If you’re trying to connect with someone on WhatsApp, but your messages aren’t being answered, there’s a possibility that they may have blocked you. While WhatsApp doesn’t notify you when someone blocks you, there are a few telltale signs to look for. This guide explains how to know if someone blocked you on WhatsApp.
Good to know: WhatsApp now has channels. Learn all about them by checking out our post.
1. Blank Profile Picture
Assuming you’re trying to message someone you’ve interacted with before, open WhatsApp and quickly check their profile picture. If they have blocked you, their profile picture will appear blank.
If you know they usually tend to have a profile picture, this can be your first red flag that something is amiss. Keep an eye on their contact for a few days to see whether they’ve added a new profile picture or have posted a new Story. If they’ve blocked you, you won’t be able to see any Story updates.
Another possibility is that your contact has deleted their WhatsApp. To verify that’s the case, press the New Message button in the lower-right corner of your display (Android) or upper-right corner of your contact list (iOS/Web), and search for the person. If you can still find them in your contacts list, the more likely scenario is that they blocked you.
2. “Last Seen” Is Missing
You should also check when the person last signed on to WhatsApp. This info usually appears in the chat window at the top, underneath their screen name. If you can’t see any information, it could mean that they blocked you – especially if their profile picture appears blank as well.
However, before you jump to conclusions, you need to remember that you won’t be able to see someone’s Last Seen message if you have disabled the feature on WhatsApp. What you can do is temporarily enable the option, then follow these steps to check whether you can see the other person’s Last Seen status.
Press the three dots in the upper right in WhatsApp and select Settings, then access Privacy, and tap on Last seen and online.
Change it from Nobody to Everyone or My contacts.
In some cases, the other person may have turned off their Last Seen status, so don’t take its absence as absolute proof that they’ve blocked you. Keep an eye on the contact, as they might appear Online at some point. If you can see this information, it means they haven’t blocked you, but are perhaps ignoring your messages or busy. Just as with Last Seen, someone can disable their Online status so that it won’t appear. Not seeing someone when they are online doesn’t necessarily translate to being blocked.
FYI: WhatsApp has a video upload limit, but you can still send high-quality clips.
3. Messages Don’t Appear to Be Going Through
You’ve probably tried leaving them several messages, so check how many checkmarks appear underneath. If you’re seeing one checkmark, then this is your cue that these messages aren’t going through. Normally, you should see two checkmarks (black or blue).
This could also happen if the person you’re trying to have a conversation with is in an area without a signal or has turned off their mobile data for the time being. In such cases, your messages should be delivered once they eventually connect to a stable network again. But if it’s been days since you’ve sent your messages, and you continue to see only the single checkmark, this may indicate that you’ve been blocked.
Checkmarks should appear even if you’ve turned off your Read Recipients. These show when the other party read your messages.
4. Calls Go Unanswered
Once someone has blocked you, you won’t be able to connect with them via voice or video calls. Once you initiate a call, the other party does not get notified anymore, leaving your calls unanswered.
On your end, it may look like placing a normal call using WhatsApp, but if nobody picks up following multiple tries, you should consider the possibility that you were blocked.
Tip: wonder how to tell whether someone blocked you on Facebook? Check out our post to learn what to look for.
5. You Can’t Add Them to Groups
You can try adding the person to a group in the hopes that you’ll be able to chat them up. But if they disappear from the list of group participants, it’s another indication that you’ve been blocked.
You can rule out a possible WhatsApp glitch by trying to add them to an existing group, or create a group from scratch. If it’s not possible, and you’ve also noticed one of the signs above, the most likely explanation is that they’ve blocked you.
Can You Unblock Yourself on WhatsApp?
While you can’t technically unblock yourself, there are a couple of workarounds that may enable you to contact the person who has blocked you on WhatsApp.
But if someone did block you on WhatsApp, our first advice is to respect their decision and abstain from trying to contact them through other means. Try and wait it out. Once some time has passed, they may be willing to reconsider their decision and reinstate you on their own.
But there may be a time when you absolutely need to contact the person who blocked you. If you still share a common group together, you can try leaving a message with the hopes that they will see it.
Finally, since you’ve interacted with them on WhatsApp, you most likely have their number stored in your phone’s contact list. Yet, it is possible to message someone on WhatsApp without saving their number. If you do have it, however, consider calling their number from your device. But don’t be surprised if they blocked your phone number as well.
FYI: are incoming WhatsApp calls showing a black screen? Fix the issue after you check out our guide.
If, on the other hand, you are the one who’s being bothered by someone on WhatsApp, it may be helpful to know how to block someone on WhatsApp. Alternatively, check out how to view a WhatsApp status without the other party knowing.
Image credit: Pexels. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici
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