A few things can give you hints if you have been blocked on an iPhone. You can send an iMessage or SMS, but you may be blocked if they are not delivered. If you call them and get voicemail, that is usually a sign that you have been blocked. But there are other signs to help you know for sure if someone has blocked you on your iPhone, and we’ll go over them in a bit.
What You Should Know About iPhone Blocked Numbers
Before we begin, it is important to note that there is no foolproof way to determine if you have been blocked on an iPhone. Some things may give strong hints, but they could also have innocent explanations. Undeliverable messages could indicate that the phone has been turned off, for example. Phone calls that go straight to voicemail may indicate that the person is simply in an area with poor mobile phone coverage. Or the person’s phone could be in Airplane Mode.
So the key takeaway here is that these things can indicate that you have been blocked, but don’t assume that is the case 100% of the time. There could be a reasonable explanation. The best way to determine if you’ve been blocked is to ask the person.
Also, only try the following methods once to see if you have been blocked. You don’t want to be in stalker/harassment territory and face legal issues if you do it more than once.
How to Know If Someone Has Blocked Your iPhone
#1. Examine the Color of your Text
Texting the person is one way to find out if you’ve been blocked or not. The message bubble distinguishes between a regular SMS and an iMessage; a green bubble indicates an SMS, while a blue bubble indicates an iMessage.
SMS messages are sent through your carrier, whereas iMessages are sent over the internet. If one doesn’t work, there could be a larger technical problem, so it’s worth trying the other.
#2. Send an iMessage to Them
If you suspect someone who has blocked you has an Apple device, try sending them a polite iMessage.
When you send an iMessage to someone, you’ll see the delivery status right below it. If you have not been blocked, your status will be “Delivered.” If the recipient has enabled read receipts, it will change to “Read” once they open the message.
When you don’t see the delivery status or the read receipt, this is a red flag that you’ve been blocked. The message you just sent will remain in a blue bubble, but there will be no delivery status below it, not even a “Not Delivered.”
Quick tip: If your iMessage isn't going through because of a network issue rather than being blocked, the Messages app may try to resend it as an SMS message instead.
#3. Send an SMS Message to Them
You were not blocked if you sent them an SMS and received the “Delivered” notification underneath it. If you receive a notification that says “Message Not Delivered,” or if you receive no notification at all, this is an indication of a potential block.
You can relax if you receive an auto-generated response explaining why the message did not go through. If the person blocked you, you would not receive an auto-response.
#4. Make a Phone Call to Them
You could then try calling the person. If the call goes directly to voicemail or rings once (or half a ring) and then goes to voicemail, you may have been blocked.
#5. Hide your Phone Number
When you’ve tried calling them several times with no success, it’s time to hide your phone number when calling them.
Call again, but this time enter *67 before the phone number. If it rings normally with this masked phone number (or if someone answers), it almost certainly means your number was blocked.
#6. Disable Caller ID
Similarly, you can see if it’s just your number that’s having trouble connecting to the other device by disabling caller ID in your phone’s settings.
On the iPhone, you can disable caller ID (assuming your carrier allows it) by going to Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID and disabling it.
#7. Attempt a Different Phone Number or Device
You might be able to call the person again using a different number or a different phone entirely to see if you get the same result. If you still can’t reach them, there could be a problem with the receiver’s phone.
#8. Check to See if They’ve Blocked You on Other Messaging Apps
If the person is determined to block you, they will almost certainly block you in other places. Try looking for indications that you’ve been blocked on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
If they haven’t blocked you there, they will see your message when they return to the internet, but they may not respond. In that case, make your message count, but be polite if you want to find out why they blocked your texts and calls.
#9. Try to Wait Out the Problem
If you call someone and the call goes straight to voicemail, you may have been blocked. On the other hand, the person’s phone could be turned off, have a low battery, or be in Airplane Mode or Do Not Disturb Mode.
#10. The iPhone’s “Do Not Disturb” Settings
iPhones have several options for automatically blocking calls without blocking a number — the person you’re attempting to call may simply have one of these settings enabled.
Otherwise, they might have put you on hold because they were on another call, in class, or didn’t want to talk.
Quick tip: If someone's Do Not Disturb setting is preventing you from having important conversations, you should ask them to enable Emergency Bypass, which allows your calls to go through. Find out more about the iPhone's Do Not Disturb settings by clicking here.
Similarly, a text message that isn’t delivered could be due to poor cell service or occasional iMessage glitches rather than a schism in your relationship. Wait a few hours, or even a day, before trying to call or text again.
