WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, with over 2 billion users. With such a huge userbase, there are bound to be some contacts you want to block from time to time. Blocking someone on WhatsApp prevents them from viewing your last seen, profile photo, status, and sends their messages to your spam folder automatically. However, blocking is not always permanent. You may later decide to unblock the contact. This raises the question – can a contact see if you block and unblock them on WhatsApp? Let’s find out.
Can someone know if you block them on WhatsApp?
If you block someone on WhatsApp, they are unable to see your last seen, profile photo, status, or send you messages. Any messages they send will not be delivered and they will see just one check mark indicating the message was sent, but not delivered.
However, WhatsApp does not directly notify users when they are blocked. The blocked contact cannot see that you have blocked them. But there are some signs that indicate to them that they may have been blocked:
- Inability to see your last seen, profile photo, or status updates
- Only one check mark for messages they send, meaning you did not receive them
- Calls go directly to voicemail or are not completed
- Any messages sent remain unread
So while they are not directly informed, an observant user may be able to deduce they have been blocked based on these signs. But most blocked contacts are unlikely to be sure and may just assume you are offline or unavailable if they do not see the signs consistently.
Can someone know if you unblock them on WhatsApp?
If you decide to unblock a contact after blocking them, WhatsApp again does not directly notify them. However, there are some signs they may notice that will indicate they have been unblocked:
- They can suddenly view your last seen/profile photo again
- They see two blue check marks when you receive their messages
- They can complete calls to you that previously did not go through
- You may respond to their messages that went unanswered before
So unlike being notified about being blocked, the user will also not get any message saying they have been unblocked. Your last seen/photo suddenly becoming available again or messages being delivered are the main signs. Most users who notice this change may assume you have unblocked them.
However, someone who is not actively using WhatsApp or messaging you frequently may never notice the changes that indicate they have been unblocked. They would remain unaware unless they check your profile or try to call you.
When does WhatsApp notify a blocked contact?
WhatsApp provides no notifications directly to a blocked contact, either when they are blocked or unblocked. The only way WhatsApp officially notifies a blocked user is:
- If you block a contact who has your number saved in their address book, WhatsApp will send an automatic message from your number saying “You’re blocked” the first time they try to message you.
- If you delete your WhatsApp account after blocking a contact, that contact will receive an automatic message saying “You’re no longer contacts with [your number] on WhatsApp.”
Aside from these two scenarios where blocked contacts get automatic messages from WhatsApp, there are no other notifications sent when you block or unblock someone.
Does blocking remove the chat history?
When you block someone on WhatsApp, your entire chat history with them is deleted automatically after a few days/weeks.
However, any media files or documents exchanged in the chat are not removed. They remain saved in your WhatsApp media gallery even though the messages are gone. You have to manually delete the media files to remove them completely.
If you unblock the contact later, the chat history does not reappear. Any past messages remain deleted after unblocking. You will have to start a fresh chat history.
So blocking and unblocking does remove chat history over time. But media files are retained unless removed manually.
Can I find out who blocked me on WhatsApp?
There is no official way to find out for sure who has blocked you on WhatsApp, since the platform does not provide any notification. However, there are some tips you can try to narrow down who may have blocked you:
- See whose last seen/profile photo is no longer visible
- Identify contacts who have not read/responded to your recent messages
- Try calling contacts and see whose calls do not go through or go to voicemail
- Send a message and see who does not show two blue ticks for receiving it
- Ask friends if they can still view the profile/status of the suspected blocker
Doing this can help you shortlist the WhatsApp contacts who may possibly have blocked you. However, you cannot know for 100% sure without confirmation from the other user. Several things like inactive status, internet issues, or phone off can also cause similar signs.
Should I inform a contact if I block or unblock them?
It is not mandatory by any means to inform contacts when you block or unblock them on WhatsApp. The platform does not require it. However, in some cases it may be wise to let the user know:
- If blocking someone you know well for a specific reason, you may want to inform them to avoid misunderstandings later.
- For contacts you want to temporarily block and then unblock, informing them reduces confusion over your inaccessible status.
- If permanently ending communication with someone, informing them provides closure.
- When unblocking, informing them you are resuming contact explains the change.
So while not always necessary, based on the situation and your relationship with the contact, letting them know directly could prevent problems down the line in some cases.
Can I find out if I’m blocked by someone on WhatsApp?
