Balloon tips or toast notifications are those little information pop ups you get when hovering the pointer over objects within Windows. These tips were originally designed to give the user additional information on the item in question. However as I am sure many would agree, they can quickly become annoying. So, let me explain how to remove them.
How to Remove the Windows XP Balloon Tips
- Click Start -> Run and type regedit then click ok
- From the registry editor directory tree, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TrayNotify - Find BalloonTip then right click it and select modify. Enter a data value of 0 to disable the balloon tips
- Exit the registry editor and restart your computer to have the changes take effect.
How to Manage Notifications (Balloon Tips) in Windows 10/11
In modern versions of Windows 10 and 11, balloon tips have been replaced by more advanced notifications, often referred to as toast notifications. These appear in the bottom-right corner of the screen and are stored in the Action Center for later viewing. While useful, these notifications can also become annoying. Here's how you can manage or disable them.
Steps to Turn Off Notifications in Windows
- Open Settings:
- Click the Start button and select the Settings gear icon (or press Windows key + I).
- Go to System:
- In the Settings window, click on System.
- Access Notifications & Actions:
- In the sidebar, click Notifications & actions.
- Turn Off Notifications:
- To completely disable notifications, toggle off the switch under Get notifications from apps and other senders.
- If you want to fine-tune which notifications you receive, scroll down and choose which apps can send notifications.
- Manage Focus Assist:
- For more advanced control, you can set Focus Assist to block notifications during specific times or when you're playing games, in full-screen mode, etc.
Conclusion: In Windows 10/11, managing notifications is much easier and more flexible than it was in Windows XP. You no longer need to edit the registry, as you can control notifications directly from the settings interface. You can choose to disable notifications entirely, or selectively manage which apps are allowed to send them.