Block a contact directly in WhatsApp

To block a number on WhatsApp, open the app and find the contact you want to block. You can do this by going to the Chats tab and locating their name in your conversation list, or by opening your Contacts tab and finding them there. Once you have found the contact, press and hold their name until a menu appears with several options.

From that menu, select "Block" or "Block Contact" — the exact wording depends on whether you are using iPhone or Android, but the option will be clearly labeled. WhatsApp will ask you to confirm that you want to block this person. Tap the confirmation button, and the block is when ready active.

After you block someone, they can no longer send you messages, make calls to you, or see when you are online. They also cannot see your profile picture, status updates, or "last seen" information. The person you blocked will not receive a notification that you have blocked them, though they may eventually notice they cannot reach you.

Key Takeaways

  • Open WhatsApp, find the contact in your Chats or Contacts tab, press and hold their name, and select Block from the menu.
  • A blocked contact cannot send you messages, call you, or see your online status, profile picture, or last seen time.
  • The person you block will not be notified, but they may realize they cannot reach you when their messages do not go through.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings, finding the blocked contact in your blocked list, and selecting Unblock.
  • Blocking someone on WhatsApp does not delete your chat history with them — those messages remain in your app unless you delete the conversation separately.

Where to find your blocked contacts list

If you need to see who you have blocked or unblock someone later, WhatsApp keeps a list of all blocked contacts in your settings. On Android, open WhatsApp, tap the three-dot menu at the top right, go to Settings, then Account, then Privacy, and you will see "Blocked contacts." On iPhone, open WhatsApp, tap Settings at the bottom right, go to Privacy, then Blocked, and your list appears there.

From this list, you can tap any blocked contact and choose to unblock them. Unblocking someone restores their ability to message and call you, and they will be able to see your online status and profile information again. You can block and unblock the same person as many times as you need to.

What happens to your chat history when you block

Blocking someone does not automatically delete your conversation with them. All the messages you exchanged before the block remain in your chat list, and you can still read them. However, you will not receive any new messages from that person while they are blocked.

If you want to remove the conversation entirely, you need to delete it separately. Press and hold the conversation in your Chats tab and select Delete Chat. You will be asked whether you want to delete just the chat or the chat and media — choose based on whether you want to keep any photos or files from that conversation. Deleting the chat does not affect the block; the person remains blocked even after you delete the conversation.

Block someone from a group chat

You can block a group member the same way you block any other contact — find their name in your Contacts or in the group chat, press and hold it, and select Block. Blocking someone from a group does not remove them from the group itself, and they will continue to see group messages and participate in the conversation.

If you want to prevent someone from messaging you in a group, blocking is the right tool. If you want to remove them from the group entirely, you need to use the group settings instead. Open the group, tap the group name at the top, scroll down to the member list, press and hold the person's name, and select "Remove from group." Only the group creator or admins can remove members, depending on the group's settings.

Block a number you have not saved as a contact

If someone has messaged you on WhatsApp but you have not saved their number to your phone's contacts, you can still block them. Open the message thread from that person, tap their name or number at the top of the chat, and look for a Block option in the menu that appears. The exact location varies slightly between iPhone and Android, but the block option will be visible in their contact card.

Alternatively, you can save their number to your contacts first, then block them using the standard method. Either way, once they are blocked, they cannot send you further messages on WhatsApp.

Why someone might not appear in your blocked list

If you blocked someone but cannot find them in your blocked contacts list later, the most common reason is that you are looking in the wrong place. Double-check that you are in the correct settings menu — Settings > Privacy > Blocked on iPhone, or Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked contacts on Android.

Another possibility is that you blocked them through a different app by mistake. If you blocked their phone number through your phone's native call-blocking feature or through a different messaging app, that block would not appear in WhatsApp's blocked list. WhatsApp blocks are separate from phone-level blocks and blocks in other apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I have blocked them on WhatsApp?

WhatsApp does not send a notification when you block someone, so they will not receive an alert. However, they may figure it out if they try to message you and notice their messages are not being delivered, or if they cannot see your online status anymore. There is no way for them to know for certain without trying to contact you.

If I block someone, can they still see old messages I sent them?

Yes. Blocking prevents future communication but does not erase past messages. The person you blocked can still read all the messages you sent them before the block was active. If you want to remove those messages from their view, you would need to delete them individually using WhatsApp's delete feature, though this only removes them from your own chat.

What is the difference between blocking and muting a contact?

Muting a contact silences their notifications so you do not see alerts when they message you, but they can still send you messages and you can still see them. Blocking prevents them from contacting you at all. Muting is useful for contacts you want to stay connected to but do not want constant notifications from; blocking is for contacts you do not want to hear from.

Can I block someone and still be in a group chat with them?

Yes. Blocking a group member does not remove them from shared groups, and you will still see their messages in group conversations. If you want to avoid seeing their messages entirely, you would need to leave the group or mute it. Blocking only affects one-on-one communication with that person.

If I unblock someone, will they know?

No. Unblocking someone does not send them a notification. They will only know you unblocked them if they try to message you and the message goes through, or if you message them first. There is no way for them to see that you have unblocked them unless you tell them.