When you block someone on Snapchat, they can no longer message you, see your stories, or find your account through search
Blocking on Snapchat is when ready and one-way. The person you block cannot send you snaps, chats, or calls. They cannot see your Stories, Bitmojis, or location if you use Snap Map. If they try to search for your username, your account will not appear in their results. However, blocking does not delete past conversations — those remain on your device until you manually clear them.
The blocked person will notice something is wrong when they try to contact you or search for you, but Snapchat does not send them a notification saying "you have been blocked." They will see error messages like "couldn't find this person" or "couldn't send this message," which may or may not make it obvious that you blocked them rather than deleted your account.
Key Takeaways
- A blocked person cannot message you, call you, see your Stories, or find your account through search.
- Snapchat does not notify the blocked person that you blocked them, but they will notice when messages fail to send or your account disappears from search.
- Past conversations with the blocked person stay on your phone unless you delete them manually.
- If you unblock someone later, the old conversation history does not reappear — you start fresh.
- Blocking is different from removing a friend: removing a friend keeps you both able to message, but blocking cuts off all contact.
How to block someone on Snapchat
Open Snapchat and go to your Friends list. Long-press (or press and hold) the name of the person you want to block. A menu will appear with options including "Block." Tap "Block" and confirm when Snapchat asks you to verify. That is all — the block takes effect when ready.
You can also block someone from a conversation. Open the chat with that person, swipe left on their name (on iPhone) or long-press their name (on Android), and select "Block." The result is the same either way.
What the blocked person experiences
If the blocked person tries to send you a snap or message, they will see "couldn't send this message" or a similar error. If they search for your username, your profile will not appear. If they had you added as a friend before, your name will disappear from their Friends list. They may see a message saying "couldn't find this person" if they try to view your profile directly.
Snapchat does not tell them why — the error messages are the same whether you blocked them, deleted your account, or changed your username. Some people figure out they have been blocked by trying multiple times and noticing the pattern, but many straightforward assume the account is gone.
What happens to your old conversations
Messages and snaps you sent before blocking remain on your phone in the conversation thread. The blocked person cannot see them, but you can still scroll back and read what was said. If you want to remove the conversation entirely, you can delete the chat thread — swipe left on the conversation (iPhone) or long-press it (Android) and select "Delete."
Deleting a conversation is separate from blocking. You can delete a conversation with someone you have not blocked, and you can keep a conversation visible while that person is blocked. The choice is yours.
Unblocking and what happens next
If you unblock someone later, they can message you and search for you again. However, the conversation history does not automatically reappear in your chat list. You will have to add them as a friend again if you want to message them, and it will feel like a fresh start — you will not see the old messages unless you had saved them or taken screenshots.
The blocked person will not be notified that you unblocked them. They will only know if they try to search for you again and your account appears, or if you message them first.
Blocking versus removing a friend
Removing a friend is different from blocking. When you remove a friend, they stay able to message you and search for you — you just take them off your Friends list. When you block someone, you cut off all contact. If you want to stay connected but just do not want them on your Friends list, remove them instead. If you want to stop all communication, block them.
You can remove a friend by long-pressing their name and selecting "Remove Friend." You can also block and then unblock someone if you want to clear the friendship without a permanent block, though this is less common.
Why Snapchat does not notify the blocked person
Snapchat's design keeps blocking quiet because the company prioritizes the blocker's privacy and safety. If Snapchat sent a notification every time someone blocked you, people could use blocking as a harassment tool — blocking and unblocking repeatedly just to upset someone. By keeping it silent, Snapchat makes blocking a tool for ending contact without drama.
This also means you can block someone without them knowing when ready, which gives you space if you are trying to distance yourself from someone. They may figure it out eventually, but you do not have to have a conversation about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a blocked person see my old messages?
No. Once you block someone, they cannot see any of your messages, snaps, or Stories — past or future. The conversation remains on your phone, but they cannot access it from their end. If they had screenshots of your messages, those remain on their device, but they cannot see the original conversation in Snapchat.
Will they know I blocked them?
Snapchat does not send a notification, but they will figure it out if they try to message you or search for you and get errors. They may not know when ready, but repeated failed attempts will make it clear something is wrong. Some people assume the account was deleted rather than blocked.
Can I block someone without them seeing my last message?
If you block them before they open a snap you sent, they will not see it — snaps disappear after viewing, and a blocked person cannot view anything you send. However, if they already opened the snap, they saw it. Blocking does not erase messages they have already read.
What if I block someone by accident?
You can unblock them when ready. Go to your Settings, select "Blocked," find their name, and tap "Unblock." They will not be notified, and you can message them again right away. The old conversation will not reappear, but you can start fresh.
Does blocking someone on Snapchat block them on other apps?
No. Blocking on Snapchat only affects Snapchat. They can still message you on Instagram, text you, call you, or contact you through any other platform. If you want to block them everywhere, you will need to block them on each app separately.