How to Block Someone on WhatsApp: A Comprehensive Guide
WhatsApp, the ubiquitous messaging app, has become an integral part of our daily lives, connecting us with friends, family, and colleagues across the globe. However, like any social platform, it can also be a source of unwanted contact or even harassment. Fortunately, WhatsApp provides a straightforward mechanism to block individuals, effectively cutting off communication and safeguarding your peace of mind. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of blocking someone on WhatsApp across different devices and provide answers to frequently asked questions.
Why Block Someone on WhatsApp?
There are numerous reasons why you might want to block someone on WhatsApp. Here are some common scenarios:
* **Harassment and Bullying:** If you are receiving abusive, threatening, or otherwise harassing messages, blocking the sender is a necessary step to protect yourself.
* **Spam and Unsolicited Messages:** Blocking is an effective way to stop unwanted messages from unknown numbers or businesses.
* **Unwanted Contact:** If someone is repeatedly contacting you despite your requests to stop, blocking can provide a much-needed barrier.
* **Privacy Concerns:** You may want to block someone to prevent them from seeing your profile picture, status updates, or online status.
* **Cutting Off Communication:** Sometimes, blocking is simply a way to end communication with someone you no longer wish to interact with.
How Blocking Works on WhatsApp
When you block someone on WhatsApp, the following happens:
* **They can no longer send you messages:** Any messages they send will not be delivered to your phone.
* **They cannot call you:** Voice and video calls from the blocked contact will not go through.
* **They cannot see your profile picture:** Your profile picture will no longer be visible to them.
* **They cannot see your status updates:** Your status updates will be hidden from them.
* **They cannot see your ‘last seen’ or ‘online’ status:** They will not be able to tell when you were last online or if you are currently online.
* **You will not receive notifications from them:** You will not be notified when they send you messages or try to call you.
It’s important to note that blocking is not a two-way street. You can block someone without them necessarily knowing that you have done so. However, they may suspect it if their messages are not delivered (indicated by a single checkmark instead of two) and they can no longer see your profile information.
Methods for Blocking Someone on WhatsApp
WhatsApp offers several methods for blocking contacts, depending on whether the person is already in your contact list or if they are an unknown number.
Method 1: Blocking an Existing Contact
This is the most common method for blocking someone you already have saved in your phone’s contacts.
**On Android:**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Launch the WhatsApp application on your Android device.
2. **Open the Chat:** Locate and open the chat with the contact you wish to block. If you don’t have a chat already, find the contact in your contact list and start a chat.
3. **Tap the Three Dots (Menu):** In the top-right corner of the chat screen, tap the three vertical dots to open the menu.
4. **Select ‘More’:** From the menu options, choose ‘More’.
5. **Select ‘Block’:** Another menu will appear. Select the ‘Block’ option.
6. **Confirmation:** WhatsApp will ask you to confirm your decision. You’ll see a message like, “Block [Contact Name]? You won’t receive messages or calls from them.” You will also have the option to report the contact. If you want to both block and report, check the box next to “Report contact”. Otherwise, just tap “Block”.
7. **Block:** Tap ‘Block’ to finalize the process. The contact is now blocked.
**On iPhone:**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Open the WhatsApp application on your iPhone.
2. **Open the Chat:** Find and open the chat with the contact you want to block. If you don’t already have a chat, find the contact in your Contacts list within WhatsApp and start one.
3. **Tap the Contact Name:** At the top of the chat screen, tap the contact’s name or phone number.
4. **Scroll Down:** Scroll down to the bottom of the Contact Info screen.
5. **Tap ‘Block [Contact Name]’:** You will see a red button labeled ‘Block [Contact Name]’. Tap this button.
6. **Confirmation:** WhatsApp will ask you to confirm your decision. You will see the options “Block” and “Cancel”. You will also have an option to Report the contact. To block and report, tap “Report & Block”. Otherwise, just tap “Block”.
7. **Block:** Tap ‘Block’ to finalize the process. The contact is now blocked.
Method 2: Blocking an Unknown Number (Without Saving to Contacts)
This method is useful for blocking numbers that have contacted you without being in your contact list.
**On Android:**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Launch the WhatsApp application on your Android device.
