Blocking a contact on your Mac stops them from calling, texting, and FaceTiming you

When you block someone on a Mac, that person can no longer reach you through the Phone app, Messages, or FaceTime. Their calls go straight to voicemail without ringing your device. Text messages and FaceTime requests straightforward do not arrive. The blocked contact will not receive a notification that they are blocked — the call or message will appear to them as if it went through normally, but you will never see it.

Blocking works at the operating system level, which means it applies across all Apple apps on that Mac. If you block someone's phone number, they cannot reach you by phone or text. If you block their email address, they cannot reach you by FaceTime or Messages over email. You can block the same person using both their number and their email if they have both in your contacts.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Phone, Messages, or FaceTime app, find the contact or conversation, right-click it, and select "Block This Caller" or "Block This Contact."
  • You can also block someone by opening Contacts, selecting their name, clicking the info button, scrolling to "Block This Caller," and confirming.
  • Blocked contacts remain in your Contacts app but are marked as blocked; you can unblock them at any time using the same steps.
  • Blocking only affects your Mac — if you use an iPhone or iPad, you must block the contact separately on each device.
  • A blocked contact will not know they are blocked; calls and messages will appear to go through on their end, but you will not receive them.

Blocking someone through the Phone app

Open the Phone app on your Mac. Look for the contact's name or phone number in your recent calls, or search for them using the search box at the top. Once you find them, right-click on their name or number and select "Block This Caller" from the menu that appears. A confirmation window will pop up — click "Block" to confirm.

If the person is already in your Contacts app, you can also block them from there. Open Contacts, find their name, and click the info button (the small circle with an "i" on the right side of their entry). Scroll down until you see "Block This Caller" and click it. Confirm the action when prompted.

Blocking someone through Messages

Open the Messages app and find the conversation with the person you want to block. Right-click on their name or the conversation thread and select "Block This Contact" from the menu. A confirmation window will appear — click "Block" to finish.

If you want to block them before they have messaged you, open Contacts, find their name, click the info button, and select "Block This Contact." This prevents them from sending you messages even if they have never messaged you before.

Blocking someone through FaceTime

Open FaceTime and locate the contact you want to block in your recent calls or contacts list. Right-click on their name and select "Block This Contact." Confirm when the window appears.

You can also block someone from FaceTime by opening Contacts, selecting their name, clicking the info button, and choosing "Block This Contact." This single action blocks them from calling you on FaceTime, texting you, and calling you through the Phone app.

Where to find your list of blocked contacts

Your blocked contacts are not hidden in a separate list on your Mac. Instead, they remain in your Contacts app with a "blocked" status. To see who you have blocked, open Contacts and search for the person's name. When you click on their entry and open their info, you will see "Block This Caller" or "Block This Contact" as an option — if it appears as a button you can click, they are not currently blocked. If it appears grayed out or says "Unblock," they are blocked.

The easiest way to check if someone is blocked is to try to call or message them. If you cannot find them in your recent calls or messages, or if their name does not appear when you search, they may be blocked. You can also open System Settings, go to your Apple ID account, and check iCloud settings if you want to see a full list, though this is not the most straightforward method.

Unblocking a contact

To unblock someone, open Contacts and find their name. Click the info button, scroll down, and look for "Unblock This Caller" or "Unblock This Contact." Click it and confirm. The person will when ready be able to reach you again through calls, texts, and FaceTime.

You can also unblock someone by opening the Phone, Messages, or FaceTime app, finding their name in your recent list, right-clicking, and selecting the unblock option if it appears. Once unblocked, they will not receive any notification — they straightforward regain the ability to contact you normally.

Blocking does not sync across your devices

If you own an iPhone, iPad, and Mac, blocking someone on your Mac does not automatically block them on your other devices. You must block them separately on each device. This means someone you have blocked on your Mac can still call or text your iPhone.

If you want to block someone across all your Apple devices, open each device and repeat the blocking steps. Your Mac, iPhone, and iPad each maintain their own block lists. This is different from other settings like contacts or calendar events, which sync automatically through iCloud.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person I block know they are blocked?

No. When you block someone, their calls go to voicemail and their messages do not arrive, but they will not receive a notification saying they are blocked. On their end, it may appear as if the call or message went through normally, or they may assume your phone is off or you are not responding.

Can I block someone without having them in my Contacts?

Yes. You can block a phone number or email address directly from the Phone, Messages, or FaceTime app without adding them to Contacts first. Right-click on their name or number in your recent calls or messages and select the block option.

What happens to old messages from someone I block?

Messages you received before blocking someone remain in your Messages app and are not deleted. You can still read them, but new messages from that contact will not arrive. If you unblock them later, new messages will come through again.

Can I block someone by their email address instead of their phone number?

Yes. If someone contacts you through FaceTime or Messages using their email address, you can block that email address. Open Contacts, find their entry, click info, and block them. This prevents them from reaching you through that email address specifically.

If I block someone, will they see that I have read their old messages?

No. Read receipts do not explore to blocked contacts. If you have read receipts turned on in Messages, a blocked contact will not see that you have read their previous messages, and you will not see their read receipts either.