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How to Block Someone on WhatsApp: A Guide for Android, iPhone, Jio Phone

How to Block Someone on WhatsApp: A Guide for Android, iPhone, Jio Phone

Wondering how to block a contact on WhatsApp? Whatever the reason, here’s a guide on how to do so.

By Tasneem Akolawala | Updated: 10 April 2020 09:27 IST

How to Block Someone on WhatsApp: A Guide for Android, iPhone, Jio Phone

WhatsApp for Android has the Blocked contacts option in Settings

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Highlights

Messages, calls, and status updates of blocked contacts won’t show up
You can unblock the user anytime you want, easily
Blocked contact will not be able to see your last seen or status update

WhatsApp has become an integral part of our lives over the years. It has become our daily communication driver, and is now helping manage communications for businesses as well. Once considered just an instant messaging app, it has transformed itself into an effective tool for communication via video, audio, and even GIFs. WhatsApp is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. However, every once in a while you might come across someone whom you would avoid interacting with. Whatever the reason may be, there can be a few users you don't want to hear from, and there's an easy way to block them on WhatsApp Messenger.

While it is rather easy to block a person on WhatsApp, there are a few things to note. Once you block a person, you will stop receiving messages, calls, and status updates from that specified person. Furthermore, your last seen, online, status updates, and any changes made to your profile photo will no longer be visible to contacts you've blocked. It is also important to remember that blocking a contact on WhatsApp doesn't remove them from your contacts list, nor will it remove you from the list on the contact's phone. To delete a contact, you must delete the contact from your phone's address book. Also, if you unblock the user in the future, you won't receive any messages, the contact sent you during the time they were blocked or get notified of their past calls or status updates.

Now that you know what happens when you block or unblock someone on WhatsApp. Here's a step by step guide on how to block a contact on WhatsApp. This guide includes steps for WhatsApp on several platforms – Android, iPhone, WhatsApp Web, Desktop App, and even KaiOS. We have also thrown in steps to unblock the contact as well, just in case you have a change of heart.

How to block someone on WhatsApp for Android

Here's how you can block a contact on WhatsApp for Android

Head to WhatsApp, click on the ‘three dots' on the top right of the screen.
Tap on Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked contacts.
Hit the ‘Add' button and search for the contact you want to block.
Separately, you could also go to the chat of the contact that you want to block, click on the ‘three dots' icon on the top right.
Select More and hit Block to block the contact.
If you haven't added the number of the sender in your contact list, a ‘Block' button shows up right in the chat. You could select the option and block the contact immediately.
If you identify the contact as spam, you also you have the option to tap Report and Block instead, which will report and block the number.

How to unblock a contact on WhatsApp for Android

Head to WhatsApp, click on the ‘three dots' on the top right of the screen.
Tap on Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked contacts.
Click on the contact you want to unblock > Tap Unblock.
Alternatively, you can search for the contact you blocked > tap and hold the contact > tap Unblock.

WhatsApp for iPhone

Here's how you can block a contact on WhatsApp for iPhone

Head to WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Privacy.
Select Blocked > click on the Add New option.
Search for the contact you wish to block, tap on the contact.
Alternatively, you can open the chat box with the contact, tap on the contact name > select Block Contact > Block or Report and Block
You can also swipe left the chat with the contact in your Chats tab, then tap More > Contact Info > Block Contact > Block or Report and Block.
If you want to block an unknown phone number, open the chat and tap Block > Block.
If you receive chat from an unknown phone number, then tap the phone number > Block Contact > Block or Report and Block.

Here's how you can unblock a contact on WhatsApp for iPhone

Head to WhatsApp, tap Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked > swipe left on the contact's name to unblock.
Alternatively, tap Edit > the red minus sign icon > tap Unblock.
Furthermore, you can also open the chat with the contact, then tap the contact's name > Unblock Contact.
Swipe left the chat with the contact in your Chats tab, then tap More > Contact Info > Unblock Contact.

WhatsApp for KaiOS

WhatsApp is also supported on select phones running KaiOS 2.5.1+, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2.

Here's how you can block a contact on WhatsApp for Jio Phone or Jio Phone 2

Head to WhatsApp, select Options > Settings > Account.
Click on Blocked > select the Add new... option
Search for or select the contact you want to block > select Block.
Alternatively, you can also select the chat with the contact in your chats list, then press Options > View contact > Block > Block.
Open a chat with the contact, then press Options > View contact > Block > Block.
If you want to block an unknown number, go to the chat window, press Options > View contact > Block > Block.

Here's how to unblock a contact on WhatsApp for Jio Phone or Jio Phone 2

Head to WhatsApp, select Options > Settings > Account > Blocked.
Select the contact you want to unblock > press unblock.
Alternatively, you can also select the chat with the contact in your chats list, then press Options > View contact > Unblock.

WhatsApp Web

Here's how you can block a contact on WhatsApp Web

Open WhatsApp Web on your browser > click on the ‘three dots' icon on the top right of the chats feed
Click on Settings > Blocked > Add Blocked Contact.
Search for the contact you want to block and select it.
Alternatively, you can head to the chat of the contact, click on the name, select Block.
If you want to block an unknown number, go to the chat window, press Contact Info > Block > Block.

Here's how you can unblock a contact on WhatsApp Web

Open WhatsApp Web on your browser > click on the ‘three dots' icon on the top right of the chats feed
Click on Settings > Blocked > Select contact you want to unblock from the list.
Alternatively, you can head to the chat of the contact, click on the name, select Unblock.
If you want to unblock an unknown number, go to the chat window, press Contact Info > Unblock.

WhatsApp for Desktop app

Here's how to block a contact on WhatsApp for Desktop app

Open WhatsApp for Desktop app on your computer > click on the ‘three dots' icon on the top right of the chats feed.
Click on Settings > Blocked > Add Blocked Contact.
Search for the contact you want to block and select it.
Alternatively, you can head to the chat of the contact, click on the name, select Block.
If you want to block an unknown number, go to the chat window, press Contact Info > Block > Block.

Here's how to unblock a contact on WhatsApp for Desktop

Open WhatsApp for Desktop app on your computer > click on the ‘three dots' icon on the top right of the chats feed
Click on Settings > Blocked > Select contact you want to unblock from the list.
Alternatively, you can head to the chat of the contact, click on the name, select Unblock.
If you want to unblock an unknown number, go to the chat window, press Contact Info > Unblock.

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Further reading: WhatsApp, WhatsApp for Android, WhatsApp for iPhone, WhatsApp for KaiOS, WhatsApp for iOS, WhatsApp Web, WhatsApp for Desktop, WhatsApp Block Contacts