Block someone directly from a chat or their profile

Open Snapchat and find the person you want to block. You can reach them through your chat list, your friends list, or by searching their username. Once you find them, press and hold their name until a menu appears with several options.

Tap Block from that menu. Snapchat will ask you to confirm — tap Block again. The person is now blocked and cannot send you messages, see your stories, or add you as a friend. They will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may notice they can no longer find your profile or message thread.

If you change your mind later, you can unblock them the same way: find their name in your blocked list (in Settings > Blocked), press and hold, and tap Unblock.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking someone on Snapchat prevents them from messaging you, viewing your stories, or sending you friend requests, but they are not notified that you blocked them.
  • You can block someone from your chat list, friends list, or their profile by pressing and holding their name and selecting Block.
  • Blocked people cannot see that you blocked them, but they may notice they cannot find your profile or access your previous conversation.
  • You can view your full blocked list in Settings > Blocked and unblock anyone at any time.
  • Blocking is different from removing a friend — removing a friend lets them still see your public stories unless you block them separately.

What a blocked person can and cannot do

A blocked person cannot send you messages, view your stories (unless they are set to public), add you as a friend, or see your profile. If you had a conversation before blocking them, that chat thread remains in your inbox but they cannot send new messages to it.

They can still see your username if they search for it, but your profile will appear as if it does not exist — they cannot tap into it or see any of your content. If your stories are set to public, they may still see them through a public link or if someone else shares them, but they cannot view stories you send only to friends.

The difference between blocking and removing a friend

Removing a friend is not the same as blocking. When you remove someone as a friend, they can still see your public stories and send you messages unless you block them separately. Removing is gentler — the person may not realize you removed them.

Blocking is stronger: it cuts off all contact and hides your profile from them. Use removing if you straightforward want to clean up your friends list. Use blocking if you want to prevent someone from contacting you or viewing your content.

How to block someone who is not on your friends list

You can block someone even if you have never added them as a friend. Search for their username in Snapchat's search bar. When their profile appears, tap the three dots in the top right corner of their profile card. Select Block from the menu.

This is useful if someone is harassing you through a public profile or if you want to prevent a specific person from finding you before they send a request. The blocking process works the same way whether they are a friend or a stranger.

Viewing and managing your blocked list

To see everyone you have blocked, open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner. Tap the settings gear icon. Scroll down and tap Blocked. This shows a complete list of every person you have blocked.

From this list, you can tap any name and select Unblock to restore contact with that person. You can also block additional people directly from this screen by tapping the plus icon and searching for their username. There is no limit to how many people you can block.

What happens to old conversations after you block someone

Your chat history with a blocked person stays in your inbox, but they cannot send new messages to it. You can still read what they sent you before the block, but you cannot reply. If you unblock them later, the conversation reappears and they can message you again.

Blocking does not delete the conversation from your side — it only prevents new messages from coming through. If you want to remove the chat entirely, you can swipe left on it (on iPhone) or press and hold it (on Android) and tap Delete. This removes the conversation from your inbox but does not affect whether the person is blocked.

Blocking someone who keeps creating new accounts

If someone you blocked creates a new account and tries to contact you again, you can block the new account the same way. Search for their username, tap the three dots on their profile, and select Block.

Snapchat does not have an automatic feature that blocks all accounts from the same person, so you will need to block each new account individually as they appear. If someone is repeatedly creating accounts to harass you, take screenshots of the messages and report them to Snapchat through the app by tapping the three dots on their profile and selecting Report.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I blocked them?

Snapchat does not send a notification when you block someone. However, they may figure it out if they notice they cannot find your profile, cannot message you, or cannot see your stories. There is no way for them to know for certain from Snapchat itself.

Can I block someone and still see their stories?

No. Once you block someone, you cannot see their stories unless they are set to public and you access them through a direct link. You also cannot see their profile, username, or any content they share.

What if I block someone by accident?

Go to Settings > Blocked, find their name, tap it, and select Unblock. They will be able to message you and add you as a friend again when ready. Unblocking does not notify them — they will straightforward see that they can contact you again.

Can I block someone on Snapchat if they are not in my contacts?

Yes. Search for their username in Snapchat, tap the three dots on their profile, and select Block. You do not need to be friends with someone or have their contact information to block them.

If I block someone, will they see my old messages?

They can still see messages you sent them before you blocked them. Blocking only prevents new messages from being sent and received — it does not delete or hide old conversations on their end. If you want to remove a message you sent, you can long-press it and select Delete before blocking them.