What Does Hide Alerts Mean in Messages

Quick Tips
  • Hide Alerts toggle can be enabled to disable notifications and alerts from a conversation on the messages app.
  • On your iPhone, open the conversation on the Messages app, tap on the name/number, and enable Hide Alerts.
  • Hide Alert settings won’t sync on your Mac. Open the conversation on your Mac, tap on the info icon, and enable Hide Alerts.

What Is ‘Hide Alerts’ Feature in Messages?

Hide Alerts can be turned on to silence annoying chat threads for the selected contacts. While you can block contacts too, but in that case, you can’t receive their messages and calls. Instead of taking such an extreme step, you can enable the Hide Alerts option and avoid notifications.

How to Enable or Disable Hide Alerts

On iPhone and iPad

Step 1: Open the Messages app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Select a chat thread and tap on the contact name at the top.

Step 3: Enable the Hide Alerts toggle. Tap Done in the top right corner.

Enable hide alerts on iPhone

Alternatively, you can launch Messages and swipe left on a thread you want to silence and tap the Bell icon. Another method you can use is to long-tap on a conversation and tap Hide Alerts from the context menu.

You shall notice a bell with a slash through, indicating you’ve hidden conversation alerts.

Also Read: Best iOS 17 messages and FaceTime features and tips.

On Mac

If you have enabled the Hide Alerts option for several contacts on an iPhone or iPad, the system doesn’t sync the same on the Mac. You will have to enable it on your Mac again.

Open the Messages app on Mac. Select a conversation and click the info button in the top right corner. Enable the Hide Alerts checkbox.

Hide Alerts for Messages on Mac

You can also right-click on a conversation and select Hide Alerts. Once the option is active, you shall notice a bell with a slang through. It means that the notifications from the person are muted in Messages.

Hide alerts on Mac

FAQs: What Does the Hide Alerts Option Do

Does hide alerts block calls?

When you hide alerts from someone in the Messages app, it doesn’t silence or block calls. You shall continue to receive calls as usual.

Does hide alerts notify the other person?

The ability to hide alerts from a conversation is a privacy feature. The Messages app doesn’t notify the person about it.

Can the person reach me via other messaging apps?

As mentioned above, ‘Hide Alerts’ is only part of the Messages app. The person can always reach you (or disturb you) via other apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Messenger. If you want to stop alerts from all apps, we recommend turning on Do Not Disturb on your iPhone.  

How do you unhide alerts in Messages?

You can turn off ‘Hide Alerts’ from the same menu.

Also Read: How to clear all notifications on iPhone.

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Last updated on 14 April, 2024

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