How to Hide Notification Dots on Android — and Why Hiding Isn't Clearing

Updated July 2, 2026

Those red dots on your app icons have two very different fixes, and most guides only mention one. You can hide notification dots — a free setting built into every Android phone — or you can clear them. They sound the same. They are not. Here's how to do both, and when each one actually helps.

Option 1: Hide notification dots (built into Android)

Hiding switches the visual indicator off. The notifications themselves stay exactly where they are.

Stock Android / Pixel

1. Open Settings → Notifications.
2. Turn off Notification dot on app icon.

Or long-press an empty spot on your home screen → Home settings → toggle off Notification dots.

Samsung (One UI)

1. Open Settings → Notifications → Advanced settings.
2. Turn off App icon badges.

One UI also lets you pick between a dot and a number here. For the full picture of how Samsung badges behave — including why counts sometimes look wrong — see our Samsung app icon badges guide.

Xiaomi (HyperOS / MIUI)

1. Open Settings → Notifications & status bar.
2. Tap App icon badges and switch them off — globally or per app.

Just one app?

On most phones: Settings → Apps → [the app] → Notifications → turn off Allow notification dot.

What hiding actually does (and doesn't do)

Hiding is honest about one thing: it's cosmetic. After you switch dots off —

• The notifications are still there, in your notification shade and history.
• The unread items are still unread.
• You just can't see the dots anymore.

If red dots stress you out and you never want to see one again, hiding is a perfectly good solution — and it's free. But most people don't want to never see badges. They want the pile to go away right now, without losing the indicator forever. That's a different job.

Option 2: Clear the badges (keep the indicator, empty the pile)

Clearing makes badges disappear because the notifications behind them get dismissed — the same as swiping each notification away, just all at once. Your dots stay enabled, so the next notification still shows up. Nothing is hidden from you; the pile is simply gone.

You can do it manually: open the notification shade and tap Clear all. That works, but it clears the shade — and opening the shade usually means getting pulled into reading everything first.

Or you can do it from the home screen in one tap. Unbadge is a free app with a small home-screen widget: tap it once and your dismissible notifications are cleared together, so notification-linked badges reset to zero — without opening a single app. Your notifications never leave your phone: nothing is uploaded, and there's no account.

Hide vs clear — which one do you want?

• Hide if you never want to see a dot again. Notifications keep piling up unseen, and the setting is free and built in.
• Clear if you want the pile gone right now but still want future alerts to badge. One tap, and the indicator stays useful.

Frequently asked questions

Does hiding notification dots stop notifications?

No. Hiding only removes the visual indicator on the icon. Notifications still arrive, make sounds, and appear in your shade as usual.

Can I hide dots for just one app?

Yes. Go to Settings → Apps → [the app] → Notifications and turn off the notification dot for that app only.

What's the difference between hiding and clearing badges?

Hiding switches the indicator off permanently while notifications keep piling up unseen. Clearing dismisses the notifications behind the badges, so the count resets to zero — and future alerts still show.

Why is one badge still there after I cleared everything?

Some apps — notably on Samsung — draw their own unread count that isn't tied to notifications. Those reset only when you open the app. All notification-linked badges clear normally.

Clear every badge in one tap

Unbadge wipes every notification badge from your home screen — and a 1×1 widget — instantly. Free on Google Play.