Group Notifications by App in iOS 10

If you’re still on iOS 10, your notification center can feel like a jumbled stream of messages, emails, and app alerts. Grouping notifications by app lets you see all alerts from each app together in a neat, collapsible stack, making it much easier to scan and manage. This guide walks you through the exact steps to turn on grouping for all apps or just the ones you choose.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS 10 (any version).
• Your device passcode (if you have one) to access Settings.

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Settings app on your device. It’s the gray gear icon on your home screen.
2. Tap “Notifications” in the Settings menu. This is usually in the third group of options, near “Sounds” and “Do Not Disturb.”
3. Select an app from the “NOTIFICATION STYLE” list. This list shows every app that can send notifications. Tap the app you want to group, for example, “Messages” or “Mail.”
4. Scroll down to the “NOTIFICATION SORT ORDER” section. In iOS 10, this is where you control how notifications from this app are grouped.
5. Tap “By App”. You’ll see two options: “By App” and “By Time.” Choosing “By App” groups all notifications from this app together in the notification center. “By Time” (the default) mixes notifications from different apps based on when they arrived.
6. Repeat for other apps if you want. You can set grouping individually for each app. If you want all apps grouped, you’ll need to do this for each one—there’s no global “group all” toggle in iOS 10.
7. Check your notification center. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Notification Center. You’ll see your grouped notifications as stacks. Tap a stack to expand it and see all the notifications from that app.

Common Mistakes

• Looking for a global setting: Many users expect a single switch that groups all apps at once. iOS 10 doesn’t have that; you must set it per app.
• Confusing “Notification Sort Order” with “View Style”: The “View Style” section (Alert, Banner, or None) controls how alerts appear when they arrive, not how they’re grouped in Notification Center. Don’t change this unless you want to change alert behavior.
• Forgetting to scroll down: The “Notification Sort Order” section is at the bottom of the app’s notification settings. If you don’t scroll, you’ll miss it.
• Assuming it applies to the lock screen: Grouping only affects Notification Center. On the lock screen, notifications still appear in chronological order, not grouped by app.

Tips

• Group the apps you get the most notifications from—like Messages, Mail, and WhatsApp—to reduce clutter. Leave less frequent apps on “By Time” if you prefer.
• Use 3D Touch (if available): On iPhone 6s and later, you can press firmly on a grouped notification stack to expand it quickly without tapping.
• Clear grouped notifications easily: When a group is collapsed, you can swipe left on it and tap “Clear” to dismiss all notifications from that app at once. This is much faster than clearing them individually.
• Combine with “Show as Banners”: If you set an app to show as banners, you can still group them. The grouping is independent of the alert style.

Troubleshooting

I changed the setting but notifications still aren’t grouped.

First, make sure you actually tapped “By App” and not just looked at the screen. Then, check that you’re viewing Notification Center (swipe down from the top), not the lock screen. If you’re on the lock screen, notifications won’t be grouped. Also, try restarting your device—it’s a simple fix that often resolves UI glitches.

Some apps don’t have the “Notification Sort Order” section.

This is rare, but a few apps might not support grouping if they use custom notification handling. If you don’t see the section, there’s nothing you can do except wait for the app to update. Most standard apps have it.

I want to ungroup notifications again.

Go back to the same app’s notification settings and tap “By Time” instead of “By App.” That will restore the default chronological mixing.

Grouped notifications don’t show the app icon.

In iOS 10, the group header shows the app icon and the number of notifications. If you don’t see it, try expanding the group by tapping on it. If the icon is missing entirely, it might be a temporary bug—restart your device or check that the app’s notifications are enabled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does grouping notifications by app save battery?

No, grouping only changes how notifications are displayed in Notification Center. It has no effect on battery life or how notifications are delivered.

Can I group notifications on the lock screen?

No, in iOS 10 grouping only applies to Notification Center. The lock screen always shows notifications in chronological order.

Will I still get alerts if I group notifications?

Yes, grouping doesn’t change how or when you receive alerts. You’ll still get banners, sounds, and badges exactly as before—only the display in Notification Center changes.

Can I group notifications from all apps at once?

No, iOS 10 doesn’t have a global toggle. You must set “By App” for each app individually. This is a known limitation of that iOS version.

Does grouping work for notifications from the same app that arrive at different times?

Yes, that’s the whole point. All notifications from the same app, regardless of when they arrived, will be grouped together in one stack. You can expand the stack to see them in order.

If I clear a grouped notification, does it clear all of them?

When you swipe left on a collapsed group and tap “Clear,” it dismisses all notifications in that group. If you expand the group first, you can clear individual notifications.

Related

• Custom Apple Watch Face from Your Photos
• What Is a Value in Microsoft Excel? Explained
• Restore a Lost Snapchat Streak Without Losing Progress