Since WhatsApp does not directly notify you, it is tricky to know for sure if someone has blocked you. Some signs that may indicate you are blocked include:
- Their last seen and profile photo is not visible to you
- Your messages only show one tick and remain unread
- Your WhatsApp calls to them do not go through
- Seeing messages you send them being delivered to a group you share but not to them individually
- Asking a mutual contact if they can still view the person’s profile/last seen
However, these signs can also happen if the user is offline or having connection issues. So it does not necessarily confirm you are blocked, but may indicate it as a possibility if the signs persist.
Unfortunately there are no foolproof methods within WhatsApp itself to find out if you are blocked by someone. The only way to know 100% is if the user confirms to you directly that they have blocked you.
What happens when you block someone on WhatsApp?
Here are all the key things that happen when you block a contact on WhatsApp:
- Your messages to them will not be delivered and you will see just one tick
- You will be unable to see their profile photo, last seen, status, and any updates
- They will be unable to view your profile photo, last seen, status, and updates
- You will stop receiving any messages or calls from the blocked contact
- If you have each other’s numbers saved, they will receive a one-time “You’re blocked” message from your number when they try to message you
- The chat history and call log with the blocked user will be cleared after a few weeks/months
- Shared groups will not show the blocked person’s messages and activity to you
Essentially, blocking cuts off all direct communication between you and the contact in both directions.
What happens when you unblock someone on WhatsApp?
When you unblock a contact on WhatsApp, here are the key things that happen:
- Both of you regain access to view each other’s last seen, profile picture, status and updates again
- You will start receiving messages and calls from the contact after unblocking
- The contact will be able to receive the messages you send again
- If you had called logs and chat history earlier, they will remain deleted even after unblocking
- Calls and messages between you will function normally as they did before blocking
- In shared groups, you will be able to see their messages and updates again
So unblocking fully restores communication in both directions again between you and the contact by default.
Conclusion
WhatsApp provides no explicit notifications when you block or unblock someone. However, based on changes in your visibility and messaging/calling ability, a keen user can deduce they have been blocked or unblocked. While not foolproof, there are some signs you can watch out for to determine possible blocking by others or vice versa. But ultimately, the only 100% confirmation is if the user directly informs you themselves that they have blocked or unblocked you.
WhatsApp Blocking and Unblocking Table
| Action | Effect on You | Effect on Contact |
|---|---|---|
| You block contact | – Can’t see their profile, status – Your messages remain undelivered – Can’t receive messages/calls from them |
– Can’t see your profile, status – Their messages remain undelivered – Receives one-time “You’re blocked” message from your number |
| You unblock contact | – Can view profile/status again – Can receive messages/calls again |
– Can view your profile/status again – Can send messages/calls again |
| Contact blocks you | – Can’t see their profile, status – Your messages remain undelivered |
– Can’t see your profile, status – Receives no notification from WhatsApp |
| Contact unblocks you | – Can view profile/status again – Can send messages/calls again |
– Can view your profile/status again – Receives your messages/calls again |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp notify someone if you remove them from your contacts?
No, WhatsApp does not directly notify a user if you remove them from contacts. They may notice if your number is no longer saved in their contacts, but will not get any in-app message from WhatsApp about it.
Can you tell if someone deleted you on WhatsApp?
There is no definite way to know within WhatsApp if someone deletes your number from their contacts. Some signs that may indicate it include disappearance of your chat history with them or your profile/DP no longer being visible to them. But these signs are not conclusive.
Does blocking someone on WhatsApp delete the chat?
Yes, blocking someone will clear your entire chat history with them after a few weeks/months automatically. Media files exchanged will remain saved. Unblocking later does not restore deleted chats.
Can I get blocked on WhatsApp without knowing?
Yes, it is possible to be blocked by someone on WhatsApp without realizing since the platform does not send any notification to a blocked user. Only if you notice your messages going undelivered can you deduce being potentially blocked.
Do blocked contacts on WhatsApp know they are blocked?
No, WhatsApp does not directly inform a contact that they have been blocked. But observant users may deduce they have been blocked based on not being able to see your status updates or messages remaining undelivered.
Conclusion
In summary, while WhatsApp provides no explicit notifications, it is possible for keen users to deduce if they have been blocked or unblocked based on changes in their messaging ability and visibility of your status/profile. Notifying contacts directly gives them definite confirmation about your blocking actions. While tricky with no foolproof way to check, you can also look for potential signs like undelivered messages to determine if someone has blocked you. But the only 100% way to confirm being blocked is if the user informs you directly outside of WhatsApp.