How blocking text messages works on your phone
Blocking a text sender stops their messages from reaching your phone and removes their texts from your inbox. On most phones, blocked messages disappear entirely — you won't see a notification, and the sender won't know they're blocked. The blocked person can still call you unless you block their number separately in your phone's call settings.
Where you block depends on your phone type. On iPhone, you block through the Messages app or Contacts app. On Android, the process varies by manufacturer — Samsung, Google Pixel, and other brands each have slightly different steps, though all reach the same result.
Blocking is different from muting or archiving. Muting silences notifications but leaves messages in your inbox. Archiving hides a conversation but doesn't stop new messages from arriving. Blocking actually prevents the messages from coming through at all.
Key Takeaways
- On iPhone, open the conversation, tap the contact name at the top, scroll down, and select "Block this Caller" — blocked messages won't appear in your inbox.
- On Android, the steps differ by phone maker: Samsung uses the three-dot menu in Messages, Google Pixel uses a similar menu, and other brands may require opening Contacts instead.
- Blocking stops incoming messages but doesn't notify the sender, and the person can still call you unless you block them separately in your phone's call app.
- You can unblock someone at any time through your phone's settings or by finding them in your blocked list and selecting "Unblock."
Blocking text on iPhone
Open the Messages app and find the conversation with the person you want to block. Tap their name or number at the top of the screen — this opens a contact card. Scroll down until you see "Block this Caller" and tap it. A confirmation message appears asking if you're sure; tap "Block Contact" to confirm.
The conversation stays in your Messages app, but all future texts from that number will be hidden. If you want to remove the conversation entirely, swipe left on it in your message list and tap "Delete."
To unblock someone on iPhone, open Settings, go to Messages, scroll down to "Blocked Contacts," find the person's name, and swipe left on it. Tap "Unblock."
Blocking text on Android (Samsung, Google Pixel, and others)
The exact steps depend on which Android phone you have, but the result is the same. On a Samsung phone, open the Messages app, find the conversation, tap the three-dot menu icon at the top right, and select "Block number." On a Google Pixel, the process is similar: open Messages, tap the conversation, tap the three-dot menu, and choose "Block."
On other Android phones, you may need to open the Contacts app instead. Find the contact, tap the three-dot menu next to their name, and look for "Block" or "Block contact." Some older Android versions require you to open the Phone app and block the number there.
To unblock on Android, go to Settings, find the Messaging or Contacts app settings, look for "Blocked numbers" or "Blocked contacts," find the person's name, and tap "Unblock."
What happens when you block someone
Once you block a number, that person's texts won't reach your phone. You won't see a notification, and the messages won't appear in your inbox or in the conversation thread. The blocked person doesn't receive a notification that they're blocked — their message simply fails to deliver, which may look like a regular send failure on their end.
The blocked person can still call you, and the call will ring through normally unless you've also blocked them in your phone's call settings. If you want to block calls from the same person, you'll need to block them separately in your Phone app (on iPhone) or Phone settings (on Android).
Blocking is one-way: if you block someone, they can still see your old messages to them, and they can still call you. They just can't send you new text messages.
Blocking unknown or spam numbers
If you're getting texts from an unknown number, you can block it the same way you'd block a contact. On iPhone, open the message, tap the sender's number at the top, and select "Block this Caller." On Android, open the message, tap the three-dot menu, and choose "Block number."
Many phones also have built-in spam filtering. On iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and turn on "Filter Unknown Senders" — this moves texts from people not in your contacts to a separate tab. On Android, most phones have a spam filter in the Messages app settings; check your phone's Messages app for a "Spam protection" or "Block" option.
Unblocking someone
You can unblock a person at any time. On iPhone, go to Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts, find the person's name, and swipe left, then tap "Unblock." On Android, the path varies: go to Settings, find your Messages or Contacts app settings, look for "Blocked numbers" or "Blocked contacts," find the name, and tap "Unblock."
Once you unblock someone, their texts will come through again. Old messages they sent while blocked won't reappear — only new messages sent after you unblock them will show up.
Blocking in third-party messaging apps
If you use WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, or another messaging app, blocking works differently than blocking regular text messages. In most apps, open the conversation with the person, tap their name or the three-dot menu, and look for "Block" or "Block user." The exact location varies by app.
Blocking in a third-party app only affects that app — it doesn't block their regular text messages or calls. If you want to block someone completely, you may need to block them in both your phone's native messaging system and in any third-party apps where you communicate with them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a blocked person tell they're blocked?
No. When someone texts a blocked number, the message typically fails to send, which looks like a regular delivery failure on their end. They won't receive a notification saying they're blocked, and they won't see a "blocked" status in the conversation.
Will blocked messages show up if I unblock someone?
No. Messages sent while someone was blocked are deleted and won't reappear when you unblock them. Only new messages sent after you unblock will come through.
If I block someone's number, can they still call me?
Yes, unless you block them separately in your phone's call settings. Blocking a text number and blocking a caller are two separate actions on most phones. You need to block them in both places if you want to stop both texts and calls.
What's the difference between blocking and muting a conversation?
Blocking stops messages from arriving at all. Muting silences notifications but leaves messages in your inbox — you'll still see their texts if you open the conversation. Muting is useful if you want to ignore someone temporarily without fully blocking them.
Can I block someone without deleting our conversation?
Yes. When you block someone, the conversation usually stays in your message list. You can delete it separately if you want, but blocking alone doesn't remove the old conversation history.