How to Hide Notifications on the Lock Screen on an iPhone 7

Do you ever feel like your iPhone 7 is giving away too much information on the Lock Screen? Whether it’s private messages, app alerts, or reminders, those pop-ups can easily be seen by anyone nearby. The good news? You can easily hide notifications on the Lock Screen on your iPhone 7 — giving you the privacy you deserve.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you step-by-step through how to manage and hide notifications, explain what each setting means, and even share expert privacy tips to keep your information safe.

Why Hide Notifications on the Lock Screen?

Think about how often you leave your phone on a desk, table, or charging station. Now imagine someone nearby glancing over and seeing your text messages, bank alerts, or email previews — not ideal, right?

Here’s why hiding lock screen notifications is a smart move:

• 🔒 Protect privacy: Prevent others from reading your messages or seeing sensitive alerts.

• 📱 Reduce distractions: Keep your focus by stopping constant pop-ups.

• 👀 Avoid embarrassment: Some notifications might not be meant for public eyes.

• 🧠 Simplify your screen: A cleaner lock screen means less clutter and more peace of mind.

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Understanding How iPhone 7 Notifications Work

Your iPhone 7’s Lock Screen displays alerts from apps so you can quickly view messages, calls, reminders, and updates. But by default, it shows notification previews — meaning the content (like the sender and message text) is visible without unlocking your phone.

You have three main levels of control:

Understanding these settings is key to customizing your privacy exactly how you want it.

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How to Hide Notifications on the Lock Screen on an iPhone 7 (Step-by-Step)

Let’s go through the process step-by-step. You don’t need any special apps — just your iPhone settings.

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Step 1: Open Settings

1. Unlock your iPhone 7.

2. Tap the Settings app (the gray gear icon).

This is where all your notification and privacy controls are located.

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Step 2: Tap “Notifications”

1. Scroll down until you find Notifications.

2. Tap it to open your list of installed apps and notification settings.

Here, you’ll see a preview of which apps are allowed to show alerts and where.

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Step 3: Select the App

1. Scroll through the list of apps.

2. Choose the app for which you want to hide lock screen notifications (e.g., Messages, Mail, WhatsApp).

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Step 4: Toggle Off “Show on Lock Screen”

1. Under the “Alerts” section, you’ll see options for Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners.

2. Turn off the “Lock Screen” option.

✅ Now, that app’s notifications will no longer appear when your iPhone is locked.

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Hide All Notifications at Once

Want a faster way to disable all Lock Screen alerts? Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications.

2. Tap Show Previews.

3. Choose When Unlocked or Never.

This prevents all apps from showing notifications when your phone is locked — perfect if you want full privacy.

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Hide Sensitive Notification Previews

If you don’t want to hide notifications entirely but just want to hide message content, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings → Notifications → Show Previews.

2. Select When Unlocked.

Now, you’ll still see that you received a message, but the content won’t be shown until you unlock your phone.

Example:
Instead of showing “Sarah: Are you free for lunch?”, it will only say “1 new message.”

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Hide Notifications When the iPhone Is Locked

To hide notifications only when your device is locked:

1. Go to Settings → Touch ID & Passcode.

2. Enter your passcode.

3. Scroll to the section labeled Allow Access When Locked.

4. Toggle off Notifications View.

This ensures no notifications appear on your lock screen at all — even if someone tries to check.

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Customize Notifications by App

Each app can have different privacy levels. For instance, you might want to hide WhatsApp alerts but keep calendar reminders.

Here’s how:

1. Open Settings → Notifications.

2. Tap on an app (e.g., Facebook, Instagram).

3. Adjust settings individually:

   • Turn off Lock Screen for privacy.

   • Keep Banners for active use.

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Hide iMessage and WhatsApp Notifications

Messaging apps often reveal the most sensitive info. Let’s fix that.

To hide iMessage notifications:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Messages.

2. Turn off Show on Lock Screen.

3. (Optional) Set Show Previews → Never.

