A browser notification is the one permission a website can use to reach your screen even when you are not on the site. Most sites use it responsibly. Enough abuse it — fake "virus detected" alerts, "you won" prizes, and constant breaking-news spam — that it is worth taking back control. This guide gives the exact steps for each major browser and the two most common ways notifications reach you.
First: revoke the sites you already allowed
Before changing any defaults, clean up what you have already allowed. Every browser keeps a list of sites with notification permission.
Chrome (desktop)
- Open Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications.
- Under Allow, click the three-dot menu next to any site and choose Remove.
- Under Not permitted to send, review the list of sites you have already blocked.
Firefox (desktop)
- Open Settings → Privacy & Security.
- Scroll to Permissions → Notifications, click Settings….
- Remove any site from the Allowed list by selecting it and clicking Remove Website.
Edge (desktop)
- Open Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Notifications.
- Under Allow, use the three-dot menu to remove sites.
Safari (macOS)
- Open Safari → Settings → Websites → Notifications.
- For each site, select Deny, or remove it entirely. Safari also shows a "Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications" checkbox — uncheck it to stop future prompts.
Next: block future prompts by default
Revoking past permissions is half the job. The other half is making the prompt itself stop appearing.
- Chrome: In Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Notifications, set the default to Don't allow sites to send notifications. Use the Quieter messaging option so sites can no longer pop up the full permission request.
- Firefox: In Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions, click Settings… next to Notifications and check Block new requests asking to allow notifications.
- Edge: In Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Notifications, turn on Ask before sending off, or enable Use quieter messaging so the prompt appears in the address bar instead of as a pop-up.
- Safari: Uncheck Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications in Settings → Websites → Notifications.
Once the default is blocked, a site cannot request permission again until you deliberately allow it for that site.
On mobile
Android (Chrome)
- Open Chrome → ⋮ menu → Settings → Site settings → Notifications.
- Toggle Use quieter messaging and, if you want, remove allowed sites.
If you use a different Android browser, the path is similar: browser settings → site settings → notifications.
iPhone (Safari)
- Open Settings → Notifications → Safari.
- Turn off Allow Notifications.
You can also disable notifications per site: open the site, tap the aA button in the address bar → Website Settings → Notifications → Off.
Why sites keep asking
When a site asks for notification permission, it is usually asking for one of three things: the right to re-engage you with alerts, a second advertising surface, or a clickbait path back to the site. Once you click Allow, the site can send messages at any hour until you revoke it. That asymmetry — the site asks once, you pay attention forever — is why the safe default is to block, then allow only the few sites that genuinely need it.
Recognizing notification scams
The most dangerous use of notifications is deception. These are the patterns to treat as spam:
- Fake "virus detected" alerts claiming your device is infected and pointing to a "fix" that is a scam page.
- Messages styled like your operating system asking you to sign in again or enter payment details.
- "You have won" prizes that lead to surveys and subscription traps.
A real warning from your operating system or antivirus never comes from a website, and it never asks you to click a link to fix a problem. If a notification claims your computer is infected, close it without clicking, open your real security software, and run a scan there. That habit defeats most notification-based scams — the same pattern a tool like Scam Guard is built to catch.
When to allow notifications anyway
Some notifications are worth keeping: email clients, calendar apps, and messaging services deliver time-sensitive information while the tab is closed. The test is simple — does this notification carry information you would otherwise miss, or does it just ask for your attention? Keep the first kind, block the second, and allow sites one at a time rather than clicking "allow" out of habit.
Quick answers
What happens if I block browser notifications? Sites can no longer push alerts to your screen. For sites you block, that is usually the point.
Can a site send notifications without asking? No — permission is required first. But if you clicked Allow once, the site can keep sending until you revoke it in site settings.
How do I block notifications from one specific site? Open the browser's site settings → notifications, find the site, and remove it.
Are notification scams dangerous? The notification itself is just a message, but clicking it can lead to scam pages, unwanted downloads, and phishing. Treat unexpected security alerts from websites as spam.
Written by Hassan Arshad, founder of UsefulOrbit. Last updated August 31, 2026. Sources: Google Chrome Help, Mozilla Support, FTC Consumer Advice.