Turn Off Heads Up Notifications on Android

Heads-up notifications pop over whatever you are doing, and walking reminders (like “Time to move”) can interrupt your focus. This guide shows you how to disable them on stock Android and most manufacturer skins like Samsung, Pixel, and OnePlus. You’ll need your phone unlocked and a few minutes—no special apps required.

What You’ll Need

Your Android phone (Android 10 or newer recommended)
Access to the Settings app
Optional: a computer if you want to use ADB for a deeper block

Step-by-Step

Open Settings. Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the gear icon, or find the Settings app in your app drawer.
Go to Apps & Notifications. The exact name varies: on Samsung it’s “Apps,” on Pixel it’s “Apps & notifications,” on OnePlus it’s “Apps & notifications.” Tap it.
Tap “See all apps” or “App info.” This shows a full list of installed apps.
Select the app you want to change. For example, to stop heads-up from WhatsApp, tap WhatsApp. To stop walking reminders, you’ll likely target Google Fit, Samsung Health, or your phone’s Digital Wellbeing.
Tap “Notifications.” This opens the notification settings for that app.
Disable heads-up for specific categories. Most apps have categories like “Messages,” “Alerts,” or “Reminders.” Tap a category, then toggle off “Pop on screen” (Pixel) or “Set as alert” (Samsung). This turns the notification into a silent, non-intrusive banner or just a status bar icon.
To turn off all heads-up from an app entirely: Toggle off the top “All notifications” switch. This stops all notifications from that app, including heads-up. Use this only if you don’t want any alerts from that app.
For walking reminders specifically: Open the health app (e.g., Google Fit, Samsung Health) and look for “Activity reminders” or “Move reminders.” Turn off “Daily goal” or “Remind me to move.” This is separate from notification settings.
Use Do Not Disturb (DND) to block heads-up temporarily. Swipe down twice, tap “Do Not Disturb,” and set it to “Alarms only” or “Custom.” This suppresses all heads-up and most notifications until you turn it off.
If you want a global heads-up block: Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications > “Notification access” and disable “Allow notification access” for apps that use it (like WhatsApp). This is drastic and may break other features.

Common Mistakes

Disabling all notifications instead of just heads-up. You might lose important alerts. Use category-level settings first.
Not checking the health app’s own settings. Walking reminders are often controlled inside the app, not in Android’s notification settings.
Expecting a single global toggle. Android doesn’t have a one-tap “disable all heads-up” switch. You have to go app by app.
Forgetting that some apps re-enable heads-up after updates. Check settings again after a major app update.

Tips

Use “Silent” notification category. In many apps, you can set a category to “Silent”—this hides the heads-up but still shows a notification in the shade.
Customize Do Not Disturb schedules. Set DND to turn on automatically during work hours or at night, so heads-up never bothers you then.
For Samsung phones: Go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced settings > “Notification pop-up style” and choose “Brief” or “Off” to change how heads-up appear.
For Pixel phones: In the notification category, tap “Appearance” and choose “Silent” or “Alert”—”Silent” won’t pop up.
If you really want to block all heads-up globally: Use ADB command adb shell settings put secure heads_up_notifications_enabled 0 (requires USB debugging). This is advanced and resets on some devices after reboot.

Troubleshooting

Heads-up still appear after disabling. Some apps (like system apps) have their own settings. Check the app’s in-app settings for “Pop-up” or “Banner” options. Also, restart your phone to apply changes.

Walking reminders won’t turn off. The health app may have multiple reminder toggles. Look for “Move reminders,” “Activity alerts,” or “Daily goal notifications.” If you can’t find them, clear the app’s data (Settings > Apps > [Health app] > Storage > Clear data) but note this may reset your fitness history.

DND doesn’t block heads-up. On some phones, DND allows “Alerts” from certain apps. Go to DND settings and ensure “Alarms & media” only, or customize allowed apps to none.

Notification settings are grayed out. This happens if a work profile or device admin restricts notifications. Check with your IT department or remove the work profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off heads-up for all apps at once?

Not with a simple toggle. On stock Android, you can use ADB to disable the global heads-up feature, but it’s not a user-facing setting. On some Samsung phones, there’s a “Notification pop-up style” option that can be set to “Brief” or “Off” for all apps.

What’s the difference between heads-up and a banner notification?

Heads-up is the intrusive pop-up that appears at the top of your screen, often with a sound. A banner notification is a less obtrusive slide-in that doesn’t interrupt what you’re doing. You can usually set a category to “Silent” to get a banner without sound or pop-up.

Why do walking reminders still show even after I turned off notifications for the health app?

Walking reminders are often generated by the app’s own internal logic, not as standard notifications. You need to disable the reminder feature inside the app itself, not just notification permissions.

Will disabling heads-up affect my alarm?

No, alarms are separate from heads-up notifications. Your alarm will still ring at full volume even if you disable all heads-up.

Do I need to root my phone to disable heads-up?

No, you can do it through settings or ADB without root. ADB is a developer tool that doesn’t void warranty, but it requires a computer and USB debugging enabled.

How do I re-enable heads-up later?

Go back to the same notification settings and toggle the pop-up or alert option back on. If you used ADB, run adb shell settings put secure heads_up_notifications_enabled 1 to re-enable.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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