Slack Do Not Disturb Mode

Do Not Disturb (DND) silences all Slack notifications for a set period. When you need deep focus, attend a meeting, or step away from work, DND ensures your phone and computer stay quiet without requiring you to close Slack entirely.

What DND Does

DO NOT DISTURB MODE: ON

  ✓ All notifications paused
  ✓ No sound, badge, or banner alerts
  ✓ Mobile push notifications silenced
  ✓ Slack still runs and receives messages
  ✓ Messages queue up and appear when DND ends

  ✗ You do NOT miss messages — they wait for you
  ✗ DND does NOT log you out
  ✗ DND does NOT hide your messages from others

How to Turn On DND

Method 1: Click Your Profile Photo

1. Click your profile photo in the top-right corner.
2. Select "Pause notifications".
3. Choose a duration: 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, until tomorrow, or a custom time.

Method 2: Use a Slash Command

Type in any message box:

• /dnd for 1 hour — turns on DND for one hour
• /dnd until 3pm — turns on DND until 3 PM
• /dnd off — turns DND off immediately

Method 3: Set a DND Schedule

Prefer automatic DND? Set a recurring schedule so Slack always goes quiet at the same time each evening:

1. Go to Preferences → Notifications.
2. Under "Do Not Disturb", set a start and end time.
3. Choose which days the schedule applies.

EXAMPLE SCHEDULE

  DND ON:  10:00 PM every evening
  DND OFF: 8:00 AM every weekday morning

  Saturday and Sunday: DND all day

What Others See When You Are on DND

When someone tries to send you a notification while you are on DND, Slack shows them a message: "[Your name] has notifications paused. Would you like to send a notification anyway?"

The sender can choose to push through the DND if the message is truly urgent. You receive this notification immediately, overriding the DND. This prevents genuine emergencies from getting stuck behind your quiet hours.

DND OVERRIDE FLOW

  Bob sends you a message
        ↓
  Slack shows Bob: "Alice has DND on"
  "Send notification anyway?" [Yes] [No]
        ↓
  If Bob clicks [Yes] → Alice gets notified immediately
  If Bob clicks [No]  → Message waits until DND ends

Your DND Status Indicator

A small moon icon (🌙) appears next to your name in messages and in the member list when you have DND active. This signals to teammates that you are in quiet mode and may not respond right away.

DND vs Muting Channels

DO NOT DISTURB               MUTE A CHANNEL
──────────────────────────   ──────────────────────────────
Silences ALL notifications   Silences one channel only
Temporary (time-limited)     Stays muted until you unmute
Applies to all channels,     Other channels still notify
DMs, and apps                normally
Good for focused work        Good for low-priority channels

Turning Off DND Early

If you finish your focus session before DND expires, turn it off manually. Click your profile photo, then "Resume notifications". All queued notifications arrive immediately, letting you catch up on anything you missed.

Key Takeaways

• DND pauses all Slack notifications for a chosen duration without logging you out.
• Turn on DND quickly from your profile photo or with /dnd slash commands.
• Set a recurring DND schedule to protect your personal time automatically every evening.
• Senders can override your DND for urgent messages — you still receive those immediately.
• A moon icon (🌙) next to your name signals DND status to your teammates.