Unblocking a person on Facebook removes the restrictions you placed on them

When you block someone on Facebook, they cannot see your profile, send you messages, or find you in search results. If you change your mind, you can unblock them at any time. Unblocking restores their ability to contact you and view your public posts, but it does not automatically re-add them as a friend — you will both need to send friend requests again if you want to reconnect.

The unblock process takes less than a minute and happens entirely in your Facebook settings. Facebook does not notify the person that you have unblocked them, though they may notice they can suddenly see your profile again if they search for you.

Key Takeaways

  • You can unblock someone by going to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Blocking, and clicking Unblock next to their name.
  • Unblocking someone does not re-add them as a friend or restore old messages — it only removes the block.
  • Facebook does not tell the person you unblocked them, but they will be able to find and contact you again.
  • You can block and unblock the same person as many times as you need to.

Steps to unblock someone on Facebook

Open Facebook and click the downward arrow in the top right corner of any page. Select Settings and Privacy, then click Settings. On the left side menu, scroll down and click Blocking.

You will see a list of people you have blocked under the heading "Blocked people." Find the person you want to unblock and click the Unblock button next to their name. A confirmation window will appear asking if you are sure — click Unblock again to confirm. The person is now unblocked and can see your profile and send you messages.

What happens after you unblock someone

Once you unblock someone, they regain access to your profile the same way any Facebook user would. They can see your public posts, send you a friend request, and send you a message if you are not already friends. However, unblocking does not restore your friendship — if you were friends before you blocked them, you will need to add each other as friends again.

Old messages between you and the blocked person do not reappear automatically. If you had a conversation before blocking them, those messages remain deleted from your inbox. The person on the other end may still have the conversation in their own message history, but you will not see it unless they send you a new message.

Unblocking on mobile devices

The process is nearly identical on Facebook's mobile app. Open the app and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu) in the bottom right corner. Tap Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Scroll down and tap Blocking, then find the person you want to unblock and tap Unblock.

On both iPhone and Android, the confirmation step is the same — you will see a popup asking you to confirm the unblock before it takes effect. After you confirm, the person is unblocked when ready.

Reasons you might want to unblock someone

People unblock others for many reasons. You may have blocked someone in anger and later decided to give them another chance. You might have blocked a family member during a conflict and now want to reconnect. Sometimes you block someone by mistake or realize the block was too harsh a response to a minor disagreement.

You might also unblock someone because you need to contact them for a practical reason — to coordinate plans, share information, or resolve a misunderstanding. Unblocking does not obligate you to be friends with them or interact with them regularly; it straightforward removes the technical barrier between your accounts.

Blocking someone again if needed

If you unblock someone and later decide you want to block them again, you can do so at any time using the same settings. Go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right, and select Block. Alternatively, you can go back to Settings and Privacy > Settings > Blocking and search for their name to block them again.

There is no limit to how many times you can block and unblock the same person. Facebook does not penalize you for changing your mind, and the process is always reversible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I unblocked them?

No. Facebook does not send a notification when you unblock someone. However, they may notice they can suddenly see your profile again if they search for you or try to visit your page. There is no way for them to know for certain that you unblocked them rather than, for example, changing your privacy settings.

Do old messages come back when I unblock someone?

No. Messages you deleted before or after blocking someone remain deleted. If you want to see old conversations, you would need to ask the person to share screenshots or resend the messages. New messages can flow freely once you unblock them.

If I unblock someone, are we friends again?

No. Unblocking only removes the block — it does not restore a friendship. If you were friends before you blocked them, you will both need to send friend requests to reconnect. If you were never friends, unblocking straightforward allows them to send you a friend request.

Can I unblock someone on Facebook Messenger?

You can unblock someone from Messenger, but it is easier to do it from the main Facebook settings. In Messenger, find the conversation, tap and hold it, then select Unblock. This unblocks them on both Messenger and Facebook at the same time.

What if I cannot find the person in my blocked list?

If you blocked someone a long time ago, you may have forgotten their exact name. Try typing part of their name in the search box on the Blocking page. If you still cannot find them, they may have changed their name or deleted their account. You can only unblock people who still have active Facebook accounts.