WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. With such a huge user base, you’re bound to encounter people you may want to block at some point, whether they’re being abusive, harassing you, or you simply want to stop contacting them.
Blocking someone on WhatsApp prevents them from viewing your last seen, prevents them from contacting you directly, and removes you from their contacts list. However, they can still send messages to any groups you have in common. You won’t receive notifications or see their messages in the group though.
Blocking is useful if you want to cut off communication with someone completely. And if you change your mind later, you can always unblock them to open up communication again.
How to block someone on WhatsApp
Blocking someone on WhatsApp is easy and can be done right from the chat window. Here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to your chat window with the contact you want to block.
- On an iPhone, tap on the contact’s name at the top of the chat window. On Android, tap the three vertical dots icon at the top right.
- A menu will pop up – tap Block on iPhone or Block contact on Android.
- Confirm you want to block the user. They will be removed from your contacts and you won’t receive any further messages from them.
And that’s it! The user has been blocked. They will see messages still go through on their end, but you won’t receive anything. Blocking is platform specific though – so block someone on your iPhone and they can still message you on WhatsApp Web, for example. You need to block across all platforms.
What happens when you block someone on WhatsApp
Here are all the effects that take place when you block a user on WhatsApp:
- You won’t receive any calls or messages from the blocked contact.
- Any messages the blocked user sends you will not go through.
- The blocked user is removed from your contacts.
- You won’t see the blocked user’s profile photo or last seen status.
- You won’t receive notifications for messages sent by the blocked user in any groups.
- The blocked user won’t see your profile photo or last seen status.
- Calls you receive from the blocked user go directly to voicemail.
So in summary, blocking someone on WhatsApp completely cuts off communication and hides your online status from them as well. They are essentially removed from your contacts list.
What the blocked user sees
From the blocked user’s perspective, here is what they will see after you’ve blocked them:
- Messages they send to you will show as delivered, but not read.
- Your profile photo will disappear.
- Your “last seen” status will disappear.
- They won’t see any updates to your profile photo or status.
- Calls to you will go directly to voicemail.
- If in a group, they will not see your name highlighted for any messages.
So while the blocked user can still attempt to message you, they will be able to tell that you’ve blocked them because the messages won’t show as read. Your profile info and last seen status will also disappear from their end.
Can a blocked user still see my WhatsApp status?
No, a blocked user will not be able to see your WhatsApp status updates. The moment you block someone, their access to view your profile picture, last seen, and status updates is completely cut off. So you can rest assured they won’t see anything you post as a status update.
Will a blocked contact know they are blocked?
A blocked contact cannot see that they have been blocked directly in WhatsApp. However, there are some signs that indicate to them that they have been blocked:
- Their messages will show as delivered but not read.
- Your profile photo will disappear.
- Your last seen status will disappear.
- Calls go directly to voicemail.
So while it’s not explicitly stated, a blocked user will be able to deduce that you have likely blocked them if they see these signs. There’s no notification sent to them though about being blocked.
Can I see messages from a blocked contact?
No, you won’t be able to see any messages from a blocked contact in WhatsApp. Their messages will be completely hidden from you.
If they send messages in a group chat that you’re both a part of, you can see those messages. But any direct messages sent to you individually will be automatically filtered out once you block them.
What happens if I block someone on WhatsApp without saving their number?
You can block someone on WhatsApp even if you haven’t saved their number in your phone’s contacts. Here’s what happens when you block someone without saving their number first:
- You won’t receive any calls or messages from that number.
- They will be blocked across all WhatsApp platforms.
- Your chat history with them will be deleted.
- You can still unblock them later if you change your mind.
The main difference is that the chat history will be deleted since there is no contact associated with the chat. But the blocking functionality works the same whether you have saved the number or not.
Does blocking delete chat history?
Blocking a contact does not automatically delete your chat history with them. Your entire chat history remains saved in WhatsApp when you block someone. This allows you to unblock them later and still have access to the chat history.
However, if you block someone without having their number saved in your contacts, the chat history is deleted. This is because there is no contact name attached to the chat.
To delete the chat history with a blocked contact, you need to go to Settings > Chats > Chat History and manually delete the chat. Blocking alone doesn’t erase the messages.
Can I get blocked messages back if I unblock the contact?
Unfortunately, any messages sent by a contact while they were blocked will not be retrievable if you unblock them. Since you never actually received the messages in the first place, there is nowhere for WhatsApp to retrieve them from.
The only existing messages you will see after unblocking are those that were already in your chat history previously. So you won’t have access to anything sent during the period the user was blocked.
