What the blocked person sees
When you block someone on Snapchat, they cannot see that you blocked them directly — Snapchat does not send a notification saying "you've been blocked." Instead, they encounter a series of barriers that make it clear something has changed, even if they don't know the exact reason.
The blocked person will see your username in their contacts list, but when they try to open your profile or send you a message, they get an error. If they search for your username, your profile will not appear in results. Any previous conversation thread between you remains in their chat history, but they cannot open it or send new messages to that thread. If they try to add you as a friend again, the request will fail silently — they won't get a confirmation that you accepted, and you won't see the request.
On Snapchat, blocking is more about preventing contact than about hiding. The blocked person knows something is wrong, but Snapchat's design leaves room for ambiguity — they might think you deleted your account, changed your username, or straightforward don't use the app anymore.
Key Takeaways
- Snapchat does not notify someone when you block them, but they will notice they cannot message you, find your profile, or see your story.
- Previous conversations remain visible to the blocked person, but they cannot send new messages in those threads.
- If the blocked person tries to add you again, the request disappears without confirmation, and they receive no notification.
- Blocking is different from removing a friend — removing someone lets them still see your public profile and send you messages, while blocking prevents both.
- The blocked person can still see snaps or stories you posted before the block if they saved screenshots or if those posts are still visible elsewhere.
The difference between blocking and removing a friend
Snapchat offers two separate actions: removing a friend and blocking. Many people confuse these because they have different effects on what the other person can see and do.
When you remove a friend, they stay in your contacts list, but they move to a "pending" status. They can still see your public profile, send you messages (which will appear as requests), and view your story if your privacy settings allow it. You will see their messages as requests rather than regular chats. Removing someone is quieter — they may not notice right away.
When you block someone, they cannot message you at all, cannot find your profile through search, and cannot see your story. The block is more complete. Use blocking when you want to cut off all contact; use removing when you want to pause a friendship but leave the door open.
What happens to old messages and snaps
Any messages or snaps you sent before blocking remain in the conversation thread on the blocked person's phone. They can still read those old messages and view those old snaps (if they haven't expired). However, they cannot reply to them or send you anything new in that conversation.
If the blocked person took a screenshot of your snaps before you blocked them, those screenshots stay on their phone. Snapchat's screenshot notification system — which normally alerts you when someone screenshots your snap — does not retroactively notify you about old screenshots. Once you block someone, you also stop receiving notifications if they screenshot anything you posted in the future.
Stories you posted before the block remain visible to the blocked person if your privacy settings allowed them to see stories at the time. After you block them, they cannot see any new stories you post.
How to block someone on Snapchat
Open Snapchat and go to your contacts list or find the person's profile. Press and hold their name until a menu appears. Select "Block" from the options. Snapchat will ask you to confirm — tap "Block" again. The block takes effect when ready.
You can also block someone from a conversation thread. Open the chat, press and hold the person's name at the top, and select "Block" from the menu. The result is the same either way.
If you block someone by accident, you can undo it within a short window by tapping "Undo" if the option appears. If that window closes, you will need to go to your blocked list, find the person's name, and tap "Unblock" next to their profile.
Can you block someone without them knowing you blocked them
Snapchat does not send a notification that says "you've been blocked," so in that technical sense, yes — they won't receive an alert. However, they will almost certainly figure it out when they try to contact you or search for your profile.
The experience is clear enough that most people recognize a block when they encounter one. They may not know for certain whether you blocked them, deleted your account, or changed your username, but they will know that something has changed and that they can no longer reach you. If they ask mutual friends or try to find you through other means, they may learn the truth.
If you are concerned about confrontation or retaliation, blocking is still the right move — it prevents them from contacting you directly, which is the main goal. The fact that they might eventually realize you blocked them is less important than the fact that they cannot message you while you figure out your next step.
What happens if you unblock someone later
When you unblock someone, they do not receive a notification that you unblocked them. However, they can now search for your profile again, send you messages, and see your story (depending on your privacy settings). The old conversation thread reappears in both your chats and theirs, with all the previous messages still there.
Unblocking does not automatically re-add them as a friend. If they were your friend before the block, they remain in a removed or pending status after you unblock them. You will need to add them back as a friend if you want to restore that connection, or they can send you a friend request.
There is no record or notification of the block itself — once you unblock someone, it is as if the block never happened, at least from Snapchat's perspective. The person may remember that they were blocked, but Snapchat will not remind them.
Blocking versus reporting someone
Blocking and reporting are two separate tools that do different things. Blocking prevents someone from contacting you and seeing your profile. Reporting tells Snapchat that the person has violated the app's terms of service — for example, by sending harassment, threats, or explicit content.
You can block someone without reporting them if you straightforward want them to stop contacting you. You can also report someone without blocking them, though blocking is usually the better first step for your own safety. If someone is harassing you, threatening you, or sending unwanted explicit content, both blocking and reporting are worth doing. Reporting gives Snapchat a chance to investigate and take action against the account; blocking protects you when ready.
Snapchat's reporting system is separate from blocking, so the company will not automatically know that you blocked someone. If the behavior is serious — threats, harassment, or illegal content — report it through the app's report feature so that Snapchat's safety team can review it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will they know I blocked them if they try to message me?
They will know something has changed when their message fails to send, but Snapchat does not tell them the specific reason. They may assume you deleted your account, changed your username, or stopped using the app. Most people figure out they have been blocked after trying a few times and noticing the pattern.
Can a blocked person still see my story?
No. Once you block someone, they cannot see any new stories you post. However, they can still see stories you posted before the block if your privacy settings allowed them to see stories at that time. Stories expire after 24 hours, so older stories will disappear on their own.
What if I block someone and then they create a new account?
Snapchat does not automatically block new accounts created by someone you have already blocked. If the person creates a new account and adds you, you will see them as a new contact. You can block the new account the same way you blocked the original one. If someone is repeatedly creating accounts to contact you after you have blocked them, that behavior may violate Snapchat's terms of service, and you can report it.
Does blocking someone delete our conversation?
No. The conversation remains in both your chat history and theirs. You can still read old messages and snaps. However, neither of you can send new messages in that thread once the block is in place. If you unblock them later, the conversation reappears and you can message again.
Can I block someone and still see their story?
No. When you block someone, you cannot see their profile, their story, or any of their activity on Snapchat. Blocking works both ways — they cannot see you, and you cannot see them.