Change Notification Duration in Windows Registry

This article explains how to customize how long notification banner popups stay on your screen in Windows by modifying the Windows Registry. By adjusting a single registry value, you can extend or shorten the toast notification display time beyond the standard system defaults to better fit your workflow.

The Registry Value Controlling Notification Duration

The notification banner display duration is controlled by the MessageDuration DWORD value located in the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Accessibility

How to Modify the Notification Duration in Regedit

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.

  2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

  3. In the Registry Editor’s address bar, paste the following path and press Enter:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Accessibility

  4. In the right pane, look for a DWORD (32-bit) value named MessageDuration. If it does not exist, right-click an empty area, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it MessageDuration.

  5. Double-click MessageDuration to edit it.

  6. Under Base, select Decimal.

  7. In the Value data field, enter the number of seconds you want notifications to remain on the screen (for example, enter 10 for 10 seconds or 30 for 30 seconds). The default Windows setting is typically 5 seconds.

  8. Click OK to save the changes.

  9. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer (or sign out and back in) for the changes to take effect.