Notification Settings in Slack and Teams: Tame the Noise
Start by checking which alert you want to change: a banner, a sound, an Activity item or a phone notification. Slack and Teams separate these controls. This guide shows the documented settings and a short check after each change, without assuming your current setup matches a default.
Miles Crawford
The quick version
In Slack, click your profile picture, then Preferences, then Notifications. You choose between Everything and Mentions and direct messages, set a schedule, add keywords and tune sounds. In Teams, open Settings, then Notifications and activity. You work through categories like General, Chats and channels, Meetings and Calendar, each with its own dropdowns, and there is a Test notification button to check the result.
Slack: what reaches you
Slack lists these default triggers: DMs, replies to followed threads, mentions, notifications sent to a channel you are in, and your keywords. That is not the same as every message. In Preferences, Notifications, you can choose Everything or Mentions and direct messages, then review the extra notification types and mobile overrides. A notification schedule pauses alerts outside the hours you set.
Slack: keywords, sounds and badges
Channel keywords notify you when someone uses one of your words in a channel you joined, with the word highlighted in yellow. Slack notes keywords are not case-sensitive, only exact matches trigger, and keywords in threads you are not following will not notify you. Under Sound and appearance you can include message previews in banners and pick sounds for new messages, VIP messages (paid plans only), huddles and DMs, or mute all Slack sounds. On Mac and Linux you control the badge on the app icon; on Windows the taskbar icon flashes by default when your computer has been idle for 10 seconds, and you can set it to Always. Mobile timing defaults to one minute after you lock your desktop screen or 10 minutes after Slack stops detecting cursor activity; choose Immediately, even if I am active to get desktop and mobile alerts together.
Teams: the Notifications and activity page
In Teams, open Settings, then Notifications and activity. Microsoft lists a settings search box at the top for finding options by keyword. Under General you can mute all notifications except calls and meetings (Windows only), play sounds with notifications, show message and content previews, and allow notifications during calls and meetings. The Sound section assigns sounds per notification type, though custom sounds are available only on Teams for Windows and web. Under Display you choose where banners appear on screen (any corner) and pick Comfy or Compact previews. Missed activity emails can be set to a frequency or turned off. The Test notification button shows and plays an example.
Teams: chats, channels and threads
Under Chats and channels, each notification type gets a dropdown for where it appears or Off. For one channel, select More options next to its name, then Channel notifications. New messages or posts can be on or off, with delivery in Activity and banner or Activity only. Channels in the Threads layout also offer Include thread replies and Follow all new threads. Follow all new threads places new replies in Followed threads; Microsoft explicitly says that setting does not notify you in the Activity feed. You automatically follow a thread when you reply in it, are @mentioned in it, or someone starts a thread from your message; followed threads surface at the top of your chat list. Microsoft also lists presence notifications, which alert you when chosen contacts change status, and calendar notifications for invites, updates and cancellations. Quick views like Unread and @Mentions filter the list you see but do not change which notifications you receive.
Which one for what?
Our suggestion: first inspect your current settings instead of assuming Everything is selected. If one conversation is noisy, change its exception before reducing alerts across the app. Slack offers All new posts or Just mentions for channels and group DMs, plus advanced options for desktop, mobile and following every thread. Slack keywords match words in joined channels; a Teams channel or thread setting follows conversations. These are not interchangeable topic-alert systems. For quieting one loud channel without leaving it, see our mute channels guide.
Check One Change Before Changing More
This is our suggested check, not a measured productivity result. Note the old setting so you can restore it. Change one control, then test the surface you actually need. A test banner does not establish that every real message type or phone alert will arrive.
| What you need | Check | Do not infer |
|---|---|---|
| A quieter channel | Its notification exception and followed replies | A global setting replaced every exception |
| A visible Teams banner | Test notification and OS permissions | Unread Quick view enabled alerts |
| A Slack alert on your phone | Mobile overrides and desktop inactivity timing | A desktop sound proves mobile delivery |
If a change hides an alert you need, restore the prior value and narrow a different control. For urgent handoffs, agree on a contact route with your team rather than relying on a badge alone.
What to be careful about
- Slack keywords need exact matches. Variations of a word will not trigger, and threads you do not follow stay silent.
- Some Slack sounds are paid-plan only. Slack lists VIP message sounds as a paid feature.
- Teams mute-all is Windows only. Microsoft says the Mute all notifications toggle is available on Windows; macOS users manage much of this in System Settings instead.
- Custom Teams sounds are Windows and web only. Per Microsoft's page.
- Quick views do not change alerts. They only filter which conversations show in your list, Microsoft notes.
- Check the OS layer too. On macOS, Teams banner and sound notifications also depend on System Settings and Focus mode, and Slack mobile timing depends on desktop activity. If alerts seem missing, the cause may sit outside the app.
Sources
Checked October 28, 2026 against the linked official help pages. We did not change settings in a signed-in workspace or test device delivery. App version, organization settings and operating-system permissions can affect the controls you see. The setup order and check table are our suggestions.