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How To Mute and Block Group Message Notifications in Apple iMessage

Apple’s iMessage is a popular messaging app that allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to send messages, photos, videos, and more between devices. A handy feature of iMessage is the ability to set up group messages with multiple recipients. However, these group chats can sometimes get noisy with a constant stream of notifications. Fortunately, iMessage provides ways to mute or even block group message notifications when you need a break.

Mute Notifications for a Group Conversation

Muting a group conversation in iMessage is straightforward and can be done right from the messages app on any iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Here are the steps:

  • Open the group message thread you want to mute notifications for.
  • Tap or click on the group name at the top of the message window.
  • In the menu that appears, toggle the switch next to Hide Alerts to the on (green) position.

This will mute notifications just for that specific group chat while still allowing you to participate in the conversation. You won’t hear message sounds or see banners/badges for new messages from the muted group. However, the conversation remains visible in your messages list and new messages will still appear when you open the thread.

Tip: You can tap the group name again at any time to turn message notifications back on for that chat.

Temporarily Silence All iMessage Chats

If you want to mute notifications from all iMessage conversations for a set period of time, you can enable a Focus mode like Do Not Disturb. Here’s how:

  • Open the Settings app on your iPhone/iPad or the System Preferences on your Mac.
  • Select Focus and choose or create a custom Focus mode – for example, select Do Not Disturb.
  • Schedule when you want this Focus enabled or choose to manually turn it on/off as needed.
  • Make sure iMessage notifications are silenced under the options for your selected Focus mode.

Now, whenever that Focus is active, you will not receive message notifications from any iMessage chats. You can still view conversations – you just won’t hear alerts for new incoming messages.

Tip: The Sleep Focus that runs at bedtime by default blocks notifications, so you may not need to set up anything additional.

Block a Group Chat Completely

If you want to remove a group conversation from your messages entirely so that you no longer receive any notifications from that chat, you can block the group. Here’s how to do it:

  • Open the group message thread you want to block.
  • Tap the group name, then tap Info in the menu.
  • Scroll down and tap Block this Caller.

This will remove the group chat from your messages list so you don’t see it anymore. You will no longer receive any notifications from this group.

Keep in mind that blocking a group chat is permanent – you won’t be able to rejoin the conversation later unless you are added back by another participant. The chat will still exist for other participants.

Customize Notification Settings

For finer control over iMessage notifications, you can customize options in the Settings app. Here are some possibilities:

  • Disable Badge App Icon and Show in Notification Center to reduce on-screen clutter from message notifications.
  • Adjust notification sounds and vibrate options.
  • Set notifications to banner-style alerts instead of full-screen.
  • Disable Show Preview to increase privacy.
  • Customize notification permissions for individual message threads.

Combined with the muting and blocking steps covered earlier, customizing these notification settings can help reduce distractions from noisy iMessage group chats.

Use Do Not Disturb While Driving

For iPhone users, the Do Not Disturb While Driving feature is handy for silencing notifications automatically when you may be behind the wheel.

To enable it:

  • Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb While Driving.
  • Turn on Activate Automatically and adjust other options.

Now, whenever your iPhone detects you driving with Bluetooth or CarPlay connectivity, Do Not Disturb will activate to mute notifications from calls, messages, and apps. This helps avoid distraction while operating a vehicle.

Third-Party Notification Manager Apps

In addition to iMessage’s built-in tools, third-party iOS apps for managing notifications can also help. Options like Notification Assistant, Lockdown Pro, and Focus assist you in automatically silencing selected apps and chats during chosen times. These tools provide expanded notification customization beyond what’s built into iOS.

Wrap Up

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