How to Manage Notifications on iOS 12 Lock Screen

With iOS 12, Apple introduced a feature called Instant Tuning, which allows you to manage notification settings directly from the lock screen without opening the Settings app. This guide explains how to access these options, choose between prominent alerts and quiet delivery, or turn off alerts entirely for specific apps right as they appear.

Accessing Notification Options on the Lock Screen

To adjust how an app delivers notifications without unlocking your device:

  1. Wake your iPhone or iPad to view the lock screen.
  2. Locate the notification (or grouped stack of notifications) from the app you want to configure.
  3. Swipe left on the notification to reveal the action buttons.
  4. Tap Manage.

Alternatively, on devices with 3D Touch, press firmly on the notification, or long-press on devices without 3D Touch, then tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner.

Choosing Your Delivery Preference

Once you tap Manage, a menu appears with the following options:

  • Deliver Quietly: Selecting this stops the app from appearing on the lock screen, playing sounds, vibrating, or showing banner alerts. The notifications will still appear in the Notification Center when you swipe down from the top of your screen, but they will not interrupt you. App icon badges are also turned off for quietly delivered notifications.
  • Turn Off...: Tap this to completely disable all notifications from that specific application. A prompt will appear asking you to confirm that you want to turn off all notifications.
  • Settings: Tapping this opens the full notification settings pane for that application within the iOS Settings app, allowing you to fine-tune sound, badges, and preview settings.

How to Revert to Prominent Delivery

If you previously set an app to "Deliver Quietly" and want to restore standard alerts:

  1. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Notification Center.
  2. Find a notification from the app and swipe left over it.
  3. Tap Manage.
  4. Select Deliver Prominently.

This will restore lock screen banners, sounds, vibrations, and badge icons for future notifications from that app.