WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It’s a great way to stay in touch with friends and family. However, sometimes you may wish to block someone on WhatsApp for various reasons – their messages are irritating, harassing, or you simply don’t want to hear from them anymore. Luckily, WhatsApp makes it easy to block contacts right from your iPhone. You don’t even need to open their messages to block them.
Blocking someone on WhatsApp prevents them from calling you or sending you messages. Your profile picture and “last seen” status also won’t be visible to blocked contacts. And best of all, you can block people without them knowing and without opening their messages. This allows you to avoid unwanted contact without any confrontation.
In this comprehensive guide, we provide step-by-step instructions on how to block someone on WhatsApp from an iPhone, with or without opening their messages.
Prerequisites
Before jumping into the step-by-step guide, let’s go over what you need:
– An iPhone running iOS 10 or later. The blocking steps may be slightly different on earlier iOS versions.
– The latest version of WhatsApp installed from the App Store. Make sure you have updated to the most recent WhatsApp version.
– The phone number or WhatsApp contact you want to block saved in your iPhone’s Contacts app. Their phone number cannot be deleted or lost.
– Access to the WhatsApp app. You should be logged into your account.
– An internet connection (WiFi or mobile data) to change and sync your blocking settings.
As long as your iPhone meets the requirements above, you are ready to block anyone on WhatsApp easily.
Step 1 – Open WhatsApp and go to the chat
The first step is to open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone. Tap on the WhatsApp icon from your home screen to launch the app.
Once WhatsApp opens, you need to access the chat with the contact you want to block. There are two ways to do this:
1. Go to the Chats tab in WhatsApp and tap on the contact’s name to open your chat history with them.
2. Tap on the Search icon at the top right and type in the contact’s name or number to find them. Tap on their name from search results to open your chat.
Either method will open the chat screen where you can view your messaging history with that particular contact. From here, you can block them without reading their messages.
Step 2 – Tap on the contact’s name to view details
At the top of the chat screen, you’ll see the contact’s name, video call, and voice call icons. To block this person, don’t open their messages.
Instead, tap directly on their name at the top of the screen. This will open their contact details within WhatsApp.
Step 3 – Scroll down and tap Block
Once you’ve opened the contact details screen, scroll down on iPhone to reveal the Block option.
It will be near the bottom below Starred Messages, About, and other details. Tap on Block to initiate blocking the contact.
Step 4 – Confirm block when prompted
After tapping Block, WhatsApp will show a confirmation pop-up that says “Block [contact’s name]?”
To complete the blocking process, tap Block again on this pop-up window.
And that’s it! WhatsApp will immediately block this contact from messaging or calling you.
Unblocking a Contact
If you change your mind later on, it’s easy to unblock someone on WhatsApp as well:
1. Open WhatsApp and tap Settings at the bottom right.
2. Go to Account > Privacy > Blocked.
3. Tap “Unblock” next to the contact you want to unblock.
This will remove the blocking restrictions and allow them to message you again.
Troubleshooting
Blocking contacts is usually straightforward, but here are some troubleshooting tips if you can’t get it to work:
– Update WhatsApp to the latest version from the App Store. Older versions may not have the block function.
– Make sure you still have the contact’s number or username saved in your iPhone’s Contacts app.
– If blocking from the chat screen doesn’t work, try blocking from their contact details instead (and vice versa).
– Restart your iPhone and reopen WhatsApp to refresh the app.
– On rare occasions, it may take 15-30 minutes for blocking to fully take effect across WhatsApp’s servers. Be patient.
– If you accidentally blocked someone, follow the steps above to unblock them.
– If you can’t find the Block option, check WhatsApp’s help center for updated instructions.
Blocking on Android and WhatsApp Web
The steps are very similar for blocking contacts on Android devices and WhatsApp Web for PC:
Android:
1. Open the chat with the contact you want to block.
2. Tap the three vertical dots icon in the top right corner.
3. Select More > Block from the menu.
4. Confirm the block when prompted.
WhatsApp Web:
1. Open the chat window with the contact.
2. Click on the contact name at the top.
3. From their profile, click Block.
4. Click Block again to confirm.
This will sync the blocked status across all platforms.
Important Notes About Blocking
Here are some key points to keep in mind when blocking contacts on WhatsApp:
– You can still see the contact’s profile photo and “last seen” status after blocking them, but they can’t see yours.
– Blocked contacts can no longer add you to groups. You’ll be automatically removed from any groups involving a blocked person.
– If you block someone who has your number saved in their phone contacts, they can still send you SMS text messages.
– Blocking someone won’t remove their messages from your chat history. To delete the chat history, select Clear Chat after blocking.
– You can block and unblock someone as many times as you want. Your message history will return when unblocking.
– If you only want to remove someone’s WhatsApp access but keep their phone number unblocked, remove them as a contact instead of blocking.
– On iPhone, you can block phone numbers not saved in your contacts by using the block option from Recents or Voicemail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about blocking contacts on WhatsApp:
How do I block someone without accessing their chat or opening messages?
Open their contact profile from the contacts list or search screen rather than opening the chat itself. You can then scroll down and tap Block from their info screen.
Can someone still message me once I block them?
No, blocking prevents any calls or messages from coming through. Their texts will not show up.
Will a blocked contact know I’ve blocked them?
No. There’s no notification or indication if you block someone. It will seem like you are ignoring their messages.
Can I mass block a group of people at once?
Unfortunately no, contacts have to be blocked one at a time. But it only takes a few seconds per person.
What happens if I block someone by accident?
No worries! You can always unblock them right away and your full message history will be restored.
Conclusion
Blocking unwanted contacts is a straightforward process on WhatsApp for iPhone. By tapping Block from their contact details screen, you can instantly prevent any new messages or calls from coming through. The key steps are:
1. Open the contact’s WhatsApp profile without viewing their chat.
2. Scroll down and tap Block.
3. Confirm blocking when prompted.
Remember you can unblock at any time, and the blocking is completely invisible to the contact. Use blocking thoughtfully to manage who interacts with you on WhatsApp. With these steps, you’ll learn how to block someone on WhatsApp without the awkwardness of opening their message.