Messages stay on both phones after you block someone
When you block someone on Snapchat, the messages you already sent and received do not disappear from your chat history. You will still see the conversation in your inbox, and the other person will still see it in theirs. Blocking stops new messages from reaching you going forward — it does not erase what came before.
This is different from deleting a conversation, which removes it from your own phone only. The other person's copy remains on their device. Blocking is about preventing future contact, not hiding the past.
Key Takeaways
- Messages sent before you block someone stay visible in your chat history on your phone and on theirs.
- After you block someone, they cannot send you new messages, but old ones remain readable by both of you.
- If you want to erase a conversation from your phone, you must delete it separately from blocking.
- The blocked person will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may notice they cannot message you.
- Unblocking someone does not restore deleted conversations — if you deleted the chat before unblocking, it stays gone.
What the blocked person sees and cannot do
When you block someone, they cannot send you new messages, snaps, or friend requests. If they try to message you, Snapchat will not deliver the message to you, and they will not receive a delivery confirmation. On their end, the message may appear to send normally at first, but it will not reach your inbox.
The blocked person can still see your username and profile if they search for you, but they cannot view your story, send you snaps, or see when you are active. They will not see a message saying "you are blocked" — instead, they will straightforward notice that messages do not go through and that they cannot add you as a friend.
How to delete a conversation separately from blocking
If you want to remove a conversation from your phone after blocking someone, you must delete it as a separate step. Open Snapchat, find the conversation in your inbox, press and hold it, and tap "Delete Chat." This removes the conversation from your phone only.
The other person will still have the conversation on their phone, and if you unblock them later, the conversation will not reappear on your device — it stays deleted. If you want to see the old messages again after deleting them, you would need to ask the person to send them to you again or take screenshots they may have saved.
What happens if you unblock someone later
Unblocking someone restores their ability to message you and send snaps, but it does not restore any conversations you deleted before unblocking. If you deleted the chat while they were blocked, that deletion is permanent on your phone. The other person's copy of the conversation remains on their device.
When you unblock someone, they will not receive a notification that you unblocked them. They will only know if they try to message you and the message goes through, or if they notice they can add you as a friend again.
Why Snapchat keeps old messages after blocking
Snapchat stores messages on both phones because the app treats each person's phone as the owner of their own copy of the conversation. When you block someone, you are controlling what can happen going forward, not rewriting what already happened. This design means you can still refer back to old messages if you need to remember what was said, even after blocking.
This also protects the other person's right to keep their own records. If blocking automatically erased messages from their phone, it would mean one person could destroy another person's data without their knowledge or consent. By keeping both copies separate, Snapchat leaves each person in control of their own phone.
Difference between blocking, deleting, and clearing cache
Blocking prevents new contact. Deleting a conversation removes it from your phone only. Clearing your Snapchat cache (in Settings under "Clear Cache") removes temporary files and old snaps that have already expired, but it does not delete your message history or affect blocking.
If you want to hide a conversation from view without deleting it, you can also archive it by swiping left on the conversation (on iPhone) or pressing and holding it and selecting "Archive" (on Android). Archived conversations stay on your phone but move out of your main inbox. The other person cannot see whether you archived them.
What to do if you regret blocking someone
If you blocked someone by mistake, you can unblock them through Settings. Tap your profile icon, go to Settings, select "Blocked," find the person's name, and tap the minus sign to unblock. They will be able to message you again when ready, though they will not know you unblocked them unless you tell them.
If you deleted the conversation before unblocking and now want to see those old messages, you will need to ask the person to share them with you or to resend them. There is no way to recover deleted conversations from Snapchat's servers on your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a blocked person see my old messages if they screenshot them?
Yes. If someone took screenshots of your messages before you blocked them, they will still have those images on their phone. Blocking does not erase screenshots they already saved. If you are concerned about what was said in old conversations, blocking only stops new messages — it does not protect old ones.
Will the blocked person know I deleted our conversation?
No. Deleting a conversation from your phone does not notify the other person or remove it from theirs. They will only know if you tell them or if they notice you do not respond to their messages.
Do blocked messages stay in my "pending" folder?
No. Messages from a blocked person do not appear anywhere in your Snapchat inbox — not in pending, not in a separate folder. They are straightforward not delivered to you. If you unblock the person, any messages they sent while you were blocking them will not suddenly appear.
If I block someone, then delete the app and reinstall it, will the block stay?
Yes. Your block list is stored on Snapchat's servers, not just on your phone. When you reinstall the app and log back in, all your blocks remain in place. You would need to manually unblock the person through Settings to restore contact.
Can I block someone without them seeing old messages I want to hide?
No. Blocking only stops new messages — it does not hide old ones from the other person. If you want to remove a conversation from your phone, you must delete it separately, but that only affects your phone. To truly prevent someone from seeing old messages, you would need to ask them to delete the conversation on their end, but you cannot force them to do so.