When you block someone on WhatsApp, their profile and last seen status will appear differently to you compared to an active contact. Blocking prevents the other person from viewing your last seen, profile photo or about info. It also stops any messages sent by them from getting through.
Does blocking delete chat history?
No, blocking does not delete the chat history. All previous messages exchanged with the contact will still be available in your chat screen. The only difference is you will not receive any new messages from a blocked contact.
What happens when you block someone on WhatsApp?
Here are the key changes that take place when you block a contact on WhatsApp:
- You will no longer receive any calls or messages from the blocked contact.
- Any messages sent by the blocked contact will not go through and they will not be notified about it.
- The blocked contact will no longer be able to view your profile photo, last seen status or about info.
- You will not be able to make video or voice calls to the blocked contact.
- If you are in a common WhatsApp group, the blocked contact remains in the group.
- The blocked contact may still be able to message other group participants about you.
- You can still mention or reply to messages by the blocked contact in group chats.
In essence, blocking someone on WhatsApp is like removing their ability to get in touch with you through calls, messages or your online status. It works only one way, and the blocked contact will not know they have been blocked by you.
How does a blocked contact appear in your contacts list?
When you block someone in your WhatsApp contacts, their name and number will remain in your contacts list. However, their profile picture will change to a generic silhouette icon.
The placeholder profile photo lets you easily identify blocked contacts vs active contacts in your list. If you block a number that’s not saved in your phonebook, the profile icon will show just a phone number instead of a name.
Does the blocked contact’s last seen show up?
Normally, WhatsApp shows the last time your contacts were active on the app under their names in the chat list. However, if you block someone, their last seen status will no longer be visible to you.
It will only show “You blocked this user” instead of the last seen time. This prevents you from seeing any details about the blocked contact’s activity on WhatsApp.
Can a blocked contact see your last seen?
No, when you block someone on WhatsApp, you also automatically hide your last seen and online status from them.
So if you have blocked a contact, they will no longer be able to see your:
- Last seen
- Profile photo
- About status
- Online indicator
This gives you complete privacy from the blocked contact. Of course, you can change the privacy settings for your last seen, profile photo and about section in your WhatsApp settings as usual.
Does blocking remove chat history for both sides?
No. Blocking someone only removes the chat history from your side, but the blocked contact still retains the entire message history.
So if you unblock the contact later, all previous chats will become visible to you again. The blocking is not reciprocal, so your chat history remains available to the contact you’ve blocked.
Can I find out if someone has blocked me on WhatsApp?
There is no definitive way to find out if someone has blocked you on WhatsApp. You will not get a notification if blocked by another user.
But here are some signs that likely indicate you have been blocked:
- Your messages to the contact consistently show just one checkmark and never get delivered.
- Calls you make to the contact go straight to voicemail.
- You cannot see the contact’s profile photo, last seen status or online indicator.
- You are missing messages in a group chat that involve the contact.
- You are suddenly removed from a common WhatsApp group with the contact.
While not guaranteed, the above scenarios point to a likely blocking by the other user. There is no way to be 100% sure apart from asking the contact directly.
What happens when you unblock someone on WhatsApp?
Unblocking a contact restores communication both ways. Here’s what happens when you unblock someone on WhatsApp:
- They will be able to message and call you again.
- You can message and call them as usual.
- Your profile photo, last seen and online status become visible to them again.
- You can see their profile photo, last seen and online status again.
- If you are in common groups, you will be able to interact with them normally.
- The chat history from before blocking becomes visible to you again.
In effect, unblocking reverses the blocking restrictions and brings things back as they were before the contact was blocked.
Can I block someone without them knowing?
Yes, when you block a contact on WhatsApp, they do not receive any notification that they have been blocked. The block works only one way – it prevents them from contacting you but does not notify them of the block.
Some signs like messages not delivering or your last seen missing can indicate to the contact that they may have been blocked. But there is no message or alert confirming the block.
Will a blocked contact see my messages in group chat?
If you and the blocked contact are both participants in the same WhatsApp group, they will still be able to see and respond to messages posted by you in the group.
Blocking only prevents 1-to-1 communication between you and the blocked user. Both of you will remain visible to each other in common group chats.
Can I mention a blocked contact in group chat?
Yes, you can still mention or reply to a blocked contact within a common WhatsApp group. Since blocking is limited to your personal chat only, the blocked user remains a regular participant in the group from everyone else’s perspective.
Your messages mentioning the blocked contact will be visible to other group participants, including the blocked user. They can also mention you in their group chat replies.
What happens if I get added to a group with a blocked contact?
If someone else adds you and a blocked contact to the same new group, you will both remain participants in that group.
Blocking is limited to your personal chat only, so both of you will be able to remain in the group and view each other’s messages there.
Can I report a contact I’ve blocked on WhatsApp?
Yes, you can still report a contact on WhatsApp even after blocking their number. Here is how you can report a blocked contact:
- Open your Blocked Contacts list in WhatsApp Settings.
- Tap on the blocked contact you want to report.
- Tap Report Contact > Report Spam or Report Something Else.
- Select a reason for reporting and tap Report.
WhatsApp does not reveal who reported a contact. Your identity and report reason remains private.
How do I find my list of blocked contacts on WhatsApp?
You can view your list of blocked contacts and unblock them as needed in WhatsApp Settings:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy.
- Tap on Blocked Contacts.
- Here you will see the full list of all numbers you have blocked.
- Tap on a contact to unblock them.
From your blocked contacts list, you can also tap on a contact’s name to report them if needed.
Can I block someone without blocking their calls?
Unfortunately no, on WhatsApp you cannot block someone from messaging without also blocking their calls. The block restricts both calls and messages from the contact.
However, you can block a number on your phone settings or network provider level. This will allow you to block calls but still message them on WhatsApp if needed.
Can I block a contact on WhatsApp without deleting chat history?
Yes, when you block a contact in WhatsApp, it prevents any further messaging without deleting the existing chat history.
So you can block a contact to stop future communications but still retain the chat logs, media, files etc. shared so far. The saved chats remain accessible if you unblock the contact later.
Conclusion
Here are the key points on how blocking works on WhatsApp:
- Blocking prevents any calls or messages from reaching you.
- Chat history is not deleted after blocking a contact.
- You can no longer view a blocked contact’s profile, last seen or online status.
- They will not be able to see your profile, last seen or online status.
- You can still see and interact with a blocked contact in common groups.
- Blocking happens privately without notifying the blocked user.
- You can find blocked contacts and unblock them in WhatsApp Settings.
In summary, blocking someone on WhatsApp gives you unilateral control to restrict messaging and calls from a contact. While not deleting chat history, it lets you avoid further communication until you decide to unblock them again.