What Happens When You Block Someone on WhatsApp
Here's what happens when you block someone on WhatsApp: they can no longer message or call you, and your last seen, online, status updates and profile photo changes are hidden from them. The chat stays in your list, nothing is deleted, and they stay in your contacts.
As for whether they're told: WhatsApp's help center doesn't describe any block notice. For people worried about it, its blocking page points to the "Being blocked by someone" article, which lists only indirect signs and says WhatsApp can't tell anyone whether they've been blocked.
What blocking changes
Here is each effect, from WhatsApp's pages on blocking.
| What | After you block them |
|---|---|
| Their messages | They can no longer send you messages |
| Their calls | They can no longer call you |
| Your last seen and online | Hidden from them |
| Your status updates | Hidden from them (but see below for older ones) |
| Your profile photo changes | Hidden from them |
| The chat on your phone | Stays in your chat list |
| Your contact list | They aren't removed from it, and you aren't removed from theirs |
| Shared groups | You still see each other's messages |
On your side you see "You blocked this contact. Tap to unblock." under their name and in the chat. WhatsApp adds that they won't see this banner.
Will they know?
WhatsApp's help pages don't say that a blocked person is notified, and they don't promise they won't find out. What the pages describe is a set of changes the other person may see:
- Their messages to you show one grey tick and never a second.
- They don't see your blue ticks for new messages.
- Calls they place don't go through.
- They don't see your status, last seen, online, or profile photo updates.
WhatsApp lists those same signs on its page for people who think they've been blocked, and says they can also be due to other reasons and that it can't tell anyone whether they've been blocked. So a blocked person gets hints, not a message. We compare the signs in how to know if someone blocked you on WhatsApp, and the one-tick part in what one tick means.
Are the messages deleted?
No. WhatsApp says the existing chat remains in your chat list. If you want it gone from the list you can delete the chat or archive it. The help center also suggests taking screenshots or backing up your chat history first if you want a copy.
Deleting a chat on your phone doesn't remove it from theirs; the details are in does deleting a WhatsApp chat delete it for the other person.
Messages they send while you're blocked don't arrive later. WhatsApp's unblock note says that if you unblock someone, you won't receive any messages, calls or status updates the sender sent during the time they were blocked.
Status posted before the block
Timing matters here. WhatsApp says users can't see your status after you've blocked them, but they can see a status you posted before you blocked them. Likewise you can see a status they posted before the block, and it disappears within 24 hours. You won't see their future updates.
Blocking and shared groups
Blocking doesn't remove anyone from a group. The help center says blocking a contact won't stop them seeing your messages in a group you both participate in, and you'll see theirs. It also asks people not to take part in groups with people they don't want to communicate with.
Other group points:
- You can't block a group. Instead, you can exit the group and block its admin.
- A blocked person can't see if you're online specifically, but if your privacy setting is Everyone, you can still be counted in the group online count.
- If you want them out of a group, an admin has to remove them. See removing someone from a WhatsApp group.
Block vs block and report
Blocking stops contact. Reporting sends WhatsApp information. They're separate choices, and you can do both at once.
When you report, WhatsApp receives up to five of the last messages they sent you and, if a call took place, basic info about the last five calls, such as who started it and how long it lasted. The reported user or group isn't notified of the report. Reporting alone doesn't stop their messages, so block as well if you want that. The full picture is in what happens when you report someone on WhatsApp.
How to block and unblock
Android, from the chat:
- Open the chat and tap More options (three dots) > More > Block > Block.
- Uncheck Report to WhatsApp if you don't want to report them.
Android, from settings: More options > Settings > Privacy > Blocked contacts (or Privacy > Contacts > Blocked accounts), then tap the add icon and pick the contact.
iPhone: open the chat, tap the contact's name, then tap Block [name] > Block. Or go to Settings > Privacy > Contacts > Blocked > Add New. Tapping Block and report shares the last 5 messages in the chat with WhatsApp.
To unblock on Android, go to More options > Settings > Privacy > Contacts > Blocked contacts, tap the person and tap Unblock. On iPhone, open Settings > Privacy > Contacts > Blocked, swipe left on the name and tap Unblock. Whether they're told is not documented. More in how to unblock someone on WhatsApp.
Blocking a business asks for a reason. If someone contacts you from a new number, WhatsApp says you can block and report each new number. Your blocks carry over if you move to a new number with Settings > Account > Change number, but if you set up a new WhatsApp account you have to block those contacts again.
Where Tenashi fits
On a business number, blocking is for the customer who keeps sending abuse. The decision needs a record: who said what, and who handled it. If it lives on one phone, the next person to hold the phone knows nothing about it.
Blocking happens in WhatsApp itself; Tenashi can't block, report or unblock a contact for you. What it does is keep the conversation in the shared inbox with the contact's profile, labels and internal notes, so your team can write down why a number was blocked. Messages on your own connected business number are stored from the day you connect it. For keeping proof, see WhatsApp customer abuse evidence, and for the bigger picture our guide to WhatsApp for business.
Plans start at $18/mo. Get started.
FAQ
If I block someone on WhatsApp, will they know?
WhatsApp's help pages don't say they're notified, and don't say they aren't. They describe what changes for the blocked person: their calls don't connect, their messages stay on one tick, and your last seen, online, status and photo changes disappear. WhatsApp says those signs can have other causes.
If I block someone on WhatsApp, what do they see?
Anything new they send you stays on one grey tick, and their calls don't connect. They can't see your last seen, online, new status updates or profile photo changes. In a group you both belong to, they still see your messages. You see a "You blocked this contact" banner; WhatsApp says they don't.
If I block someone on WhatsApp, will the messages be deleted?
No. The existing chat stays in your chat list, and the person stays in your contacts. You can delete or archive the chat yourself. Messages they send while you're blocked won't be delivered to you after you unblock them.
If I block someone on WhatsApp, can they call me?
No. WhatsApp says blocked contacts and numbers can no longer call you or send you messages. From their side, calls they place don't go through. If they contact you from a new number, you can block and report that number too.
What happens when you block someone on WhatsApp in a group?
Nothing changes inside the group. Blocking doesn't remove anyone, and you still see each other's messages there. You can't block a group itself. You can exit the group and block its admin, or ask an admin to remove the person.
Blocking ends contact but keeps the history. If your team needs one shared record of why a number was blocked, get started with Tenashi.