WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. Given how extensively it’s used for communication, it’s common for people to block contacts on WhatsApp due to various reasons.
Blocking someone on WhatsApp prevents them from viewing your last seen, profile photo, status updates, and sending you messages. Essentially, it cuts off all communication from their end.
However, you may later change your mind and want to unblock the contact. The good news is – yes, it’s possible to unblock contacts that you’ve previously blocked on WhatsApp.
Why do people block contacts on WhatsApp?
There can be several reasons for blocking a contact on WhatsApp, such as:
- To avoid unwanted communication from someone like an ex-partner, an annoying acquaintance etc.
- As a temporary break from a family member or friend after a fight or disagreement
- To restrict someone you don’t know very well from viewing your profile and status updates
- To stop spammers and unwanted messages from unknown numbers
- To prevent a business or seller from messaging after a bad purchasing experience
- Due to privacy and security concerns related to suspicious numbers and scams
Blocking gives you control over who can communicate with you on WhatsApp. It helps avoid unwanted disturbances and filters out interactions you don’t wish to entertain.
Why would you want to unblock a contact?
While blocking someone on WhatsApp may initially seem like the best solution, you may later regret it and want to unblock them. Some common reasons are:
- If you blocked someone in anger after a fight, but have since made up and want to restore communication
- If you blocked a family member or friend temporarily but now want to get back in touch
- When you blocked someone suspicious before verifying if they were spammers, and realize you blocked them unfairly
- If you blocked a business contact before giving them a chance to resolve your complaint
- When you feel the reasons for which you originally blocked the contact no longer apply
- If you blocked the wrong person by mistake and want to reverse it
As circumstances change over time, re-establishing communication with blocked contacts by unblocking them gives you the flexibility to restore your relationship with them.
Can you unblock someone without them knowing?
A common concern when unblocking a contact on WhatsApp is – will they know that you had blocked them? The answer is no. When you unblock someone on WhatsApp:
- They will not receive any notification that they were previously blocked
- They will not get an alert when unblocked
- There will be no indication in their chat history that they were blocked
- The chat history will still appear as it was before blocking
- They will only realize if they try to message you after being unblocked
So in effect, unblocking a contact is a discrete process. The contact remains unaware of your previous blocking action. You can unblock anyone without having an awkward conversation about it!
How to unblock a contact on WhatsApp
Unblocking a contact on WhatsApp is easy and straightforward. Here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone.
- Go to the Settings tab.
- Tap on Account and select Privacy.
- Under Blocked contacts, you will see a list of all numbers blocked by you.
- Tap on the Unblock icon beside the contact you want to unblock.
- Confirm unblocking by tapping UNBLOCK on the pop-up.
And that’s it! The contact will be unblocked. If you have a change of heart, you can always re-block them later.
Unblocking contacts on WhatsApp Web
Along with the mobile app, you can also unblock WhatsApp contacts on the web version:
- Open web.whatsapp.com on your computer browser.
- Click on the Settings icon at the bottom left.
- Go to Privacy and select Blocked.
- Click Unblock beside the contact you want to unblock.
- Confirm to complete unblocking.
The steps are largely similar to the mobile process. Unblocking via WhatsApp Web also does not notify the contact.
Can you unblock someone on WhatsApp without saving their number again?
When you block someone on WhatsApp, their contact is also erased from your phonebook. So when you unblock them, their number is not saved automatically – you will see it as an unknown number.
To unblock a WhatsApp contact without saving their number again, follow these steps:
- Note down the full phone number before blocking them.
- After blocking, go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked and unblock the number.
- The chat will now show the unblocked number instead of name. You can chat without re-saving the contact.
However, it’s recommended to save their number again. This will re-sync their name, profile photo etc. Saving them again is the best way to restore the chat as before.
What happens when you unblock someone on WhatsApp?
When you unblock a contact on WhatsApp, here’s what happens:
- The contact gets re-added to your WhatsApp automatically
- They can view your last seen, profile picture and status updates again
- They can send you WhatsApp messages and calls again
- The chat history is restored as it was before blocking
- You will be able to send and receive messages normally
- If you saved their contact before blocking, it will be restored
- Groups in common with the contact become visible again
- You can report the contact again if needed
In essence, unblocking reverses the blocking effect. Communication is restored both ways without the contact knowing they were ever blocked.
Can you block someone again after unblocking?
Yes, it’s possible to re-block a contact on WhatsApp after unblocking them. There is no limit on how many times you can block or unblock someone.
To block someone again after unblocking:
- Open their chat in WhatsApp.
- Tap on the contact name at the top.
- Select Block contact.
- Confirm blocking when prompted.
This will once again block the contact across WhatsApp. You can repeat this process whenever you want to block or unblock them again.
Can you unblock deleted WhatsApp contacts?
If you blocked and deleted a WhatsApp contact, the contact is erased from your phonebook and chat list. But you can still unblock them:
- Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked Contacts.
- Unblock the number you want to restore.
- Manually re-save the phone number to your contacts.
- Start a new chat with that restored number on WhatsApp.
This will unblock a deleted contact and recreate the chat so you can message them again. Unblocking brings back blocked contacts even if they are deleted.
Restoring messaging history with deleted blocked contacts
However, the previous messaging history with a deleted blocked contact is erased during the blocking process. To restore chat history:
- Both parties must have the chat backup enabled in WhatsApp settings.
- Unblock the deleted contact and recreate the chat.
- Request the contact to email the chat history from their WhatsApp export.
- Import the chat history back up to view previous messages.
With this method, you can restore messaging history with deleted blocked contacts after unblocking them.
Troubleshooting tips
In some cases, you may encounter issues while trying to unblock a WhatsApp contact. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
Contact not appearing in Blocked list
- Restart your phone and check the blocked list again
- Update WhatsApp to the latest version from app store
- Clear WhatsApp cache from phone settings
- Reinstall WhatsApp if the issue persists
Unblocking not working
- Try unblocking from WhatsApp Web on a computer
- Check for internet connectivity issues
- Force close and relaunch WhatsApp to unblock again
- Contact WhatsApp support if unblocking fails
Unable to find previously blocked contact
- Check if the contact is saved in your phonebook
- Manually re-add the phone number as a new contact
- Search for the contact name on WhatsApp again
Following these tips will help overcome any unblocking issues faced on WhatsApp.
Conclusion
To summarize, blocked contacts on WhatsApp can be unblocked easily by following the unblock steps. The contact will not get notified when unblocked and communication will be restored discreetly.
Unblocking gives you the control and flexibility to rectify blocking in case you change your mind later. Contacts can be re-blocked again if needed. Also, unblocking even brings back deleted blocked contacts and their chat history can also be retrieved.
So if you ever feel the need to restore communication with a blocked WhatsApp contact, just unblock them – it’s quick, simple, private and reversible.