Changing notification sounds is one of many ways to personalize your Windows 11 experience. This guide will help you change and disable notification sounds on Windows 11.
How to Change the Default Notification Sound in Windows 11
If you’re going to be hearing the notification sound all day, you might as well change it to something you like. The Settings app provides access to all the sound settings on Windows 11. Here’s how you can use it to change the default notification sound. Step 1: Click on the Start button on the Taskbar and click the Settings (gear-shaped) icon to launch the app.
Step 2: In the System tab, click on Sound.
Step 3: Under the Advanced section, click on More sound settings.
Step 4: Head over to the Sounds tab. Under the Program Events section, scroll down to select Notification from the list.
Step 5: Next, select a different sound in the drop-down menu under Sounds. You can use the Test button to play the sound if you want.
Step 6: Click Apply followed by OK to save the changes.
How to Add Custom Notification Sounds in Windows 11
Although Windows 11 gives you plenty of notification sounds to choose from, you can always download and use a custom notification sound from the internet. There are plenty of websites like SoundBible or Freesound from where you can download notification sounds for free. It’s important to note that the audio file you download must be in WAV format. Once you have the audio file, here’s how to set it as the default notification sound in Windows 11. Step 1: Copy the downloaded audio file and paste it into the folder where Windows stores all the system sounds. Step 2: You’ll see the ‘Destination Folder Access Denied’ dialog box when you try to paste the audio file. Click on Continue to proceed.
Step 3: Select Yes when the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.
Step 4: Next, right-click on the speaker icon on the Taskbar and select Sound settings.
Step 5: Click on More sound settings.
Step 6: Under the Sounds tab, select Notification. Then, use the drop-down menu to select your custom audio file.
Step 7: Click Apply followed by OK.
Although Windows 11 lets you customize the default notification sound, it does not allow you to set different notification sounds for different apps.
How to Disable Notification Sounds for Individual Apps in Windows 11
You can also disable notification sounds for unimportant apps to avoid distractions. To disable notification sounds for a specific app on Windows, use the following steps. Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Settings from the list.
Step 2: In the System tab, click on Notifications.
Step 3: Under ‘Notifications from apps and other senders,’ you’ll see a list of apps. Click on the app for which you want to disable notification sounds for.
Step 4: Toggle off the ‘Play a sound when a notification arrives’ option. You can also prevent the app from showing notification banners from this menu.
You can repeat the above steps to disable notification sounds for the other apps.
How to Disable All Notification Sounds in Windows 11
If you find it tedious to turn off notification sounds for specific apps, you also have the option to silence all notifications on Windows. This is useful if you don’t want to be bothered by constant notification sounds. Follow these steps to mute notification sounds in Windows 11. Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to launch the Settings app. Step 2: In the System tab, click on Notifications.
Step 3: Click the drop-down arrow next to Notifications to reveal the options.
Step 4: Uncheck the box next to ‘Allow notifications to play sounds.’
Though you’ll continue to receive notifications as usual in the background, but you won’t be bothered by any sounds.
Personalize Your Notification Experience
Notifications are an integral part of any operating system. However, not all of them are equally important. Disabling notification sounds in Windows 11 should make unwanted notifications less annoying. Alternatively, you can change the default notification sound if you’re sick of hearing the same tune repeatedly. If you’re overwhelmed by a constant stream of notifications from apps, check our our guide on how to manage notifications in Windows 11.
