Yes, you can silence one person's messages and calls without blocking them

iPhone lets you mute notifications from a specific contact while keeping their messages and calls coming through — you just won't hear the sound or see the banner pop up on your screen. The contact won't know they're muted, and you can check their messages whenever you want. This is different from blocking, which prevents them from reaching you at all.

The method depends on which app the person uses to reach you. Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls each have their own mute settings. You can also mute notifications from a single contact in third-party apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, though the steps vary slightly.

Key Takeaways

  • You can mute notifications from one contact in Messages, FaceTime, or Phone without blocking them or letting them know.
  • Muting a contact in Messages hides their notification sounds and banners but still delivers their texts to your inbox.
  • You can set different mute rules for different people — some silent, some with sound, some with only important notifications.
  • Muting is reversible at any time, and the contact will never receive a notification that you muted them.

How to mute one person in Messages

Open the Messages app and find the conversation with the person you want to mute. Press and hold on their name or the conversation thread — don't tap it, press and hold until a menu appears. Tap Hide Alerts. That's it. Their messages will still arrive in your inbox, but you won't hear a sound or see a banner notification when they text.

To turn notifications back on for that person, open the same conversation, press and hold again, and tap Show Alerts. The setting is per-conversation, so if you have multiple threads with the same person, you'll need to mute each one separately if you want them all silent.

How to mute one person in FaceTime

Open FaceTime and find the person's name in your Recents list. Press and hold on their name until a menu appears. Tap Mute Notifications. You won't hear a sound or see a notification when they call or try to FaceTime you, but the call will still come through — you just won't be alerted to it.

If you want to unmute them, press and hold their name again and tap Unmute Notifications. Like Messages, this setting is tied to that specific contact in your Recents, so the mute won't carry over if you delete the call history.

How to mute one person's phone calls

For regular phone calls, the process is slightly different. Open the Phone app and go to Recents. Find the person you want to mute, tap the i icon next to their name, and scroll down to find Hide Alerts. Tap it. Their calls will still ring through to your phone, but you won't hear the ringtone or see a notification banner.

To restore notifications for their calls, tap the i icon again and tap Show Alerts. Note that this only affects calls from that contact — text messages from them will still notify you normally unless you've also muted them in Messages.

Muting notifications in WhatsApp, Telegram, and other apps

Third-party messaging apps have their own mute controls. In WhatsApp, open the Chats tab, press and hold the conversation, tap the speaker icon with a slash through it, and choose how long to mute (8 hours, 1 week, or always). In Telegram, swipe left on the conversation, tap Mute, and select your duration.

These apps usually let you mute for a set time rather than permanently, so the notifications will turn back on automatically after the period ends. If you want to unmute before that time is up, use the same menu and select Unmute. Check the app's settings if you can't find the mute option — some apps hide it in a different menu depending on the version.

The difference between muting and blocking

Muting stops notifications but the person can still reach you. They can text, call, or FaceTime, and their messages will arrive normally — you just won't be alerted. Blocking prevents them from contacting you at all. Their calls go straight to voicemail, their texts don't arrive, and they can't see your online status.

Muting is useful when you want to avoid constant notifications from someone but still need to be able to read their messages later. Blocking is for when you don't want contact at all. If you're not sure which one you need, start with muting — it's easier to undo, and the person won't know anything has changed.

What happens when you mute someone

When you mute a contact, your phone stops playing the notification sound and stops showing banner alerts on your lock screen or home screen. The message or call still arrives in your app — it's just silent. If you open Messages, FaceTime, or Phone, you'll see their conversation or call history as normal.

The contact will never know they're muted. They won't receive any notification or message saying you've silenced them. From their perspective, everything looks the same. If they're waiting for a response, they might wonder why you're not replying, but they won't know it's because you've muted their notifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I mute someone for just a few hours instead of permanently?

In Messages and FaceTime, muting is permanent until you unmute them. However, in WhatsApp and Telegram, you can choose to mute for 8 hours, 1 week, or always. If you need temporary silence in Messages, you'll have to manually unmute the contact when you're ready to hear from them again.

Will the person know I muted them?

No. Muting is completely invisible to the other person. They won't receive any notification, and there's no way for them to tell from their end that you've silenced their alerts. Your read receipts and online status work the same whether they're muted or not.

If I mute someone in Messages, are their FaceTime calls also muted?

No. Each app has its own mute setting. If you mute someone in Messages, their texts will be silent, but their FaceTime calls will still notify you normally. You need to mute them separately in FaceTime if you want their calls silent too.

Can I mute group chats?

Yes. In Messages, press and hold a group conversation and tap Hide Alerts just like you would for a one-on-one chat. This mutes all notifications from that group, not just from one person in it. If you want to silence only one person in a group, you'll need to use a different approach — there's no built-in way to do that.

What if I accidentally unmute someone?

Just mute them again using the same steps. There's no limit to how many times you can toggle muting on and off, and the contact won't be notified of the change.