Blocking stops another account from finding you, messaging you, or seeing your videos

When you block an account on TikTok, that person cannot search for your profile, view your videos, comment on your posts, or send you direct messages. They will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but if they try to visit your profile directly, they will see a message saying the account is not available. Blocking is different from muting (which hides their content from your feed but lets them still see yours) or unfollowing (which removes them from your following list but keeps the connection open).

The block takes effect when ready. If the blocked person tries to message you through a conversation you already had, they will see that the message did not go through. They can still see your old comments on public videos or posts they made before the block, but they cannot interact with anything new you post.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking prevents someone from viewing your profile, messaging you, or commenting on your videos, and takes effect right away.
  • The blocked person will not get a notification that you blocked them, but they will see an error if they try to visit your profile.
  • You can block someone from their profile page, from a comment they left, or from a direct message conversation.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to your privacy settings and finding them in your blocked list.

How to block someone from their profile

Open TikTok and search for the account you want to block, or navigate to their profile if you already follow them. Tap the three dots in the top right corner of their profile page. A menu will appear with several options. Select "Block" from that menu.

A confirmation message will appear asking if you are sure you want to block this account. Tap "Block" again to confirm. The block is now active, and that account cannot see your profile or interact with your content.

How to block someone from a comment or message

If someone has left a comment on one of your videos that you want to block them for, tap the three dots next to their comment. A menu will appear with options including "Block user." Select that option and confirm when prompted.

You can also block someone directly from a direct message conversation. Open the conversation with that person, tap the three dots in the top right corner of the chat, and select "Block user." This will block them and remove the conversation from your inbox.

What happens after you block someone

Once you block an account, they will no longer appear in your followers list, and you will no longer appear in theirs. Any direct messages between you will still exist in your chat history, but they will not be able to send new messages to you. If they try, the message will fail to send on their end.

The blocked person can still see comments you made on public videos before the block was put in place, but they cannot reply to those comments or interact with anything you post going forward. They also cannot tag you in videos or mention you in captions.

How to unblock someone

If you change your mind about blocking someone, you can unblock them at any time. Go to your profile by tapping the person icon at the bottom right of the screen. Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner to open your menu, then select "Settings and privacy."

Scroll down and tap "Privacy." Then tap "Blocked accounts." You will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Find the account you want to unblock and tap the X next to their name. Confirm when prompted. That account can now see your profile and interact with your content again.

The difference between blocking, muting, and unfollowing

Blocking is the strongest action you can take against an account. Muting is gentler — when you mute someone, their videos will not show up in your For You page or following feed, but they can still see your profile and comment on your videos. You can mute someone by tapping the three dots on their profile and selecting "Mute," or by holding down on one of their videos and selecting "Mute this account."

Unfollowing removes someone from your following list, but they can still see your public videos and comment on them. They will not know you unfollowed them. If you want to stop seeing someone's content but do not want to block them completely, muting is usually the right choice. If you want to remove them from your following list but stay on good terms, unfollowing is the option to use.

What to do if someone keeps trying to contact you after being blocked

If a blocked account creates a new account to message you or comment on your videos, you can block the new account the same way you blocked the first one. TikTok does not automatically prevent someone from making a new account, so you may need to block multiple accounts from the same person.

If the harassment continues or becomes threatening, you can report the account to TikTok. Tap the three dots on their profile or on a comment they left, select "Report," and choose the reason that best describes the problem. TikTok reviews reports and may remove accounts that violate their community guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I blocked them?

They will not get a notification saying you blocked them, but they will figure it out if they try to visit your profile and see an error message. They may also notice they can no longer find you in search or see your videos in their feed.

Can I block someone without them seeing my profile first?

Yes. You can search for someone and block them from their profile page without ever following them or letting them know you looked at their account. TikTok does not notify people when you view their profile.

What if I block someone by accident?

You can unblock them right away by going to Settings and privacy, then Privacy, then Blocked accounts. Find their name and tap the X next to it. They will be able to see your profile again when ready.

Does blocking someone delete our old messages?

No. The messages stay in your chat history, but the blocked person cannot send you new messages or see that you read their old ones. You can still read the old messages yourself.