Some people message a lot. You don't want to block them, and you don't want to mute your whole phone — you just want their chats to stop buzzing. Good news: Android and every major chat app let you silence one contact without affecting anyone else.
Why mute just one person
Muting a single contact is the difference between "peaceful phone" and "missed everything." If you mute the entire app, you might miss alerts from people you do care about. Muting one conversation keeps the rest of your notifications normal while the noisy group or talkative friend goes quiet. Their messages still arrive — they just don't make sound or vibrate.
In WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, Signal
Chat apps handle this best, because the mute control lives right inside the conversation:
- WhatsApp: open the chat, tap the contact name (or three-dot menu) at the top → Mute → choose 8 hours, 1 week, or Always. You can also tick "Show notifications" off if you don't even want the banner.
- Telegram: open the chat → tap the contact name → Mute → pick a duration. Telegram also offers "Mute for 1 hour" from a long-press on the chat in the list.
- Messenger: open the chat → tap the person's name → Notifications → Mute.
- Signal: open the chat → tap the contact name → Mute → choose a time frame.
In every case the messages keep coming; only the alert is silenced. This is the cleanest way to mute one person because it follows that contact everywhere they message you.
In Google Messages (SMS/RCS)
For plain text messages (SMS/RCS), the mute lives in the conversation itself:
- Open the conversation in Google Messages.
- Tap the three-dot menu (top right) → Details (or Notifications).
- Toggle Notifications off, or choose Silent so the thread stops alerting but still shows new texts.
On Samsung Messages the path is similar: open the conversation → tap the three-dot menu → Mute. The conversation moves to the bottom of your list and stops making noise.
Via Android notification channels
If an app has no per-contact mute (or you want a system-level fallback), use Android's notification channels:
- Long-press any notification from that app → tap the gear / Settings icon.
- You'll see the app's channels (e.g. "Messages," "Calls," "Group").
- Set the relevant channel to Silent, or turn it off entirely.
This is broad — it silences everyone on that channel, not one person — so treat it as a last resort. Prefer the in-app mute whenever the app offers it.
Mute vs hide (privacy)
Muting only controls the alert. The message still appears in your list and, on a locked phone, its preview may show on the lock screen. If you also want to keep that person's texts private, combine muting with hiding lock-screen content. That way their messages stay silent and invisible to anyone glancing at your phone.