Ensuring your online safety and privacy on WhatsApp means knowing how to block unwanted contacts. If you’re feeling harassed or plagued by spammy messages and calls on WhatsApp, the blocking feature is a handy tool for relief.
For those struggling with annoying spam calls, you might find our guide on auto-blocking spam calls on WhatsApp helpful.
Blocking someone on WhatsApp is a straightforward process, and if you ever change your mind, unblocking is just as simple. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, follow the steps below.
Blocking a Contact on WhatsApp:
- Launch WhatsApp. Select More options > Settings.
- Navigate to Privacy > Blocked contacts.
- Tap ‘Add.’
- Look up or select the contact you wish to block.
Things to Remember:
- If you swap phone numbers but keep your WhatsApp account, your list of blocked contacts remains intact. Read our article to understand how to use the change number feature.
- When creating a fresh WhatsApp account, remember to block desired contacts manually.
Alternate Methods to Block a Contact:
- Initiate a chat with the contact. Tap More > Block > Confirm Block. Optionally, you can also report the contact by selecting Report contact > Block.
- In a chat, tap the contact’s name > Block > Confirm Block.
Blocking an Unknown Number:
- Open the chat with the unfamiliar number.
- Tap Block. You have the option to report the number by choosing Report contact > Block.
Points to Consider:
- Contacts you’ve blocked can’t message or call you.
- Blocked contacts won’t see your last seen, online status, status updates, or any profile picture changes.
- Even after blocking, contacts remain in your address book, and you stay in theirs. To truly remove a contact, delete them from your phone’s contacts.
Unblocking a Contact:
- Inside WhatsApp, choose More options > Settings.
- Head to Privacy > Blocked contacts.
- Select the contact you want to unblock.
- Tap Unblock {contact’s name}. Both you and the unblocked contact can now freely message, call, and see status updates.
Additional Ways to Unblock a Contact:
- Search for the blocked contact, long press on their name, and then select Unblock {contact’s name}.
- Open the chat history with the contact. Scroll to the end and tap “You blocked this contact.” Then, tap to unblock.