#11. Keep Your Distance from Them
If nothing else has worked so far, you’ve most likely been blocked. If that’s the case, it’s best to respect the person who blocked you by not contacting them again.
What are some of the possible false-positive indicators that you’ve been blocked?
Calls that go straight to voicemail, no delivery notifications for text messages, and no responses can all indicate that you have been blocked.
However, if the person has Do Not Disturb enabled or is outside their service area, you may see these false positive signs.
What Can You Do if Your Phone Number Is Blocked?
It’s best to stop contacting them and respect their boundaries. You can confirm that this person has blocked you by calling them, checking the iMessage cloud color, trying other messaging apps, and looking for automated responses. However, if you know the person has blocked you, it’s best to stop calling or texting.
In an emergency, you could borrow a phone from a friend or turn off the Caller ID feature.
How Do You Contact Someone Who Has Blocked You?
If someone has blocked you but still wishes to call you, you can try preventing caller ID from recognizing your phone number.
Is the Moon Icon a Sign That You’ve Been Blocked?
When Focus and Do Not Disturb mode is enabled on iOS devices, users can temporarily disable notifications for all but the contacts or apps they choose—so if you send someone a message via iMessage and don’t receive a response, it could be because their notifications are turned off.
When you have Focus mode enabled and receive a message, your phone will automatically notify the sender of the message that you have Focus mode enabled. If this is the case, the chat window will display a moon icon next to your friend’s name to indicate that they have muted notifications.
If you are on the recipient’s iMessage contact list and they have enabled notifications for your name specifically (rather than enabling them globally), you should be able to break through Focus mode and send a notification anyway. But, if you don’t, your iMessage account may be blocked.
Can You Tell Me if I Block Their Phone Number on Android?
When you block a number on an Android phone, the person who has been blocked is not notified. They may be able to deduce that they have been blocked if they try to call or message you and cannot connect.
If someone attempts to call you from a blocked number, they will be unable to connect and the call will either go to voicemail or be rejected automatically. If they try to text you, it will not be delivered to your phone, and they may receive an error message indicating that the message was not sent.
Is it Possible to Block a Phone Number on Whatsapp?
When you block a phone number on your device, it does not automatically block the same number on WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a standalone messaging app that requires a phone number to sign up for. If you have blocked a phone number on your device, it will not be blocked automatically on WhatsApp.
To block a contact on WhatsApp, open the app and go to the chat with the person you want to block. Then, at the top of the chat, tap on their name or profile picture, select “Block” from the menu, and confirm your decision. When you block someone on WhatsApp, you will no longer receive messages or calls from them, and they will no longer be able to see your profile picture or status updates.
How Can I tell if someone has blocked me on WhatsApp?
There are a few indicators that someone has blocked you on WhatsApp:
- You won’t be able to see their profile picture or status updates: When someone blocks you on WhatsApp, you won’t be able to see their profile picture or status updates. Instead, a blank space will appear where their picture should be.
- You can’t see their “last seen” or online status: When someone blocks you, you can’t see when they were last online or if they are currently online. If they have not blocked you, you will only see “online” or “last seen” if they have not blocked you.
- Messages sent to them have no double ticks: When you send a message to someone on WhatsApp, you will see two grey ticks indicating that it was delivered and two blue ticks indicating that it was read. If you have been blocked, you will only see a single grey tick, indicating that the message was sent but not received.
- Calls to them fail to connect: If you try to call someone on WhatsApp who has blocked you, the call will fail to connect and you will be unable to leave a voicemail.
Is It True That if My iMessage Is Not Delivered, I’ve Been Blocked?
No, an undeliverable iMessage does not always mean you’ve been blocked. A message may not be delivered for a variety of reasons, including technical issues and connectivity issues.
Conclusion
If you’re still unsure whether someone has blocked you on your iPhone, look for all the indicators—and don’t make any assumptions. They can receive messages from your iPhone and iPad if you have not blocked them. Regardless of what you want to hear, remember that if someone is difficult to reach or has blocked your number entirely, giving them space is often the best option. You can’t make other people do what you want, so don’t waste your time wishing they would.
Avoid the urge to cyberstalk someone who has hurt you, and instead, give them time and space to process their emotions. You could always talk to the person who blocked you in person to clear up any misunderstandings, take a step back and get some outside perspective, or move on if things aren’t working out. At the very least, you now know how to see if you have been blocked on iPhone.
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How to Know if Someone Blocked You on iPhone: References
