There’s nothing new about notification adware, system-level alerts from malicious websites that try to lure you into sharing login credentials, credit card info, or other personal information. A recent uptick in reports caused Adam Engst to explore the topic more deeply to help readers learn to identify and eliminate abusive notifications.

Frustrated by how easy he finds it to ignore notifications for important events and timed reminders, Adam Engst proposes alarms that continue to go off until stopped manually, creating a third notification type alongside banners and alerts.

Apple’s Do Not Disturb feature has evolved into the ecosystem-wide Focus, which provides so many options and capabilities that it may be impossible to predict when notifications will work and when they won't. Adam Engst shows you how to use Focus and suggests that you stick to the basics.

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 can sum up less-urgent notifications in regular summaries to reduce the number of times per day your phone distracts you.