Can I see when a contact was last seen if they blocked me?
If someone has blocked you on WhatsApp, you will not be able to see their last seen or online status. Just like when you block someone, blocking works both ways.
So if you realize you can no longer see someone’s profile photo, last seen status, or your messages aren’t being delivered, it likely means you have been blocked.
Can I get blocked on WhatsApp without messaging someone?
Yes, it’s possible to get blocked on WhatsApp without ever messaging the person. There are a few scenarios where this could happen:
- You have the person’s number saved in your phone’s contacts and they preemptively decide to block you.
- You’re in a WhatsApp group together and something you say in the group chat offends them, prompting them to block you.
- Someone accidentally blocks you, thinking you’re someone else.
- Your number previously belonged to someone else and you’re blocked based on issues with the prior owner of the number.
So while unusual, there are cases where you could end up blocked by a contact without any direct communication on WhatsApp. If you notice your messages aren’t going through, you may want to politely inquire if you have been blocked.
Should I block or delete a contact?
If you need to cut off contact with someone on WhatsApp, you have two options – block them or delete them. Here are some key differences:
| Block | Delete |
|---|---|
| Prevents any communication from contact | Can still receive messages from contact |
| You can unblock later | Permanently severs contact |
| Last seen status hidden from contact | Contact can still see your last seen |
In summary, blocking is usually temporary, while deleting is permanent. If you may want to restore communication later, blocking is better. But if you want to permanently remove the contact, deleting them is better.
If I block someone, could that be harassment?
Blocking someone on WhatsApp prevents them from contacting you further. However, repeatedly blocking and unblocking someone could potentially be considered harassment in some cases.
If there is a restraining order or you have made clear you do not want further contact with someone, blocking them could demonstrate you are abiding by those wishes.
But if you proactively block and unblock someone multiple times just to mess with them, especially if they have requested you stop, that could cross the line into harassment territory legally.
It’s best to avoid blocking someone unless you have an appropriate, well-documented reason to do so. Don’t use blocking just to play games or continually bother someone after they have asked you to stop.
Can police or courts subpoena blocked messages?
Yes, law enforcement and courts can legally subpoena blocked messages on WhatsApp if they are relevant to an active case or investigation.
WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption for messages, so the content is not accessible to WhatsApp or parent company Meta. However, encrypted chats on a user’s device can be decrypted if law enforcement compels a user to turn over their phone with a valid search warrant.
If you have relevant conversations with someone you later blocked pertaining to a crime or legal proceeding, those messages could be retrieved by authorities as part of legal discovery or investigation.
How do I unblock someone on WhatsApp
If you change your mind later on, it’s easy to unblock a contact and resume communication with them. Here are the steps:
- Open your Contacts list in WhatsApp.
- Tap the three vertical dots icon next to the contact you want to unblock.
- Select Unblock on iPhone or Unblock Contact on Android
And that’s it! The user will be removed from your blocked contacts list and you’ll be able to receive messages and calls from them as normal. Keep in mind you won’t get any messages they sent while blocked.
Can I temporarily disable blocking?
WhatsApp does not have a feature to temporarily disable or override blocking someone. Once you block a user, there is no way to schedule the blocking to expire or disable it for a short period.
Your only options are keeping them blocked or unblocking them entirely. You would need to remember to re-block them again after a certain period of time.
This limitation is likely intentional to avoid harassment scenarios. For temporary restrictions, your best bet is asking the user not to message you for a period, without fully blocking them.
How can I avoid getting blocked by someone?
To avoid getting blocked by a contact on WhatsApp, follow these best practices:
- Respect their requests or wishes not to be contacted.
- Don’t send abusive, offensive, or excessive messages.
- Don’t share private information or photos without permission.
- Avoid spamming them with too many messages.
- Don’t make unwanted romantic advances if they’ve shown no interest.
- Consider if you would want to receive the type of messages you’re sending.
Remember that on WhatsApp people can easily block you with one tap. Be respectful, polite, and considerate to avoid finding yourself on someone’s blocked list.
Conclusion
Blocking contacts on WhatsApp is useful for cutting off communication with abusive, harassing, or unwanted users. Take care when blocking someone, as repeatedly blocking, unblocking, or blocking without cause could constitute harassment.
Make sure to block on all platforms and remember that the blocked user will see signs they are blocked, but not an explicit notice. And you can always unblock later if your situation changes.
With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp has become the global communication tool of choice. Use blocking judiciously and stay safe out there!