2. **Open the Chat:** Open the chat with the unknown number you want to block. This will usually be a chat that was automatically created when the number first messaged you.
3. **Tap the Three Dots (Menu):** In the top-right corner of the chat screen, tap the three vertical dots to open the menu.
4. **Select ‘Block’:** Choose ‘Block’ from the menu.
5. **Confirmation:** A pop-up message will appear asking to confirm if you want to block the phone number. You will have the option to also report the contact. Check the box next to “Report contact” if you want to also report the contact to WhatsApp. Otherwise, just tap “Block”.
6. **Block:** Tap ‘Block’ to finalize the process. The number is now blocked.
**On iPhone:**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Open the WhatsApp application on your iPhone.
2. **Open the Chat:** Open the chat with the unknown number you want to block.
3. **Tap the Number at the Top:** At the top of the chat screen, tap the phone number.
4. **Scroll Down:** Scroll down to the bottom of the Contact Info screen.
5. **Tap ‘Block [Number]’:** Tap the red button labeled ‘Block [Number]’.
6. **Confirmation:** WhatsApp will ask you to confirm your decision. You will see the options “Block” and “Cancel”. You will also have an option to Report the contact. To block and report, tap “Report & Block”. Otherwise, just tap “Block”.
7. **Block:** Tap ‘Block’ to finalize the process. The number is now blocked.
Method 3: Blocking Through WhatsApp Settings
This method allows you to view and manage your blocked contacts list.
**On Android:**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Launch the WhatsApp application.
2. **Tap the Three Dots (Menu):** In the main WhatsApp screen (Chats tab), tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
3. **Select ‘Settings’:** Choose ‘Settings’ from the menu.
4. **Select ‘Account’:** Tap on ‘Account’.
5. **Select ‘Privacy’:** Tap on ‘Privacy’.
6. **Select ‘Blocked Contacts’:** Scroll down to the bottom and tap on ‘Blocked contacts’. This will show you a list of all the contacts you have blocked.
7. **Add to Blocked List:** To block a new contact, tap the ‘Add’ icon (a person with a plus sign) in the top-right corner.
8. **Select Contact:** A list of your contacts will appear. Select the contact you wish to block. They will be added to your blocked list.
**On iPhone:**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Launch the WhatsApp application.
2. **Tap ‘Settings’:** In the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap the ‘Settings’ icon.
3. **Select ‘Account’:** Tap on ‘Account’.
4. **Select ‘Privacy’:** Tap on ‘Privacy’.
5. **Select ‘Blocked’:** Scroll down and tap on ‘Blocked’. This will display your list of blocked contacts.
6. **Add to Blocked List:** To block a new contact, tap ‘Add New…’ at the bottom of the screen.
7. **Select Contact:** A list of your contacts will appear. Choose the contact you want to block. They will be added to your blocked list.
Unblocking Someone on WhatsApp
If you decide you want to communicate with someone you have previously blocked, you can easily unblock them. The process is similar to blocking, but with a slight variation.
**On Android:**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Launch the WhatsApp application.
2. **Tap the Three Dots (Menu):** In the main WhatsApp screen (Chats tab), tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
3. **Select ‘Settings’:** Choose ‘Settings’ from the menu.
4. **Select ‘Account’:** Tap on ‘Account’.
5. **Select ‘Privacy’:** Tap on ‘Privacy’.
6. **Select ‘Blocked Contacts’:** Scroll down to the bottom and tap on ‘Blocked contacts’. This will show your list of blocked contacts.
7. **Tap on the Contact:** Tap on the name of the contact you want to unblock.
8. **Select ‘Unblock’:** A pop-up will appear. Tap ‘Unblock [Contact Name]’. The contact is now unblocked, and you can communicate with them again.
**On iPhone:**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Launch the WhatsApp application.
2. **Tap ‘Settings’:** In the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap the ‘Settings’ icon.
3. **Select ‘Account’:** Tap on ‘Account’.
4. **Select ‘Privacy’:** Tap on ‘Privacy’.
5. **Select ‘Blocked’:** Scroll down and tap on ‘Blocked’. This will display your list of blocked contacts.
