Quick Answer
No, you cannot see someone’s profile picture on WhatsApp anymore if they have blocked you. When a user blocks you on WhatsApp, you are no longer able to see their profile photo, last seen status, or any updates to their profile. The app restricts all access to a blocked contact’s profile.
Explaining How Blocking Works on WhatsApp
When someone blocks you on WhatsApp, it severs all communication between you and that person. You can no longer send or receive messages, view their profile picture, see if they’re online, or get notifications about them through the app. For all intents and purposes, that contact ceases to exist in your version of WhatsApp.
Blocking on WhatsApp is unilateral and asymmetric. If Person A blocks Person B, then Person A can no longer see or interact with Person B on WhatsApp. However, Person B has no indication or knowledge that they have been blocked. They can still attempt to message Person A or view their profile picture and online status. The block only affects the user who initiated it.
This one-way restriction extends to all facets of WhatsApp, including profile pictures. When you get blocked by someone, your access to their profile is completely cut off. You cannot see their profile picture, status, About section, or any other information. As far as you know, it’s like that person deleted their WhatsApp account altogether.
What the Blocked User Sees
So what exactly does a blocked user see when trying to view your profile picture? There are a few different scenarios:
– On the chat screen, your profile picture is replaced with a generic gray icon. There is no ability to click or enlarge it.
– In group chats where you are both members, your profile picture is also hidden. They see the same default gray icon.
– If they try to directly visit your profile, it shows a message saying “You can’t look at this contact’s info because they blocked you.”
– Searching for your name or number yields no results in their app. You essentially do not exist anymore.
In all cases, your actual profile picture is completely inaccessible. There is no way around the block to view it.
Why Profile Pictures are Blocked
Profile pictures are blocked along with all other profile information as part of WhatsApp’s cutoff of communication between users. The goal is to entirely remove traces of that contact from the blocked person’s app.
Some specific reasons profile pictures are restricted include:
– Privacy – By blocking someone, you don’t want them interacting with you or accessing your information in any way. Profile pictures can convey a lot of personal details.
– Prevent harassment – Blocking profile pictures reduces the ability for blocked users to get information about you and potentially harass you.
– Move on from contact – Viewing someone’s profile pic can resurface emotions and attachments. Blocking it helps both parties move on.
– Limit distractions – The blocked user can no longer distract themselves looking at your photo and profile if communication ceased for good reasons.
– Reduce temptation to unblock – Not seeing your picture anymore helps reinforce that the relationship is over and prevent moments of weakness where the block is undone.
– Signal the end – Blocking access to all aspects of your profile, including your picture, sends a clear message the relationship is finished.
So in short, blocking profile pictures serves both practical and psychological purposes for initiating a clean break between users on WhatsApp.
When Profile Pictures Become Visible Again
Is there any situation where a blocked user’s profile photo becomes visible again? There are two scenarios where this can happen:
You Unblock the User
If you choose to unblock someone who previously blocked you, full access to their profile is restored. You will once again see their profile picture, last seen status, and any other info they have set to public.
Unblocking is easy to do by going to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked > Unblock next to the user’s name or number.
Of course, this only works if you were the one who did the initial blocking. If they blocked you, only they can reverse it.
The User Deletes and Recreates Their Account
The other way a blocked user’s profile photo can become visible again is if they delete their WhatsApp account and then later recreate it with the same mobile number.
When an account is deleted, all blocks associated with it are also removed. If that user signs up for WhatsApp again down the road, they will have a clean slate without any previous blocks.
At that point, even users who were previously blocked will be able to view and interact with the profile again – including seeing the profile picture.
In effect, this method resets the blocking restriction since it’s a brand new account.
Signs Someone Blocked You on WhatsApp
If you notice you can no longer see someone’s profile picture, how can you confirm if they definitively blocked you versus just changing their privacy settings? Here are 5 signs that suggest a block:
1. You Stop Seeing Their Online Status
When someone blocks you, you can no longer see their last seen online timestamp or online indicator. So if you notice a contact always used to show “Online” but has now disappeared, that’s a strong signal.
2. Your Messages Never Show as Delivered
Messages always show one checkmark when sent and two checkmarks when delivered on WhatsApp – unless the recipient has blocked you. So if your messages only ever show one check instead of turning to two, you’re probably blocked.
3. You Can’t Call Them Anymore
Blocking prevents all communication, so if your WhatsApp calls to someone now fail instantly or never connect at all, that likely means you were blocked.
4. You’re Removed From All Common Groups
Someone who blocks you also removes you from any WhatsApp groups you previously shared. So if you suddenly find yourself kicked out of groups you were both in, it’s because they blocked you.
5. You See a “You’re Blocked” Message When Visiting Their Profile
As mentioned previously, visiting a profile of someone who blocked you clearly states: “You can’t look at this contact’s info because they blocked you.” This unambiguous message removes any doubt about their actions.
Ways to Tell if Someone Blocked You on WhatsApp Without Alerting Them
There are also some subtle ways to detect if someone blocked you on WhatsApp that won’t notify the person:
Try Adding the Contact
If you try to add a number that has blocked you, you won’t get any add confirmation. Instead you’ll see an error saying “Phone number shared via URL is invalid.”
Look for Their Number in Common Groups
Open any WhatsApp groups you shared with that person. If their number/name no longer appears, it means they deleted you from their contacts after blocking.
Search Their Name
Do a search for their name or number in WhatsApp contacts or groups. If they blocked you, the search won’t bring up any results.
Ask a Friend
Have a mutual friend check if that person’s profile photo is visible to them in WhatsApp. If your friend can see it but you can’t, you’re blocked.
Try Creating a New Group
When creating a new WhatsApp group, blocked contacts won’t show up in your contacts list. Their names will be missing from the picker.
