Microsoft to add "Smart opt-out" to minimize notifications spam in Windows 11

Microsoft is set to introduce a new feature to Windows 11 that will help minimize notification spam and give users more control over high-priority notifications.

According to references in Windows 11 preview builds, the feature, called "Smart opt-out," will recommend disabling notifications from apps that are not regularly used. The feature will send a notification titled "Turn off notifications from [app]?" after a month of inactivity, giving users the option to turn off notifications or leave them as they are.

Email filters have used a similar approach for years, and it seems like a logical step for Windows 11 to detect ignored notifications and suggest disabling them automatically.

The "Smart opt-out" feature will not affect notifications from apps that users interact with daily or weekly. The feature will arrive in the production channel in a few months through Windows 11's new configuration updates.

Another improvement in notification settings is expected to be the addition of more control over high-priority notifications from first-party and third-party apps.

Urgent or important notifications can bypass Focus Assist (Do Not Disturb) settings, but Microsoft is improving its urgent notifications feature with a new control called "view notification." This feature will allow users to view the content of the notification for privacy while using full-screen apps.