Browser notification spam/scam, how to turn off all those fake notifications.
When Notifications Turn Nasty
We’ve all seen them—those alarming pop-ups claiming your device is infected, urging you to “click here” to fix it. But these aren’t helpful alerts from your antivirus software—they’re browser notification scams, designed to trick you into visiting shady sites, downloading malware, or handing over personal info. What starts as a simple “Allow notifications” click can quickly spiral into a flood of fake warnings on your desktop or phone. In this guide, we’ll show you how to identify these scams and, more importantly, how to shut them down—whether you’re using Chrome or Edge on Windows, macOS, Android, or iPhone.
I work doing IT support in Hereford as part of optimised computing and have had these issues with many infected customers. This is written from real-world experience. How to turn off notifications and also I recommend disabling this notification feature completely, also documented here.
How to Turn Off Scam Notifications in Chrome (Windows & macOS)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Open Chrome
Launch the Chrome browser on your desktop.
Go to Settings
Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
Navigate to Site Settings
Scroll down and click Privacy and security.
Then click Site settings.
Find Notification Settings
Under Permissions, click Notifications.
Review Allowed Sites
You’ll see a list of sites under Allowed to send notifications.
Look for any suspicious or unfamiliar URLs (e.g., ones you don’t remember approving).
Block or Remove Offenders
Click the three dots next to the site name.
Choose Block to stop notifications or Remove to revoke permission entirely.
Optional: Turn Off All Notifications
Toggle off Sites can ask to send notifications to prevent future prompts.
Pro Tip
If you’re unsure which site is causing the spam, check the notification itself—often the site name is listed at the top or bottom of the pop-up.
How to Turn Off Scam Notifications in Microsoft Edge (Windows & macOS)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Open Edge
Launch the Microsoft Edge browser.
Go to Settings
Click the three horizontal dots (⋯) in the top-right corner.
Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
Navigate to Cookies and Site Permissions
In the left-hand sidebar, click Cookies and site permissions.
Find Notification Settings
Scroll down and click Notifications under the “All permissions” section.
Review Allowed Sites
Under Allow, you’ll see a list of sites permitted to send notifications.
Look for any suspicious or unfamiliar entries.
Block or Remove Offenders
Click the three dots next to the site name.
Choose Block to silence notifications or Remove to revoke permission.
Optional: Disable Notification Prompts
Toggle off Ask before sending (recommended) to stop sites from requesting notification access in the future.
Pro Tip
Edge sometimes syncs settings across devices if you're signed in—so cleaning up one device may help others too.
Brilliant—here’s the mobile section covering Chrome on Android, Chrome on iPhone, and Safari on iPhone. These steps will help your readers stop scammy notifications across all major mobile platforms.
How to Turn Off Scam Notifications on Mobile Devices
Chrome on Android
Open Chrome
Launch the Chrome app.
Go to Settings
Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
Select Settings.
Tap Site Settings
Scroll down and tap Site settings.
Tap Notifications
You’ll see a list of sites under Allowed and Blocked.
Block or Remove Offenders
Tap the suspicious site.
Choose Block or Clear & reset to revoke permissions.
Optional: Disable Notification Prompts
Toggle off Sites can ask to send notifications to prevent future requests.
Chrome on iPhone
Chrome on iOS doesn’t support push notifications from websites, so you’re safe from this type of scam in Chrome on iPhone.
Safari on iPhone (iOS 16+)
Open Settings App
Go to your iPhone’s Settings.
Scroll to Safari
Tap Safari from the list of apps.
Tap Notifications
If you’ve allowed any sites to send notifications, they’ll appear here.
Manage Site Permissions
Tap the site name and choose Deny to stop notifications.
Optional: Disable All Website Notifications
Toggle off Allow Notifications to block all future requests.
Pro Tip
If you’re getting scammy alerts outside of your browser (e.g. system-level pop-ups), it may be caused by a malicious app. Check your installed apps and remove anything unfamiliar.
How to Disable Notification Prompts in Chrome
Chrome on Windows & macOS
Open Chrome
Launch the Chrome browser.
Go to Settings
Click the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
Select Settings.
Navigate to Site Settings
Click Privacy and security.
Then click Site settings.
Click Notifications
Under Permissions, select Notifications.
Turn Off Notification Prompts
Toggle off Sites can ask to send notifications.
This prevents any site from asking permission to send notifications—no more “Allow or Block” pop-ups!
Chrome on Android
Open Chrome
Launch the Chrome app.
Go to Settings
Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
Select Settings.
Tap Site Settings
Scroll down and tap Site settings.
Tap Notifications
Disable Notification Prompts
Toggle off Sites can ask to send notifications.
This stops all future notification requests from websites.
How to Disable Notification Prompts in Safari
Safari on macOS
Open Safari
Launch the Safari browser.
Go to Preferences
Click Safari in the top menu bar.
Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions).
Navigate to Websites Tab
Click the Websites tab.
Select Notifications
In the sidebar, choose Notifications.
Manage Site Permissions
You’ll see a list of sites that have requested notification access.
Set each one to Deny or remove them entirely.
Disable Future Prompts
Uncheck the box labeled Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications.
This stops Safari from ever asking you to allow notifications again.
Safari on iPhone (iOS 16+)
Open Settings App
Go to your iPhone’s Settings.
Scroll to Safari
Tap Safari from the list of apps.
Tap Notifications
You’ll see a list of websites that have requested notification access.
Disable Future Prompts
Toggle off Allow Notifications.
This blocks all future notification requests from websites in Safari.
You got it! Here's how to disable notification prompts in Microsoft Edge on Windows, macOS, and Android, so users can stop sites from ever asking to send notifications.
How to Disable Notification Prompts in Microsoft Edge
Edge on Windows & macOS
Open Edge
Launch the Microsoft Edge browser.
Go to Settings
Click the three dots (⋯) in the top-right corner.
Select Settings.
Navigate to Cookies and Site Permissions
In the left-hand sidebar, click Cookies and site permissions.
Click Notifications
Scroll down and select Notifications under “All permissions.”
Disable Notification Prompts
Toggle off Ask before sending (recommended).
This prevents websites from asking to send notifications—no more “Allow or Block” pop-ups.
Edge on Android
Open Edge
Launch the Edge app.
Tap the Three Dots
Tap the three dots (⋯) at the bottom or top-right corner.
Go to Settings
Tap Settings, then Site permissions.
Tap Notifications
Disable Notification Prompts
Toggle off Ask before sending.
This blocks all future notification requests from websites.