How to pick and choose which notifications I get pings for on my Ideapad PC?

Elliot 0 Reputation points
2026-09-30T22:22:03.92+00:00

When I use my laptop, I get notifications for various things, some of which are important system updates, while others are photo timeline reminders. I want to turn off the photo timeline reminders. Also, for some reason, my texts only occasionally come through, even though I have set up the phone link. How do I arrange all of this? Thanks.

Windows for home | Other | Desktop, Start, and personalization
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  1. John Jefferson Doyon 88,935 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-30T23:15:56.58+00:00

    Hi, @Elliot

    Have you already checked which apps are allowed to send notifications?

    Go to Settings > System > Notifications. From there, you can turn notifications on or off for individual apps. If the photo timeline reminders are coming from Microsoft Photos, look for "Photos" and turn its notifications off.

    For the text messages through Phone Link, that is a separate issue. Phone Link normally needs your phone connected properly and allowed to run in the background.

    If the texts are still only appearing occasionally, to help narrow down the issue:

    1. Are you using an Android phone or iPhone?
    2. Do the missing texts eventually appear in Phone Link, or do they never show up?
    3. Does Phone Link show your phone as connected when this happens?

    Click "Add comment" to let me know.

    Thanks!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-30T22:22:16.54+00:00

    To control which notifications appear and which ones make noise on the PC:

    1. Open Start > Settings > System > Notifications.
    2. Under Notifications from apps and other senders, find the app that is sending the photo timeline reminders.
    3. Select that app and change its notification behavior. Available options include:
      • turn notifications Off completely
      • turn Show notification banners on or off
      • turn Show notifications in notification center on or off
      • turn Play a sound on or off
      • set priority to Top, High, or Normal

    If the reminders are not important, turning that app off completely is the simplest fix. If the reminders should stay visible but not ping, leave notifications on and turn Play a sound off for that app.

    For phone notifications through Phone Link:

    1. Open Phone Link and go to Notifications.
    2. Select Customize to open the settings page.
    3. Under Choose which apps I get notifications from, turn apps Off or On individually.

    Only apps that have already sent a notification to the PC appear in that list.

    For text notifications only coming through sometimes:

    1. In Phone Link, go to Notifications and confirm the feature is set up.
    2. Make sure permission was granted on the Android device.
    3. If using iPhone, make sure Share System Notifications is enabled for the linked PC in Bluetooth settings.

    A few useful behaviors to know:

    • Dismissing a notification on the PC also removes it from the Android device, and vice versa.
    • In Windows, notifications can still collect in the notification center even if banners are reduced.
    • To review missed notifications, open the notification center by selecting the clock or notification bell on the taskbar, or press Windows key + N.

    If notifications are too noisy overall, Do not disturb can be used:

    1. Open Start > Settings > System > Notifications.
    2. Turn on Do not disturb.
    3. To automate it, under Turn on do not disturb automatically, select During these times and set the schedule.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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