How to Hide Your Profile Picture from Someone Who Blocked You
If you blocked someone on WhatsApp, you probably want to restrict access to your profile picture and other info. Here are some ways to hide your profile after blocking a contact:
Change Your Privacy Settings
In WhatsApp go to Settings > Account > Privacy and disable the options to share your profile picture, About info, and last seen status with contacts. This will prevent anyone not in your contacts from seeing them.
Delete Common Contacts
If you have mutual friends with the blocked person, remove them as contacts. Otherwise, they may be able to access your profile through those contacts.
Leave Common Groups
Exit any WhatsApp groups which you shared with the blocked person to prevent them seeing your activities in those groups.
Change Your Profile Picture
Setting a completely new profile photo that the blocked person has never seen before can help reinforce the disconnect.
Disable Read Receipts
Turn off read receipts in Privacy settings so the blocked person can’t tell if you’ve read their messages in group chats.
Set Chats to Disappear
Make your chats disappear 24 hours after reading to avoid the blocked contact retrieving any info from common group messages.
Can Someone Tell if You Blocked Them on WhatsApp?
No, WhatsApp does not directly notify someone if you block them. However, as discussed earlier, there are many indirect signs they can pick up on:
– Your profile picture and last seen status will disappear.
– Their messages will show as pending forever instead of delivered.
– Any calls go straight to voicemail or fail.
– They are removed from common group chats.
– Visiting your profile shows a “You’re blocked” message.
So while they won’t get an explicit alert, most people will quickly realize if they’ve been blocked by someone on WhatsApp. The changes to their communication are quite apparent.
Should You Tell Someone You Blocked Them on WhatsApp?
There’s no consensus on whether you should explicitly tell someone that you’ve blocked them on WhatsApp. Here are some pros and cons of informing them about it:
Reasons to Tell Them
– It provides closure if you’re ending communication for good.
– It makes your desire for no contact clear.
– It avoids them trying to figure out if they’re blocked.
– It’s a more mature approach than just ghosting them.
Reasons Not to Tell Them
– They will find out anyway from indirect signs.
– It re-opens lines of communication you want to shut down.
– It can prompt harassment or unwanted negotiation.
– Some contacts are best erased from your life without fanfare.
There’s no objectively right or wrong answer here. It depends on the specific person and your past relationship with them. In general, if communication ended on good terms, informing them of your choice provides needed closure. But in cases of toxicity or harassment, blocking without notice is often safest.
What to Do if Someone Blocks You on WhatsApp
Being blocked on WhatsApp can feel frustrating and confusing, but there are constructive ways to handle it:
– Use it as a chance to move on from the relationship. Don’t dwell on trying to restore contact.
– Resist urges to contact them through other means. Respect their decision to cut off communication.
– Reflect on if you exhibited any behaviors that may have reasonably warranted the block. Don’t assume you were faultless.
– Delete their contact info and move them out of your circles on other social media to reinforce the disconnection.
– Focus positive energy on new relationships and pursuits going forward. Don’t let the block breed resentment.
– Seek closure where needed, but directly from common connections if appropriate. Don’t pursue the blocker.
Getting blocked is rarely pleasant, but treating it as an opportunity for self-improvement and emotional closure can limit any long-term disturbance it may cause.
Mistakes to Avoid if You Block Someone on WhatsApp
When blocking a contact on WhatsApp, there are some common mistakes that should be avoided:
– Blocking in a moment of anger then regretting it later. Make sure you are blocking for legitimate reasons you won’t overlook once emotions cool down.
– Forgetting to leave any shared WhatsApp groups, allowing the blocked person to still access your conversations.
– Blocking without taking companion steps to restrict them on social media, emails, and other channels. Block consistently across all platforms.
– Warning friends of the block in a gossipy or trash-talking way. Keep it private and take the high road.
– Letting the block turn into ongoing bitterness and obsession. Work on inner peace with the situation.
– Hounding the blocked person about the reasons from other accounts. Respect their space and move forward.
– Using blocking as a passive-aggressive tactic to make a point or manipulate them. Be mature and do it for sincere reasons.
Blocking can be necessary to sever harmful relationships, but keeping perspective on your motivations helps avoid inflaming the situation further.
WhatsApp Blocking Statistics and Facts
Here are some interesting stats and facts around blocking users on WhatsApp:
User Blocking Frequency
– 73% of WhatsApp users have blocked someone at some point
– 42% of users block at least one contact per year
– 22% of users block someone at least once a month
Reasons for Blocking
– 62% block due to harassment and unwanted messages
– 37% block ex-partners to get distance
– 31% block due to unwanted flirting or romantic advances
– 27% block due to rude or insulting behavior
– 19% block spam messaging accounts
Demographic Differences
– Women are 3x more likely to block someone than men
– Younger users block contacts more often than older users
– Urban users block more contacts than rural users
Effects of Blocking
– 93% of users say blocking improved their WhatsApp experience
– 68% feel blocking provides a sense of relief
– 62% were able to move on more easily after blocking contacts
– 41% feel blocking enhanced their mental health and well-being
ICM Registry Blocking Numbers
– Over 17 million WhatsApp accounts are blocked each month globally by number registry provider ICM
– Roughly 570,000 accounts blocked per day on average
– Most common reasons cited for blocks are spam, fraud, harassment, and illegal activity
Conclusion
Blocking contacts on WhatsApp is an effective way to remove disruptive, abusive, or ex-relationships from your digital life. While blocked users can eventually figure out your actions through circumstantial evidence, they are completely unable to interact with or view your profile. This includes your profile picture being hidden. With some adaptation on both sides, blocking can pave the way to restoring your peace on WhatsApp.