
Troubleshooting
YouTube alerts still arrive after changing in-app settings
Check which account is signed in. Tap your profile picture in YouTube; if it is the wrong account, use Switch account and repeat the in-app steps there. If you want no alerts at all, use the iPhone-level Allow Notifications switch instead.
The in-app notification options cannot be changed
If YouTube shows Notifications are turned off, the iPhone is blocking the app. Turn Allow Notifications back on in iPhone Settings first, then return to YouTube to choose the notification types.
A channel keeps notifying you
That channel’s bell is probably set to All or Personalized. Set it to None. If the alert is from a channel you never subscribed to, turn off Recommended videos instead.
You cannot find Scheduled digest
YouTube offers the scheduled digest on phones only, so it does not appear on an iPad.
You only want quiet during certain hours
Use Do Not Disturb rather than switching YouTube off. Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb and use Set a Schedule, or turn it on from Control Center when you need it. This quiets other apps too; our guide to silencing notifications on an iPhone walks through the wider options.
Frequently asked questions
Does turning off notifications unsubscribe me from channels?
No. Your subscriptions stay as they are. New videos still appear in the Subscriptions tab of the app; you just are not alerted about them.
Can I stop notifications from only one YouTube channel?
Yes. Tap the bell next to Subscribed on that channel and choose None. The iPhone’s own settings cannot separate channels, because iOS treats YouTube as a single app.
Can I make YouTube notifications silent instead of turning them off?
Yes. In the YouTube app, Disable sounds & vibrations silences them for a set period each day. YouTube also states that video upload notifications are sent silently by default.
Can I pause YouTube notifications for a little while?
Yes. Swipe left on a YouTube notification, tap Options, and choose Mute for 1 Hour or Mute for Today.
Why do I get alerts for channels I do not follow?
Those are recommended video notifications. Turn off Recommended videos under Settings > Notifications in the YouTube app.
Will the steps work on iOS versions newer than iOS 17?
The Allow Notifications switch is the same, and Apple’s current instructions reach it through Settings > Apps. If your Settings screen is arranged differently, open the YouTube entry there and tap Notifications.
If YouTube is also filtering what you can watch, the next setting to check is covered in our guide on turning off Restricted Mode in YouTube on iPhone.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.