Having your iPhone’s lock screen light up with message previews might not always be ideal, especially if you’re concerned about privacy. Sometimes it’s better if notifications just say “iMessage” without giving away the message itself. This can help keep your private conversations private. Fortunately, there are ways you can tweak the settings to manage how your notifications appear.
Hiding message previews
Let’s explore the options to hide those message previews, keeping your info safe:
- First, find the Settings app on your iPhone and give it a tap. Then, look for Notifications and select that.
- Next, scroll down a bit in the notifications settings until you see the list of your apps. Select Messages from this list.
- In the Messages notification options, you’ll see Show Previews. Tap it.
Method 1: Never Show Previews
- You will see three options: Always, When Unlocked, and Never. If you want the maximum privacy, choose Never. With this setting, your message content will always be hidden in notifications. You’ll only see ‘iMessage’ and the sender’s name whether your phone is locked or unlocked.
Method 2: Only Show Previews When Unlocked
- If you want to see previews, but only when your phone is in your hands, then choose When Unlocked. This means you’ll get the full preview when you’re using your phone, but otherwise it will only show the sender and ‘iMessage’.
That’s it! You’ve now adjusted your settings to control how message previews appear on your lock screen. These changes will give you more control over your privacy. You can apply these same steps to any other apps that you want to manage notification previews for.