6. **Swipe Left on the Contact:** Swipe left on the contact you want to unblock.
7. **Tap ‘Unblock’:** A red ‘Unblock’ button will appear. Tap this button to unblock the contact. Alternatively, tap “Edit” in the upper right, and then tap the red minus icon to the left of the contact’s name, then tap “Unblock”. The contact is now unblocked.
Alternatively, you can unblock someone by opening a chat with them (if one exists) and tapping the ‘Unblock’ button that appears at the bottom of the screen.
Reporting Contacts on WhatsApp
WhatsApp provides a feature to report contacts who violate their Terms of Service. Reporting a contact sends information about the user and their recent messages to WhatsApp for review. You can report a contact while blocking them, or separately.
**How to Report a Contact While Blocking:**
When blocking a contact using any of the methods described above, you will usually see a checkbox or option to “Report contact” or “Report & Block”. Selecting this option will report the contact to WhatsApp along with blocking them.
**How to Report a Contact Separately (Android and iPhone):**
1. **Open WhatsApp:** Launch the WhatsApp application.
2. **Open the Chat:** Open the chat with the contact you want to report.
3. **Tap the Contact Name (or Number):** At the top of the chat screen, tap the contact’s name or phone number.
4. **Scroll Down:** Scroll down to the bottom of the Contact Info screen.
5. **Tap ‘Report Contact’ (or ‘Report [Contact Name]’):** You will see an option to ‘Report Contact’ or ‘Report [Contact Name]’. Tap this button.
6. **Confirmation:** WhatsApp will ask you to confirm your decision. You will typically be given the option to also block the contact. Choose the option that best suits your needs (Report only, or Report and Block).
7. **Report:** Tap “Report”.
FAQ About Blocking on WhatsApp
**Q: How do I know if someone has blocked me on WhatsApp?**
A: WhatsApp does not directly notify you if someone has blocked you. However, there are several indicators that might suggest you have been blocked:
* You can no longer see their profile picture.
* You can no longer see their ‘last seen’ or ‘online’ status.
* Messages you send to them only show one checkmark (sent) and never two (delivered).
* You are unable to call them.
It’s important to note that these indicators are not definitive proof of being blocked, as they can also be caused by other factors, such as the person changing their privacy settings or having network connectivity issues.
**Q: Can a blocked contact see my status updates?**
A: No, a blocked contact cannot see your status updates.
**Q: If I unblock someone, will I receive the messages they sent me while they were blocked?**
A: No, you will not receive the messages they sent you while they were blocked. Those messages were never delivered to your device.
**Q: Can a blocked contact see if I am online?**
A: No, a blocked contact cannot see your ‘last seen’ or ‘online’ status.
**Q: Can I block someone from a WhatsApp group?**
A: You cannot directly block someone from a WhatsApp group. You need to block them individually as described above. However, even if you block someone, they will still be able to see your messages in the group and vice versa. If you want to completely avoid interacting with someone in a group, you may need to leave the group.
**Q: Will blocking someone delete our past conversations?**
A: No, blocking someone does not delete your past conversations. The chat history will remain on your device. You can manually delete the chat if you wish.
**Q: Can someone tell if I blocked and reported them?**
A: There’s no direct notification to the blocked contact. However, just like blocking alone, the combination of missing profile information and undelivered messages, coupled with WhatsApp potentially investigating their account based on the report, could lead them to suspect they’ve been reported.
**Q: Is blocking on WhatsApp the same as blocking on my phone?**
A: No, blocking on WhatsApp is separate from blocking on your phone. Blocking someone on WhatsApp only prevents them from contacting you through WhatsApp. It does not prevent them from calling or texting you through your phone’s regular calling and messaging services. You would need to block them separately in your phone’s settings to prevent those forms of communication.
Conclusion
Blocking someone on WhatsApp is a simple yet powerful tool for managing your privacy and safety. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively block unwanted contacts and protect yourself from harassment, spam, and other forms of unwanted communication. Remember to utilize the reporting feature to help WhatsApp maintain a safe and positive environment for all users. Whether it’s an ex, a spammer, or someone being abusive, WhatsApp provides the tools necessary to regain control of your communication experience.