How to Turn Off Notifications Before a Meeting on Mac and Windows

That iMessage notification during your client call

You're presenting to a client. Screen shared. Everything going great. Then a notification slides in from your group chat. Or worse, your mom texts something you really don't want your boss reading.

It happens more often than anyone admits. And it's completely avoidable.

Mac: turning on Do Not Disturb

Click Control Center (top right of your menu bar), click Focus, turn on Do Not Disturb. Or hold Option and click the date in your menu bar.

That blocks most notifications. But here's the thing. It doesn't touch your desktop icons. Doesn't minimize your apps. Doesn't swap your wallpaper. You're still half-exposed.

You can schedule DND in System Settings too, but that only works if all your meetings happen at the same time every day. They don't.

Windows: Focus Assist

On Windows 10, click the Action Center icon, click Focus Assist, pick Alarms Only. On Windows 11, go to Settings, System, Notifications, toggle Do Not Disturb.

Same limitation though. Notifications are handled but everything else on your screen is still visible.

Notifications are only 20% of the problem

When you share your screen, people see everything. Your messy desktop. Your personal wallpaper. Slack messages in the background. A YouTube tab that randomly starts playing.

Blocking notifications is good. It's not enough.

What I do instead

I built QuickPresent because I was tired of this exact problem. One button:

Blocks everything. iMessage, Slack, email, all of it.
Hides desktop icons
Minimizes open apps
Changes wallpaper to something neutral
Mutes system audio

Meeting ends, press again, everything comes back.

Some habits that help regardless

Close WhatsApp and Telegram before calls. Not just minimized. Closed.

Use a separate browser profile for work. Keeps your personal bookmarks and history out of sight.

Set your Slack status to "In a meeting" so people message you less during the call.

Turn off email desktop notifications permanently. Honestly, you don't need them. Check email on your own schedule.

Why this actually matters

A notification leak during a client call can make you look sloppy. It can share info you didn't mean to share. It distracts everyone on the call. All preventable with like 1 second of prep.

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QuickPresent is available for Mac and Windows. See pricing · Setup guide