How to Stop Pop-Ups on Windows 11

To stop pop-ups on Windows 11, start with the two fixes that cover most cases. Turn off app banners in Settings > System > Notifications. Then check that your browser’s pop-up blocker is on: in Edge, Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site permissions > All permissions > Pop-ups and redirects; in Chrome, Settings > Privacy and security > Site Settings > Pop-ups and redirects. Alerts from websites you allowed are browser notifications, which you block separately. Pop-ups that appear with no browser open usually come from an installed app or adware.

These steps cover Windows 11 26H2, 25H2 and 24H2 with current Edge and Chrome. They are based on Microsoft’s notifications guide, Microsoft’s Edge pop-up guide, and Google’s Chrome pop-up help. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025; for it, follow these Windows 10 pop-up and notification instructions.

Find the Source of the Pop-Up

• A banner in the lower-right corner that names an app or Windows: a Windows notification.
• A banner that names a website, often with a browser icon: a website notification you allowed at some point.
• A new window or tab that opens on a web page: a site pop-up, handled by the browser pop-up blocker.
• Ads or warnings that appear even with no browser open: likely an unwanted app or adware.

If the popup appears when you press Caps Lock, you can turn off the Caps Lock notification in Windows 11.

Turn Off Windows and App Notifications

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Notifications. Your notification settings open.
2. To silence everything, turn off Notifications at the top. No app can show banners.
3. To silence one app, select it under Notifications from apps and other senders and turn it off, or turn off just Show notification banners. That app stops popping up, but its notices can still collect in the notification center.

You can also open the notification center (Windows key + N), select the more button on a notification, and choose Turn off all notifications for that app.

Turn Off Windows Tips and Suggestions

Some pop-ups come from Windows itself. Scroll to Additional settings at the bottom of the Notifications page and clear two checkboxes: Show the Windows welcome experience after updates and when signed in to show what’s new and suggested, and Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.

Use Do Not Disturb

To pause banners for a while, open the notification center and select the bell icon with “zZ”. Microsoft says that with Do Not Disturb on, you only get banners for alarms, reminders, and apps you choose. Everything else goes quietly to the notification center. It can also turn on automatically under Turn on do not disturb automatically, for example during games. To switch it back off later, read how to turn off Do not disturb.

Block Website Notifications

• Edge: go to edge://settings/content/notifications and remove sites under Allow.
• Chrome: go to chrome://settings/content/notifications and remove sites under Allowed to send notifications. Or visit the site, select View site information next to the address, and set Notifications to Block.

A site that still sends you messages after you block pop-ups has most likely been allowed to show notifications. If you would rather not open a site at all, you can block the website in Chrome.

Turn On the Browser Pop-Up Blocker

Edge and Chrome block pop-ups by default. Check that the setting is still on.

Microsoft Edge

1. Select Settings and more (three dots) > Settings. Edge settings open.
2. Select Privacy, search, and services, then Site permissions > All permissions. The list of site permissions appears.
3. Select Pop-ups and redirects and turn on Blocked (recommended). Edge blocks pop-ups and shows an icon in the address bar when it does.

Google Chrome

1. Select More (three dots) > Settings. Chrome settings open.
2. Select Privacy and security > Site Settings > Pop-ups and redirects. The pop-up options appear.
3. Select Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects. Chrome shows “Pop-up blocked” in the address bar when it stops one.

Need pop-ups for one site, like a bank or a work app? Both browsers let you allow specific sites. You can turn off the pop-up blocker on Windows 11 entirely, or in Edge allow pop-ups for just one site.

What the Blocker Can’t Stop

The blocker can’t stop ads built into a page to look like pop-ups, and it won’t block a window that opens because you clicked a link. On a work or school PC, your administrator may control the setting, so it can appear grayed out.

Still Seeing Pop-Ups?

These fixes help when pop-ups get past the blocker:

• Update your browser. In Edge, go to Settings and more > Settings > About Microsoft Edge. See updating Microsoft Edge.
• Turn off extensions. In Edge, open Settings and more > Extensions > Manage extensions. Turn them all off, then back on one at a time to find the culprit. Remove any you did not add. If your homepage or search engine changed too, you can reset Chrome to its default settings.
• Block third-party cookies in your browser privacy settings.
• Clear your browser cache. In Edge, follow the steps for clearing the cache.
• Scan for malware. Run a Windows Defender scan.

If the extension behind the alerts is McAfee WebAdvisor, removing McAfee WebAdvisor from Windows 11 covers both the Windows app and the extension.

Remove Unwanted Apps and Adware

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, sort by install date, and uninstall anything you do not recognize, especially apps installed around when the pop-ups started. If you need help, read how to uninstall a program. Skip “cleaner” or ad-removal downloads that promise to fix pop-ups; Windows Security is already built in. Antivirus apps can also be noisy; here’s how to stop McAfee pop-ups on Windows 11.

Watch Out for Scam Pop-Ups

Some pop-ups claim your PC is infected and tell you to call a number. These scams can take over the browser in full screen with pop-ups that won’t close, but real Microsoft error and warning messages never include phone numbers. Do not call, and do not let anyone connect to your PC. Close the browser tab, then run a security scan. If you already gave a scammer access or payment, uninstall what they installed, change your passwords, contact your bank, and report it at microsoft.com/reportascam.

Edge’s scareware blocker exits full-screen scam pages, stops the audio, and shows a warning. Check that it is on under Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security > Scareware blocker; Microsoft turns it on by default only on PCs with more than 2 GB of RAM and at least 5 processor cores.

Reduce Windows Suggestions and Ad Personalization

To cut down on suggestions and personalized ads, open Settings > Privacy & security > Recommendations & offers (on older Windows 11 builds, General). Turn off Let apps show my personalized ads by using my advertising ID and Show me suggested content in the Settings app. A separate Personalized offers setting sits under Privacy & security: turn off Get personalized tips, ads, and recommendations based on my Windows activity.

Microsoft’s recommendations and offers privacy page describes each of these options. Turning off the advertising ID makes ads less personalized; it does not reduce how many you see.

Stop Nearby Bluetooth Pairing Prompts

If an Add a device banner pops up whenever a nearby Bluetooth accessory is in pairing mode, that is Swift Pair. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices and turn off Show notifications to connect using Swift Pair. Paired accessories keep working. Swift Pair needs specific Bluetooth hardware, so if the switch is missing, your adapter does not support it.

Frequently Asked Questions