To hide WhatsApp notifications:

1. Open Settings → Notifications → WhatsApp.

2. Toggle off Lock Screen.

3. Tap Show Previews → Never (inside WhatsApp’s settings if needed).

Now, you’ll still receive messages, but they’ll remain private until you open the app.

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How to Hide Email Notifications on the Lock Screen

Don’t want email subjects or sender names popping up?

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Mail.

2. Choose your mail account.

3. Turn off Show on Lock Screen.

4. Set Show Previews → When Unlocked.

This keeps your inbox secure from prying eyes.

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Hide Social Media Notifications

Social media apps like Facebook, Twitter (X), and Instagram can display personal updates. You can hide those easily:

1. Settings → Notifications → [App Name]

2. Disable Show on Lock Screen

3. Turn off Sounds or Badges if you want a quieter experience.

Pro tip: Some apps (like Instagram) allow notification customization within the app too. Explore those settings for more control.

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Temporarily Silence Notifications Using Do Not Disturb

Sometimes, you don’t need to hide alerts permanently — just silence them for a while.

Here’s how:

1. Swipe up from the bottom (or down from the top-right if using iOS 15+).

2. Tap the crescent moon icon to enable Do Not Disturb.

This pauses all incoming notifications until you turn it off.

You can even schedule it — perfect for meetings, sleep, or study time.

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How to Use “Deliver Quietly” Option

“Deliver Quietly” is a helpful feature that lets notifications appear silently in the Notification Center but not on your Lock Screen.

To enable it:

1. Swipe left on a notification.

2. Tap Manage → Deliver Quietly.

Now, you’ll still get updates — but only when you check them yourself.

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Using Focus Mode (iOS 15 and Later)

Even though iPhone 7 originally shipped with iOS 10, it can be updated to iOS 15 — which introduces Focus Mode.

Focus Mode lets you create customized notification filters for specific situations (e.g., work, sleep, personal time).

1. Go to Settings → Focus.

2. Choose a mode (e.g., Do Not Disturb, Work).

3. Tap Allowed Notifications → People or Apps.

4. Exclude the ones you don’t want appearing on the Lock Screen.

This gives you total control over when and how notifications appear.

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Troubleshooting: Notifications Still Showing?

If notifications still appear on your Lock Screen after disabling them:

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Privacy Tips for Lock Screen Notifications

Enhance your iPhone’s privacy with these smart tips:

• 🔐 Always use a passcode or Touch ID.

• 🚫 Disable “Reply from Lock Screen” for Messages in Settings → Touch ID & Passcode.

• 📵 Avoid showing Siri suggestions on the Lock Screen.

• 🧹 Clear old notifications regularly from the Notification Center.

• 🔇 Limit sensitive apps’ permissions to prevent push alerts.

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Conclusion

Hiding notifications on your iPhone 7’s Lock Screen is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to protect your privacy. Whether you want to hide all alerts, just message previews, or certain apps, iOS gives you flexible tools to take control.

Now that you know exactly how to do it, take a few minutes to personalize your settings — your future self (and your privacy) will thank you!

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FAQs

1. Can I hide only specific app notifications on the Lock Screen?

Yes. Go to Settings → Notifications → [App] and turn off Show on Lock Screen for individual apps.

2. Will I still get notifications if I hide them from the Lock Screen?

Absolutely! You’ll still receive alerts in the Notification Center and within apps — they just won’t appear on the Lock Screen.

3. Does hiding notifications affect battery life?

Not significantly. However, fewer lock screen updates can slightly reduce battery use.

4. Can I hide notifications only during certain hours?

Yes — use Focus Mode or Do Not Disturb to automatically hide notifications during specific times.

5. What’s the difference between “Show Previews” and “Show on Lock Screen”?

• Show Previews controls message content visibility.

• Show on Lock Screen controls whether the notification appears at all on the Lock Screen.

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Summary: Key Takeaways

In short:
To hide notifications on the Lock Screen on an iPhone 7, go to Settings → Notifications → [App] and disable Show on Lock Screen. Adjust previews and use Focus Mode for extra privacy control.