Blocked messages are those that have been filtered out and hidden from your inbox by your email provider or social media platform. When you block someone on email, social media, or messaging apps, their messages will no longer show up in your inbox or feeds. However, there are a few ways you may still be able to view blocked messages.
Checking your blocked messages folder
Many email providers like Gmail have a blocked messages folder where all messages from blocked senders are routed. To access it:
- Open Gmail and click on the settings icon in the top right
- Click on “See all settings”
- Go to the “Filters and Blocked Addresses” tab
- Scroll down and click on “Blocked Addresses”
This will open up your blocked messages folder where you can browse through messages that have been blocked. You can delete messages here or unblock senders if you want their future emails to show up in your inbox again.
Using a different browser or device
When you block someone on a social media platform like Facebook, their messages and posts are hidden from your view. However, the messages still exist in their account. One way to get around this is to:
- Log into your Facebook account using a different web browser or device that you haven’t blocked the person on.
- Go to their profile page to view their posts and messages as normal.
The block only applies to the browser or device it was set on. So using an alternate one will show you the blocked content again. Do keep in mind that the person will still not be able to see any of your content or contact you directly.
Viewing via a different account
If you want to stealthily view someone’s blocked messages without them knowing, use a secondary account. For example, if you have blocked someone on Facebook using your personal account:
- Create a new Facebook account using an alternate email and identity
- Don’t add any friends on this dummy account
- Use it solely to check on the blocked person’s profile and messages
This way they will have no way of knowing you are viewing their content. You can log into the dummy account on the same device to view blocked messages this way. Just don’t perform any interactions that might reveal your identity.
Email forwarding to another account
For blocked emails, you can set up forwarding to auto-send a copy of blocked messages to a different email address. Here’s how to do it in Gmail:
- Go to Gmail Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses
- Click on “Blocked Addresses”
- Check the box next to “Forward to:” and add the other email address
- Click Save
Now whenever someone you’ve blocked sends you an email, a copy will be forwarded to the other account. You can monitor the messages safely there without unblocking the sender completely.
Using a second phone number
On messaging apps and social media, people usually get blocked by phone number. A workaround is to sign up for a secondary number:
- Get a spare SIM card and activate it on a new number
- Install WhatsApp, WeChat, etc on a second device using this new number
- Search for and view conversations of the person who has blocked your main number
This lets you covertly view their message history and current messages from a number they don’t have blocked. You may need separate devices for each number to avoid detection.
Unblocking conversations on Messenger
If someone has blocked you on Facebook Messenger, you can request to unblock the conversation. Here’s how:
- Open your Messenger app and go to the Chats tab
- Tap on the name of the person that blocked you
- Tap “Unblock Conversation”
- Select “Unblock” to send them a request
If they accept your request, the messages will be visible again. Declining it will keep the conversation blocked. You can try this multiple times, but avoid spamming requests.
Using email tracking apps
There are dedicated email tracking tools and browser extensions that let you closely monitor blocked emails:
- Bananatag – Email tracking app showing opens, clicks, etc.
- Mixmax – Browser extension for advanced email analytics
- MailTrack – Chrome extension tracking email opens and links.
These can give you more data on blocked emails like if they were opened, links clicked, timestamps, etc. But the email content still won’t be visible unless you also forward it to another address.
Checking social media on a desktop
In some cases like Twitter and Instagram, blocking someone only hides their content on mobile apps, but it may still be accessible on desktop:
- Open Twitter on your desktop web browser and search for the blocked person’s profile.
- You may be able to view their tweets and replies there.
- Similarly on Instagram desktop, you can see someone’s posts even if they are blocked.
So if you only blocked someone using the mobile app, try checking their profile on a desktop browser to view blocked content.
Using a mutual friend’s account
If you have a mutual friend with the person who blocked you, you can try viewing blocked content through their account.
For example, if you’re blocked by someone on Facebook:
- Ask the mutual friend to login to their Facebook account
- Visit the profile of the person who has blocked you
- Browse their posts and messages
Since their account isn’t blocked, they’ll be able to access the posts, messages, and info you can’t see anymore. This only works if you have a cooperative friend who is willing to help.
Unblocking on platforms that allow it
Some social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram let you unblock people from within your account settings. You can temporarily unblock someone to view their messages and posts, and re-block them later. Just keep in mind:
- They will be able to message/view your profile once unblocked
- On Facebook and Instagram, they will be notified when you unblock them
So proceed with caution – don’t unblock if you’re trying to covertly view someone’s messages without them knowing.
Using anonymous browsing options
If you want to keep your viewing activities hidden, use anonymous browsing tools:
- Incognito Mode – Built into Chrome, Edge, etc. Doesn’t record browsing history.
- Firefox Private Window – Like incognito but also blocks cookies and trackers.
- Tor – Routes your traffic through multiple servers for anonymity.
- VPN – Masks your IP address so it can’t be linked to your viewing.
Enabling these during your viewing session will make it much harder to trace that it was you. Just remember to fully close out these modes afterwards.
Using a third-party app
Some third-party social media apps have functionality to retrieve and display blocked content:
- Social Book Post Manager – Facebook & Instagram management app that can retrieve some blocked posts.
- TweetTunnel – Twitter tool for saving and viewing tweets from blocked accounts.
- Messages+ – Android app that can recover blocked messages from various platforms.
These tools have inconsistent reliability in bypassing blocks. But they are worth experimenting with as an alternative option.
Contacting the platform support
As a last resort, you can try contacting the social network or email provider’s customer support:
- Explain your situation and reason for needing access to blocked content.
- Request if they can temporarily lift the block or disclose the content.
Most platforms will not be willing to bypass blocks they have imposed. But for extreme cases like harassment or crime, exceptions may be made after reviewing evidence.
Conclusion
In summary, here are some effective ways to view blocked messages and content:
- Check built-in filtered message folders in email services
- Use alternate logins, browsers and devices
- Forward blocked emails to another address
- Sign up for a secondary phone number
- Request to unblock conversations on Messenger
- Install email tracking tools and browser extensions
- Browse social media on desktop site
- Leverage mutual friends’ unblocked accounts
- Temporarily unblock the user if the platform allows it
- Use anonymous browsing modes
- Try specialized third-party social media apps
Bear in mind that viewing blocked content without consent may be unethical. Always consider the other person’s privacy and only use these responsibly where appropriate.