Does Blocking Someone on Snapchat Delete Messages? A Comprehensive Guide

Snapchat, the popular messaging app known for its ephemeral nature, often leaves users with questions about privacy and data retention. One common question revolves around what happens to messages when you block someone. Does blocking someone on Snapchat delete messages? The short answer is: No, blocking someone on Snapchat does not automatically delete the messages you’ve exchanged. However, the impact is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. This article will delve deep into the intricacies of blocking on Snapchat, explaining what it does and doesn’t do to your chat history, and providing detailed steps on how to manage your interactions on the platform.

Understanding How Snapchat Handles Messages

Before we dive into the effects of blocking, it’s crucial to understand how Snapchat handles messages. Unlike traditional messaging apps, Snapchat is designed to be ephemeral. This means that once you’ve viewed a snap or a chat message, it’s generally supposed to disappear after a set time. Here’s a breakdown:

• Snaps: Photos or videos sent as snaps typically disappear after being viewed (or after 24 hours if unopened).
• Chat Messages: Text, voice notes, and other chat messages also disappear after being viewed, unless you or the other person saves them.
• Saved Messages: Users can save messages within a chat, which then become visible to both parties until unsaved.
• Snapchat Servers: Importantly, Snapchat stores message data, even if it appears to have disappeared from your chat interface. This is generally for a limited time and is governed by their privacy policies.

What Happens When You Block Someone on Snapchat?

Blocking someone on Snapchat essentially severs the connection between you and that user on the platform. Here’s a breakdown of what it does:

• They Cannot See Your Stories or Snaps: The blocked user will no longer be able to view any of your public stories or snaps. You won’t appear in their friend list either.
• They Cannot Send You Snaps or Chats: The blocked user will be unable to send you new snaps or chat messages. Any attempt to do so will fail.
• They Cannot Find You on Snapchat: If they try to search for your username, you will not appear in the search results.
• Existing Chat History Remains: Crucially, your existing chat history with the blocked user, including saved and unsaved messages, will remain visible in your chat log. This is the key point: blocking does *not* delete these messages.
• You Disappear From Their Friend List: Similarly, you will disappear from the blocked user’s friend list, and they can’t find you unless they remember your username exactly.

So, blocking primarily restricts the future communication and interaction, but it does not affect the messages that are already exchanged and present in your chat interface. Both you and the blocked user will still see the chat history.

Detailed Steps on How to Block Someone on Snapchat

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to block someone on Snapchat:

1. Open the Snapchat App: Launch the Snapchat application on your smartphone or tablet.
2. Navigate to the Chat Screen: Tap the chat icon (a speech bubble) at the bottom left corner of the screen to access your chat list.
3. Find the User You Want to Block: Scroll through your chat list to find the conversation with the person you wish to block.
4. Open the Chat: Tap on the conversation to open the chat screen.
5. Tap on the User’s Bitmoji or Name: Tap on the person’s Bitmoji (if they have one) at the top of the screen, or tap on their name, to open their profile page.
6. Access the Menu: Tap on the three vertical dots located in the top right corner of the profile page to open the menu.
7. Select ‘Manage Friendship’: From the menu, tap on the option labeled ‘Manage Friendship.’
8. Tap ‘Block’: Finally, tap on the ‘Block’ option. A confirmation prompt will appear.
9. Confirm Blocking: Tap on ‘Block’ again to confirm the action. The user is now blocked.

You can also block someone from their profile directly if you have received a snap or message from them but are not in a chat conversation yet. In this case:

1. Navigate to the snaps/chat: Locate the incoming snap or message from the user.
2. Tap the user profile: Tap on the sender’s name to access their profile.
3. Follow steps 6 to 9 above

How to Unblock Someone on Snapchat

If you change your mind and want to unblock someone, follow these steps:

1. Open the Snapchat App: Launch the Snapchat application on your device.
2. Tap on Your Profile: Tap on your Bitmoji or profile picture in the top-left corner of the screen. This will take you to your profile screen.
3. Go to Settings: Tap on the gear icon in the top-right corner to open the Settings menu.
4. Scroll to ‘Blocked’: Scroll down in the Settings menu until you find the ‘Blocked’ option under the ‘Account Actions’ category and tap it.
5. Locate the User: You’ll see a list of all the users you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock.
6. Tap the ‘X’ icon: Tap the ‘X’ icon next to the user’s name in the list.
7. Confirm Unblocking: A confirmation prompt will appear. Tap on ‘Unblock’ to confirm.

Once unblocked, the user will be able to see your stories and snaps, and can send you snaps and chat messages again. You’ll need to re-add them as a friend, and they will have to add you back to become friends again.

Managing Your Chat History After Blocking

While blocking doesn’t delete messages, you can still take steps to manage the chat history that remains after you block someone. Here are some options:

• Unsaving Messages: If you had saved messages in your chat with the blocked user, you can unsave them individually. To do this, tap and hold on the saved message and tap ‘Unsave in Chat’ in the popup menu. This will make the message disappear for both of you once you exit the chat.
• Clearing Chat History: Snapchat offers an option to clear entire chat conversations. However, this option only affects what you see on your device. The messages still remain on Snapchat’s servers and with the other user. This also works when you want to remove a message from someone who is not blocked, you need to follow the same steps below. To clear chat history follow these steps:
  1. Go to Settings: Follow steps 1-3 from unblocking to go to your settings screen.
  2. Scroll to Clear Data: Scroll down until you find the section “Privacy Controls” then tap on “Clear Data”.
  3. Clear conversations: Tap on “Clear Conversations”.
  4. Select conversation: Select the conversation you want to clear or tap “Clear All” and all the chats will be cleared from your device.
• Reporting a User: If you feel threatened, harassed, or if the content of the messages is abusive or violates Snapchat’s guidelines, you can report the user even after blocking them. This will send the messages and content to Snapchat’s moderation team for review. You can report the user from their profile screen before blocking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions related to blocking and messages on Snapchat:

Q: Does blocking someone on Snapchat delete all saved messages?
A: No, blocking someone on Snapchat does not automatically delete saved messages. You have to manually unsave them if you want them to disappear from the chat interface.

Q: Can the blocked user see my old messages after being blocked?
A: Yes, the blocked user can still see the old messages in your chat history on their device.

Q: If I unblock a person, will they see the messages from when they were blocked?
A: Yes, if you unblock someone, the previous chat history will be visible to both of you. Messages do not disappear just because someone was blocked.

Q: Does blocking someone on Snapchat notify the user?
A: No, Snapchat does not notify the user when they are blocked. They will only realize that they have been blocked when they try to send you a message or search for your profile.

Q: Is there a way to completely delete messages from both sides on Snapchat?
A: No, there is no guaranteed way to completely delete messages from both sides on Snapchat. Even unsaving messages only removes them from the chat view, but they may remain on Snapchat’s servers for a while and on the other user’s device (unless the other user has also unsaved them from their device).

Q: Does blocking affect my streaks with the user?
A: Yes, blocking a user will end any existing streaks you have with them. The streak number will disappear from your chat history and will not be present if you later unblock.

Conclusion

Blocking someone on Snapchat is a useful tool to limit further contact with someone on the platform, but it’s important to understand that it doesn’t erase your past interactions. The chat history remains visible to both you and the blocked user. To manage your chat history more effectively, you can unsave messages, clear chat conversations, and report the user to Snapchat if needed.

By understanding the nuances of blocking and message retention, you can take greater control of your Snapchat experience and ensure your privacy. Remember to always keep your privacy settings updated and be mindful of the information you share on the platform.