If Signal pings you all day, the fastest fix is to mute the chats that make the most noise and, in groups, keep alerts on for when someone mentions you. This guide covers each control Signal documents: muting, mentions, Notification Profiles and sounds. It also tells you which controls Signal’s help pages don’t describe.
The quickest way to get quiet
Do these two things first:
- Mute your noisiest chats. Open the chat, tap the name at the top, tap Mute, and pick “Always” if you never want alerts from it.
- Keep mentions on in muted groups. In a group’s settings, go to Sounds & Notifications, tap Mentions, and choose “Always notify me.” The group stays quiet until someone mentions you.
That alone cuts most of the noise for people in busy work, school or community groups. The rest of this guide goes control by control.
Signal runs on Android, iPhone and iPad, Windows, macOS and Linux. Some controls only exist on some of these, and each section notes where that’s the case.
| What you want | The control | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| Silence one chat or group | Mute | Chat settings (tap the name or header) |
| Hear a muted group only when mentioned | Mentions | Group settings > Sounds & Notifications |
| Quiet hours on a schedule | Notification Profiles | Settings > Notifications (not on iOS) |
| A different sound for one chat | Custom notifications / Message Sound | Chat settings (Android and iOS) |
| Alerts with no sound | Play audio notification | Preferences on Desktop |
Mute one chat
Muting is the main tool in Signal for cutting noise. You can mute a one-on-one chat or a group.
To mute a Signal chat:
- Open the chat.
- Tap the contact name or the header at the top. This opens the chat settings.
- Tap Mute. On Android it’s labeled Mute notifications. On iOS it sits under Sounds and Notifications.
- Choose how long.
Signal lists these lengths:
- 1 hour
- 8 hours
- 1 day
- 1 week
- Always
On Android, the list shows 7 days instead of 1 week. After you mute a chat, a mute icon appears next to the chat name, so you can tell at a glance which chats are silenced.
Here’s how to pick a length:
- 1 hour or 8 hours works for a single meeting, a class or a workday.
- 1 day or 1 week fits a group that’s busy for a while, like during an event.
- Always fits a group you want to keep but rarely need to read in real time.
Pause everything at once
Signal’s help pages don’t describe a snooze or do-not-disturb control that pauses all notifications at once. Muting works one chat at a time.
Hear only mentions in groups
This setting lets you mute a busy group and still hear about it when someone mentions you. It’s the best way to get fewer pings without missing what’s meant for you.
To set it up:
- Open the group chat.
- Tap the group name to open the chat settings.
- Tap Sounds & Notifications.
- Tap Mentions.
- Choose whether to be notified when you’re mentioned in a muted chat.
The options are:
- Always notify me
- Don’t notify me
Some versions of Signal label these Always Notify and Don’t Notify if Muted. They work the same way.
To use it, pair it with muting:
- Mute the group, for example with “Always.”
- Set Mentions to “Always notify me.”
Now the group’s regular chatter stays silent, and a mention still reaches you. If you’d rather not hear anything from a muted group, mentions included, choose “Don’t notify me.”
Signal’s help pages don’t describe alerts for chosen keywords. Mentions are the only documented way to break through a mute.
Set quiet hours on a schedule
Notification Profiles control who can notify you, and they can turn on and off on a schedule. Use them to quiet things during work hours, school hours or overnight.
To create one:
- Go to Settings > Notifications.
- Open the Notification Profiles section.
- Create a new profile or edit an existing one.
- Choose who may notify you while the profile is on.
- If you want, add a schedule so the profile turns on and off by itself.
The schedule is what makes this useful day to day. For example, you could make a “Work” profile that only lets a few people through during your work hours. Or you could make a “Sleep” profile that stays quiet overnight.
Notification Profiles are available on Android, Windows, macOS and Linux. They aren’t available on iOS for now. On an iPhone or iPad, use Mute and Mentions instead.
Set levels per channel or per group
Signal’s help pages don’t describe per-chat notification levels beyond Mute and Mentions. For a group, your documented choices are to mute it for a set time and to decide whether mentions still notify you.
Threads
Signal’s help pages don’t describe notification settings for threads.
Notification sounds
Sometimes you want alerts but not the sound. Other times you want one chat to sound different so you know it matters without looking. Signal documents a few sound controls.
Give one chat its own sound
A custom sound for an important person or group lets you tell their messages apart by ear.
On Android:
- Open the chat.
- Tap the contact name or header.
- Tap Sounds and notifications.
- Tap Custom notifications.
On iPhone or iPad:
- Open the chat.
- Tap the contact name or header.
- Tap Message Sound.
- Choose a sound and tap Save.
On iOS, Signal only supports tones with the file types .aiff, .wav or .caf.
Turn sounds off but keep alerts
On Desktop (Windows, macOS and Linux):
- Open Preferences.
- Clear the Play audio notification checkbox.
You still get notifications. They just don’t make a sound.
On iOS, you can turn off just the sound Signal plays when you send a message. Go to Settings > Notifications and use Play While App is Open.
Default sound, changing it and your own files
Signal’s help pages don’t name the default notification sound. They also don’t describe how to change the sound for all chats at once or how to use your own sound file.
A simple setup that works for most people
If you’re not sure where to start, this setup suits a typical busy week:
- Mute every large group with “Always.”
- Set Mentions to “Always notify me” in the groups where people might need you.
- Leave one-on-one chats unmuted with the people who matter most.
- Give one or two key chats a custom sound on your phone.
- On Android or Desktop, add a Notification Profile with a schedule for work hours or sleep.
- On Desktop, clear Play audio notification if sounds distract you while you work.
This keeps the important messages coming through and silences the rest. Check your Signal notification settings again in a week and adjust any chat that’s still too loud or too quiet.
FAQ
How long can I mute a Signal chat?
Signal lists 1 hour, 8 hours, 1 day, 1 week and Always. On Android, the list shows 7 days instead of 1 week.
Will I still get notified if someone mentions me in a muted group?
Yes, if you choose it. In the group’s settings, go to Sounds & Notifications, tap Mentions, and pick “Always notify me.” Some versions label it “Always Notify.”
Can I use Notification Profiles on my iPhone?
No. Notification Profiles aren’t available on iOS for now. They work on Android, Windows, macOS and Linux.
Can I keep notifications on but turn off the sound?
On Desktop, yes. Open Preferences and clear the Play audio notification checkbox. On iOS, you can turn off just the send sound with Play While App is Open under Settings > Notifications.