Love running Linux, but find it really weird to have email and other notifications show up on the lock screen. Is there some way to disable this huge breach of privacy? Running Ubuntu Linux if that matters.
More and more, operating systems are designed on the assumption that you have your own dedicated computer and that it’s in a safe and secure environment. A lot of PCs default to a wake-up that just requires the mouse or keyboard be touched, no password or biometric input is required. To be fair, it’s perfect for a lot of users, and I definitely have some computers that are in my office that’s within my house. Not too likely someone else is going to come along and want to exploit the connection.
Linux is so frequently run on servers and shared devices, however, that it would be a reasonable assumption that the defaults are all for maximum privacy, whether it’s a “personal” copy of one distro or another or a server configuration. Mostly that’s true with Ubuntu Linux – what I run on my system too – but one of the few options that default incorrectly is “Notifications on lock screen”. Fortunately, however, it’s easy to fix.
HOW TO ACCESS UBUNTU LINUX SETTINGS
The easiest way to get to the correct Settings window and options in Ubuntu Linux is to log in, then simply right-click on the background of your home screen. You’ll get a pop-up menu similar to this:
You can choose “Display Settings” if you want to change your wallpaper or similar, but you can get there from “Settings…” too, so click on “Settings…” to proceed.
In fact, since it’s the last thing I did, mine defaults to “Background”, which shows how easy it is to choose a new wallpaper:
Don’t get too distracted, however. Click on “Notifications” on the left menu instead, and you’ll immediately be able to see how to proceed.
CHANGE NOTIFICATION SETTING IN UBUNTU LINUX
It’s right at the top, which is darn convenient:
You can see it at the top: “Lock Screen Notifications”. Simply click on the slider to switch from the “ON” position (as shown above) to the “OFF” position where it’s greyed out. Notice here that you can also opt to enable or disable notifications on an app-by-app basis, though it will then also disable notifications even when you’re logged in and actively using your system. You can choose!
And while we’re here…
Click on “Power” on the left side and you can also change how long your system waits until it pops up a blank screen on idle:
Want to change the lock screen timing? That’s a bit harder to find. Click on “Privacy“, then click on “Screen Lock“:
Between all of those settings, you should be able to get your Linux system adjusted to your preferences!
Pro Tip: I’ve been writing about Linux since the dawn of the operating system, and Unix before that. Please check out my extensive Linux help area for lots of additional tutorial content while you’re visiting. Thanks!
