diff --git a/mne/gui/tests/test_gui_api.py b/mne/gui/tests/test_gui_api.py
index 03d3af6baab..7b39a50982a 100644
--- a/mne/gui/tests/test_gui_api.py
+++ b/mne/gui/tests/test_gui_api.py
@@ -299,6 +299,40 @@ def _check_widget_trigger(widget, mock, before, after, call_count=True,
     assert widget.get_tooltip() == 'bar'
     # --- END: tooltips ---
 
+    # --- BEGIN: dialog ---
+    # dialogs are not supported yet on notebook
+    if renderer._kind == 'qt':
+        # warning
+        buttons = ["Save", "Cancel"]
+        widget = renderer._dialog_warning(
+            title='',
+            text='',
+            info_text='',
+            callback=mock,
+            buttons=buttons,
+            modal=False,
+        )
+        widget.show()
+        for button in buttons:
+            with _check_widget_trigger(None, mock, '', '', get_value=False):
+                widget.trigger(button=button)
+            assert mock.call_args.args == (button,)
+
+        # buttons list empty means OK button (default)
+        button = 'OK'
+        widget = renderer._dialog_warning(
+            title='',
+            text='',
+            info_text='',
+            callback=mock,
+            modal=False,
+        )
+        widget.show()
+        with _check_widget_trigger(None, mock, '', '', get_value=False):
+            widget.trigger(button=button)
+        assert mock.call_args.args == (button,)
+    # --- END: dialog ---
+
     renderer.show()
     renderer.close()
 
diff --git a/mne/viz/backends/_abstract.py b/mne/viz/backends/_abstract.py
index fdc65b1183b..9b0c0895554 100644
--- a/mne/viz/backends/_abstract.py
+++ b/mne/viz/backends/_abstract.py
@@ -623,6 +623,13 @@ def _playback_initialize(self, func, timeout, value, rng,
         pass
 
 
+class _AbstractDialog(ABC):
+    @abstractmethod
+    def _dialog_warning(self, title, text, info_text, callback, *,
+                        modal=True, window=None):
+        pass
+
+
 class _AbstractLayout(ABC):
     @abstractmethod
     def _layout_initialize(self, max_width):
diff --git a/mne/viz/backends/_notebook.py b/mne/viz/backends/_notebook.py
index cb1d39f457c..eea18d7ca16 100644
--- a/mne/viz/backends/_notebook.py
+++ b/mne/viz/backends/_notebook.py
@@ -15,10 +15,16 @@
                         _AbstractStatusBar, _AbstractLayout, _AbstractWidget,
                         _AbstractWindow, _AbstractMplCanvas, _AbstractPlayback,
                         _AbstractBrainMplCanvas, _AbstractMplInterface,
-                        _AbstractWidgetList, _AbstractAction)
+                        _AbstractWidgetList, _AbstractAction, _AbstractDialog)
 from ._pyvista import _PyVistaRenderer, _close_all, _set_3d_view, _set_3d_title  # noqa: F401,E501, analysis:ignore
 
 
+class _IpyDialog(_AbstractDialog):
+    def _dialog_warning(self, title, text, info_text, callback, *,
+                        modal=True, window=None):
+        pass
+
+
 class _IpyLayout(_AbstractLayout):
     def _layout_initialize(self, max_width):
         self._layout_max_width = max_width
@@ -501,7 +507,7 @@ def trigger(self):
 
 
 class _Renderer(_PyVistaRenderer, _IpyDock, _IpyToolBar, _IpyMenuBar,
-                _IpyStatusBar, _IpyWindow, _IpyPlayback):
+                _IpyStatusBar, _IpyWindow, _IpyPlayback, _IpyDialog):
     _kind = 'notebook'
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/mne/viz/backends/_qt.py b/mne/viz/backends/_qt.py
index b5332f9a21f..88c31ae0072 100644
--- a/mne/viz/backends/_qt.py
+++ b/mne/viz/backends/_qt.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
                              QSizePolicy, QScrollArea, QStyle, QProgressBar,
                              QStyleOptionSlider, QLayout, QCheckBox,
                              QButtonGroup, QRadioButton, QLineEdit,
-                             QFileDialog, QPushButton)
+                             QFileDialog, QPushButton, QMessageBox)
 
 from ._pyvista import _PyVistaRenderer
 from ._pyvista import (_close_all, _close_3d_figure, _check_3d_figure,  # noqa: F401,E501 analysis:ignore
@@ -27,11 +27,44 @@
                         _AbstractStatusBar, _AbstractLayout, _AbstractWidget,
                         _AbstractWindow, _AbstractMplCanvas, _AbstractPlayback,
                         _AbstractBrainMplCanvas, _AbstractMplInterface,
-                        _AbstractWidgetList, _AbstractAction)
+                        _AbstractWidgetList, _AbstractAction, _AbstractDialog)
 from ._utils import _init_qt_resources, _qt_disable_paint
 from ..utils import logger, _check_option
 
 
+class _QtDialog(_AbstractDialog):
+    def _dialog_warning(self, title, text, info_text, callback, *,
+                        buttons=[], modal=True, window=None):
+        window = self._window if window is None else window
+        widget = QMessageBox(window)
+        widget.setWindowTitle(title)
+        widget.setText(text)
+        widget.setIcon(QMessageBox.Warning)
+        widget.setInformativeText(info_text)
+
+        if not buttons:
+            buttons = ["Ok"]
+
+        button_ids = list()
+        for button in buttons:
+            # handle the special case of 'Ok' becoming 'OK'
+            button = "Ok" if button.upper() == "OK" else button
+            # button is one of QMessageBox.StandardButtons
+            button_id = getattr(QMessageBox, button)
+            button_ids.append(button_id)
+        standard_buttons = default_button = button_ids[0]
+        for button_id in button_ids[1:]:
+            standard_buttons |= button_id
+        widget.setStandardButtons(standard_buttons)
+        widget.setDefaultButton(default_button)
+
+        def func(button):
+            callback(button.text())
+
+        widget.buttonClicked.connect(func)
+        return _QtDialogWidget(widget, modal)
+
+
 class _QtLayout(_AbstractLayout):
     def _layout_initialize(self, max_width):
         pass
@@ -700,13 +733,30 @@ def set_tooltip(self, tooltip):
         self._widget.setToolTip(tooltip)
 
 
+class _QtDialogWidget(_QtWidget):
+    def __init__(self, widget, modal):
+        super().__init__(widget)
+        self._modal = modal
+
+    def trigger(self, button):
+        for current_button in self._widget.buttons():
+            if current_button.text() == button:
+                current_button.click()
+
+    def show(self):
+        if self._modal:
+            self._widget.exec()
+        else:
+            self._widget.show()
+
+
 class _QtAction(_AbstractAction):
     def trigger(self):
         self._action.trigger()
 
 
 class _Renderer(_PyVistaRenderer, _QtDock, _QtToolBar, _QtMenuBar,
-                _QtStatusBar, _QtWindow, _QtPlayback):
+                _QtStatusBar, _QtWindow, _QtPlayback, _QtDialog):
     _kind = 'qt'
 
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):