SOLVED: Configure or block Apple's annoying alert boxes?

Macintosh software/hardware discussion and troubleshooting

Moderator: James Steele

Post Reply
User avatar
mhschmieder
Posts: 11282
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Annandale VA

SOLVED: Configure or block Apple's annoying alert boxes?

Post by mhschmieder »

I am becoming increasingly frustrated by how often my work and thought process is derailed by having to wait several seconds for an unwanted Apple alert box to show itself (as a blocking window) and dismiss itself in the upper right corner area of my screen.

Although I have turned off all alerts that I know about having the ability to disable, the ones I can't seem to get rid of are the ones for incoming email messages and changes of tracks while playing from iTunes.

Does anyone know of a way to disable these or to at least speed up the alert so it doesn't get so much in the way of typing, work flow, thought processes, etc.?
Last edited by mhschmieder on Sun Oct 30, 2016 2:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.1, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
User avatar
mhschmieder
Posts: 11282
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Annandale VA

Re: Any way to configure or block Apple's annoying alert box

Post by mhschmieder »

Oh, it's funny how things change that don't get mentioned in Release Notes.

I just checked Notifications under System Preferences, and there is now an hour range for "Do Not Disturb", which I set from 12am to 12am to effectively shut it off altogether (I hope -- I may have to give it an hour of being turned off for it to not see that as ALWAYS being turned off).
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.1, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
User avatar
mhschmieder
Posts: 11282
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Annandale VA

Re: Any way to configure or block Apple's annoying alert box

Post by mhschmieder »

That didn't seem to do the trick.

There is a separate list of apps (quite long) that have individual settings, with strange terms such as "badge" that aren't defined.

I guess I'll just have to experiment until the blasted things go away.

Apparently the ones I am annoyed by are referred to as "banners", with "alerts" being the other format.

I see a top-level icon for "None" though, so that may be the simplest thing to try vs. the lower-level configuration choices.

I could have sworn that I had thoroughly checked Alerts settings before my upgrade to El Capitan a few months back, and that nothing of this level of detail was available. Maybe I just looked in the wrong place before and caught a different set of alerts that aren't the ones I need to get rid of.
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.1, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
User avatar
mhschmieder
Posts: 11282
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Annandale VA

Re: Any way to configure or block Apple's annoying alert box

Post by mhschmieder »

At least, as I am playing a Martha Argerich album while doing other tasks at the moment, I can see whether my changes affect iTunes alerts -- unless new settings don't kick in until a restart of iTunes or the computer itself.
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.1, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
User avatar
mhschmieder
Posts: 11282
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:01 pm
Primary DAW OS: MacOS
Location: Annandale VA

Re: SOLVED: Configure or block Apple's annoying alert boxes?

Post by mhschmieder »

Yes, clicking the "None" icon for most categories seems to do the trick.

I am allowing Banners on stuff like updates to Arturia solftware and for web browsers, but do not want permanently-blocking (until dismissed) Alerts on ANYTHING. Job done!

My apologies if this is stuff everyone else already knew. I do read Release Notes on most Apple updates, but I am so recently on El Capitan that I'm probably in the Dark Ages.

If it has been this way for years, then I am super-embarrassed. :oops:
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.1, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
Post Reply