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

  1. Open Chrome
    • Launch the Chrome browser on your desktop.
  2. Go to Settings
    • Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
    • Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
  3. Navigate to Site Settings
    • Scroll down and click Privacy and security.
    • Then click Site settings.
  4. Find Notification Settings
    • Under Permissions, click Notifications.
  5. 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).
  6. Block or Remove Offenders
    • Click the three dots next to the site name.
    • Choose Block to stop notifications or Remove to revoke permission entirely.
  7. 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

  1. Open Edge
    • Launch the Microsoft Edge browser.
  2. Go to Settings
    • Click the three horizontal dots (⋯) in the top-right corner.
    • Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
  3. Navigate to Cookies and Site Permissions
    • In the left-hand sidebar, click Cookies and site permissions.
  4. Find Notification Settings
    • Scroll down and click Notifications under the “All permissions” section.
  5. Review Allowed Sites
    • Under Allow, you’ll see a list of sites permitted to send notifications.
    • Look for any suspicious or unfamiliar entries.
  6. Block or Remove Offenders
    • Click the three dots next to the site name.
    • Choose Block to silence notifications or Remove to revoke permission.
  7. 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

  1. Open Chrome
    • Launch the Chrome app.
  2. Go to Settings
    • Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
    • Select Settings.
  3. Tap Site Settings
    • Scroll down and tap Site settings.
  4. Tap Notifications
    • You’ll see a list of sites under Allowed and Blocked.
  5. Block or Remove Offenders
    • Tap the suspicious site.
    • Choose Block or Clear & reset to revoke permissions.
  6. 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+)

  1. Open Settings App
    • Go to your iPhone’s Settings.
  2. Scroll to Safari
    • Tap Safari from the list of apps.
  3. Tap Notifications
    • If you’ve allowed any sites to send notifications, they’ll appear here.
  4. Manage Site Permissions
    • Tap the site name and choose Deny to stop notifications.
  5. 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

  1. Open Chrome
    • Launch the Chrome browser.
  2. Go to Settings
    • Click the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
    • Select Settings.
  3. Navigate to Site Settings
    • Click Privacy and security.
    • Then click Site settings.
  4. Click Notifications
    • Under Permissions, select Notifications.
  5. 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

  1. Open Chrome
    • Launch the Chrome app.
  2. Go to Settings
    • Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
    • Select Settings.
  3. Tap Site Settings
    • Scroll down and tap Site settings.
  4. Tap Notifications
  5. 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

  1. Open Safari
    • Launch the Safari browser.
  2. Go to Preferences
    • Click Safari in the top menu bar.
    • Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions).
  3. Navigate to Websites Tab
    • Click the Websites tab.
  4. Select Notifications
    • In the sidebar, choose Notifications.
  5. Manage Site Permissions
    • You’ll see a list of sites that have requested notification access.
    • Set each one to Deny or remove them entirely.
  6. 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+)

  1. Open Settings App
    • Go to your iPhone’s Settings.
  2. Scroll to Safari
    • Tap Safari from the list of apps.
  3. Tap Notifications
    • You’ll see a list of websites that have requested notification access.
  4. 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

  1. Open Edge
    • Launch the Microsoft Edge browser.
  2. Go to Settings
    • Click the three dots (⋯) in the top-right corner.
    • Select Settings.
  3. Navigate to Cookies and Site Permissions
    • In the left-hand sidebar, click Cookies and site permissions.
  4. Click Notifications
    • Scroll down and select Notifications under “All permissions.”
  5. 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

  1. Open Edge
    • Launch the Edge app.
  2. Tap the Three Dots
    • Tap the three dots (⋯) at the bottom or top-right corner.
  3. Go to Settings
    • Tap Settings, then Site permissions.
  4. Tap Notifications
  5. Disable Notification Prompts
  • Toggle off Ask before sending.

This blocks all future notification requests from websites.

Location: Hampton Bishop, Hereford HR1 4LA, UK

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