When you turn off notifications, they are off. That means there are no notifications to collect. I think you should enable notification but turn off the notification types.
Then, you can access notification history via:
Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Notification History
Try changing your mindset when you approach the game, treat it like an interactive exploration or a digital toy. You might get into it more easily doing that.
I would not recommend Road 96 although some people seem to like it.