Control notifications from apps you download on windisws 10

In Windows 10, many apps run in the background -- that means, even if you don't have them open -- by default. These apps can receive information, send notifications, download and install updates and otherwise eat up your bandwidth and your battery life.

Windows 10 is all about syncing. Everything -- system settings, themes, passwords, search history -- syncs across all your signed-in devices by default. But not all of us want our search history to sync from our phones to our computers, so here's how to turn syncing off. You can turn off all settings syncing, or you can selectively turn off specific settings. Windows 10 downloads and installs updates automatically, and you can't really turn them off.

And honestly, you shouldn't turn them off -- an up-to-date operating system is a secure operating system. But if for some reason you'd like to prevent your computer from automatically downloading and installing Windows 10 updates perhaps so you can manually download and install said updates on your own schedule , you can pause the updates for a set amount of time. You won't be able to pause again after that point until you update, though.

Next, you can control notifications for specific apps and features. Review each app or feature to disable the notifications you don't want to receive. I want to see notifications for email, to-do list, calendar, and such Windows features as Nearby sharing and printing, but I don't need to see notifications for Facebook, Instagram, and other third-party apps Figure C.

You can drill down to a specific app or feature to fine-tune its notifications. Click an app for which you've enabled notifications. At the app's notification screen, you can tweak various options, such as whether to display banners, keep the notification private at the Lock screen, show the notification in the Action Center, and play a sound. You can also set the maximum number of notifications that appear in the Action Center for this app and set a priority location for the app Figure D.

Next, you can use Focus Assist to prevent notifications from disturbing you during specific hours or activities. At your current screen, click the setting in the left pane for Focus Assist. You can now prioritize various notifications, such as those from Cortana, specific people, and certain apps Figure F. Return to the previous screen. Under Automatic Rules, select the times or activities when you don't want to be disturbed by notifications. Click the first rule and you can set specific start and end times and other options.

Most users are trying to find a way to either disable the sound notifications completely or change them to a less annoying sound. As you know, whenever an important action is performed, Windows is configured to provide audio feedback by default through notification sounds. This feature works through Cortana and the Cortana app for Android there's a Cortana app for iOS, but iOS doesn't support this kind of fancy notification-mirroring. Once set up, your Windows 10 action center will be able to tell you when you miss a call, receive a text or have a low battery on your Android phone.

You will also be able to receive app notifications from any app you have installed, and you can even control your phone via your computer with voice commands -- for example, you can say "Hey, Cortana, find my phone," and Cortana will locate your phone on a map.

Download and install the Cortana app from Google Play on your Android device.