Hide Alerts on iPhone silently mutes notifications from a specific Messages conversation without blocking the sender or alerting them. When you enable hide alerts on iPhone, you still receive every message, but your phone will not make a sound, vibrate, or show the message on your Lock Screen.
What does hide alerts on iPhone mean?
Hide Alerts is a built-in feature in the iPhone Messages app that lets you mute notifications for a single conversation, whether it's with one person or a group chat. When active, you continue to receive all messages normally, but your iPhone won't play a sound, vibrate, or display the message on your Lock Screen. The sender is never notified that you have muted their conversation.
How to turn on hide alerts from the conversation list
- Open the Messages app.
- Swipe left on the conversation you want to mute.
- Tap the bell icon with a slash through it.
This is the fastest way to enable the feature without opening the conversation itself. You can mute all Messages app notifications entirely by going to Settings > Notifications > Messages and toggling off Allow Notifications.
How to turn on hide alerts from inside a conversation
- Open the Messages app and tap the conversation.
- Tap the contact's name or group icon at the top of the screen.
- Toggle on Hide Alerts.
Use this method if you are already reading a thread and want to silence it immediately.
How to tell if hide alerts is active
When Hide Alerts is turned on, a crossed-out bell icon appears next to the conversation in your Messages list. For iOS 14 and earlier, a crescent moon icon was used instead of the crossed-out bell icon. You will still see the conversation and can open it at any time.
How to turn off hide alerts
To reverse the setting, swipe left on the conversation in the Messages list and tap the regular bell icon (without the slash). Alternatively, open the conversation, tap the contact or group name at the top, and toggle Hide Alerts off.
Hide alerts vs. do not disturb: what's the difference?
Do Not Disturb (and other Focus modes) silences all notifications system-wide and can optionally share your Focus Status with others, showing them a "notifications silenced" note. Hide Alerts is per-conversation only, completely private, and never shows any indicator to the sender. If you want to avoid interruptions from everyone except a few important people, use Do Not Disturb. If you only want to silence one chat without anyone knowing, use Hide Alerts. Notification Summary (iOS 15+) lets you schedule a digest of non-urgent app notifications at specific times instead of receiving them in real-time. You can hide alerts for calls using the Do Not Disturb feature within Focus settings, where you can also specify allowed contacts who can bypass the silence.
For broader control over your phone's sounds, you can adjust the vibration settings on your phone in Settings > Sounds & Haptics. If you need a quick guide on how to turn on vibrate on phone, that same menu lets you toggle Vibrate on Ring and Vibrate on Silent. For specific models, instructions for how to turn on ringer on iPhone 12 and how to turn vibrate on iPhone 12 are found under Settings > Sounds & Haptics, where you can set the ringer volume and enable vibration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the other person see that I have hide alerts turned on?
No. Hide Alerts is completely private. The sender will not see any indication that you have muted their conversation. Only Focus modes with Focus Status sharing enabled show a "notifications silenced" note.
Will I still get message notifications if I don't open the Messages app?
Yes. The messages are delivered and stored normally. You just won't hear a sound, feel a vibration, or see them on your Lock Screen until you open the Messages app and check the conversation.
Does hide alerts work for group chats?
Yes, exactly the same way. You can mute an entire group conversation without leaving it, and no one in the group will know you have silenced alerts.
Can I hide alerts for other apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger?
No. Hide Alerts is a feature exclusive to Apple's Messages app. To mute notifications from other apps, go to Settings > Notifications, select the app, and turn off Allow Notifications.
What happens to messages I receive while hide alerts is on?
They are delivered normally and appear in the conversation thread. You simply won't be alerted to their arrival. When you open Messages, you will see the crossed-out bell icon next to the conversation, and any new messages will be visible.
For the wider topic, see vibration settings on your phone.
