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To hear alerts from one app in Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > System > Notifications, select the app under Notifications from apps and other senders, and turn on Play a sound. The separate Accessibility > Audio page can flash the screen when audio notifications arrive; it does not enable an individual app’s sound.
Turn on notification sounds for one app
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Open Start > Settings > System > Notifications.
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Find the app under Notifications from apps and other senders and select it to open its notification settings.
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Turn on Play a sound. The same app settings let you choose whether its notifications show banners, appear in Notification Center, and receive a notification priority. Microsoft’s Windows 11 notification guidance describes these controls.
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Use a screen flash as a visual alert
To add a visual cue when an audio notification arrives, open Start > Settings > Accessibility > Audio, then expand Flash my screen during audio notifications. Windows offers options to flash the active window’s title bar, the active window, or the entire screen. Microsoft documents the accessibility audio options, including the screen-flash choices.
Which setting should you use?
| Goal | Setting | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Hear an individual app’s alerts | System > Notifications > select the app > Play a sound | Enables sound for that app’s notifications. |
| See a cue when an audio notification arrives | Accessibility > Audio > Flash my screen during audio notifications | Flashes the title bar, active window, or entire screen. |
| Route stereo audio through one channel | Accessibility > Audio > Mono audio | Combines stereo output into one channel; it does not select or enable any app’s alerts. |
Sound and flashing are distinct controls: the app-level sound setting is in Notifications, while accessibility audio offers mono output and visual flashing. Microsoft describes mono audio as useful when you need to hear all sounds through one headphone. See Microsoft’s mono audio guidance.
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If the app’s sound is enabled but alerts are quiet or missing
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Check Do Not Disturb. In Settings > System > Notifications, review Do Not Disturb and its automatic rules. Windows can enable it during chosen times or conditions, including while duplicating a display, playing a game, or using a full-screen app. Priority settings can allow selected apps, calls, and reminders through. Microsoft explains notification and Do Not Disturb settings.
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Check Focus. A Windows focus session turns on Do Not Disturb, so an active session can suppress notifications.
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Make banners stay visible longer. Microsoft says notifications disappear after five seconds by default. To increase the display duration, go to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects > Dismiss notifications after this amount of time. This changes how long banners remain visible, not the app’s sound setting.
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If a label is missing, search Settings. Menu labels can change with Windows updates. Microsoft’s guidance applies to Windows 11 but does not specify a tested build, so confirm the path on your installed version.
These Windows settings govern notifications, but Microsoft’s guidance does not establish that every app handles alerts identically. If an app’s notification controls or behavior differ, check that app’s own notification settings as well.
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