When you block someone on Snapchat, they can no longer see your profile, send you messages, or view your stories
Blocking on Snapchat removes that person's access to your account immediately. They cannot message you, call you, see your Snap Map location, or view any stories you post. If you had an existing conversation, the chat thread stays on your screen but theirs disappears — they'll see an error message if they try to open it. The block is one-way: you won't see their messages or stories, but they can still see yours if they use a different account or if a mutual friend shares your content.
The blocked person will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they'll figure it out quickly when they try to message you or search for your profile. Your username will not appear in their search results, and any attempt to contact you will fail silently.
Key Takeaways
- A blocked person cannot message you, call you, see your stories, or find your profile through search.
- Existing conversations disappear from the blocked person's chat list, but remain visible on your screen.
- The block is one-way — you won't see their content, but they can still view yours through other accounts or shared content.
- Snapchat does not send a notification when you block someone, but they will realize it when they cannot reach you.
- You can unblock someone at any time, which restores their ability to message and find you, but does not restore old conversations.
How to block someone on Snapchat
Open Snapchat and go to your Friends list. Find the person you want to block, then press and hold their name until a menu appears. Tap "Block" from the options shown. A confirmation screen will ask you to confirm — tap "Block" again to finish.
Alternatively, you can block someone from a conversation. Open the chat with that person, swipe left on their name, and tap the block icon (a circle with a slash through it). This method is faster if you're already messaging with them.
You can also block someone from their profile. Search for their username, tap their profile, and look for the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner. Select "Block" from the menu. All three methods produce the same result — the person loses access to your account immediately.
What the blocked person experiences
When someone tries to message you after being blocked, they'll see a message that says "Couldn't send" or "Failed to send." If they search for your username, your profile won't appear in the results. If they had you added as a friend before the block, you'll disappear from their Friends list without explanation.
Any group chats you're both in will still show your messages, but they cannot reply to you directly or start a new conversation with you. If you post a story to a group or to "Everyone," they can still see it if they're in that group or if the story is public — blocking only prevents direct contact and profile access, not content visibility in shared spaces.
If they try to call you on Snapchat, the call will not go through. They won't hear a "busy" signal or get a rejection message — the call simply fails to connect.
How to unblock someone
Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner. Select "Settings" (the gear icon), then scroll down and tap "Blocked." You'll see a list of everyone you've blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and tap the "X" next to their name, then confirm the action.
Unblocking restores their ability to message you, find your profile, and see your stories going forward. However, it does not restore any conversations that disappeared when you blocked them — those chats are gone permanently. The person will not be notified that you unblocked them, but they'll be able to find and message you again.
Blocking versus other privacy options
Snapchat offers other ways to control who contacts you without fully blocking someone. You can remove someone from your Friends list without blocking them — they can still message you and see your public stories, but they won't see your private stories or Snap Map location. You can also change your privacy settings so only friends can message you, or turn off Snap Map visibility for specific people.
If you want to hide your story from one person without blocking them, open your story settings, tap "Custom Story," and choose which friends can see it. This keeps the person on your Friends list but prevents them from viewing that specific story. Blocking is the most complete option if you want no contact at all; these other settings work better if you want to stay connected but set boundaries.
What happens to group chats when you block someone
If you and the blocked person are in a group chat together, the conversation remains in your chat list and you can still see all messages — including theirs. However, they cannot see your messages in that group, and you cannot message them directly. This can create confusion in group conversations, so it's worth considering whether blocking is the right choice if you're in active group chats together.
If you block someone and then later add them back to a group chat, they'll be able to see messages from that point forward, but not the history from before you unblocked them. The blocked person also cannot add themselves back to a group chat you're in — only someone who isn't blocked can add them.
Blocking on Snapchat versus other platforms
Snapchat's blocking works differently than blocking on Instagram or Facebook. On Snapchat, blocking is more about preventing contact than hiding your past activity — old messages disappear from their view, but they can still see your public stories if they're in a group with you. On Instagram, blocking hides your profile, posts, and stories completely from the blocked person's view, even in group settings.
Snapchat also doesn't notify the blocked person the way some other apps do. They have to discover the block by trying to contact you. This can feel less confrontational, but it also means they might keep trying to reach you without understanding why you're not responding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I blocked them on Snapchat?
Snapchat doesn't send a notification, but they'll figure it out when they can't find your profile, their messages fail to send, or you disappear from their Friends list. There's no way to block someone secretly — they'll realize it within a few attempts to contact you.
If I block someone, can they still see my stories?
Not if the story is set to Friends only. If your story is set to "Everyone" or to a Custom list that includes them, they can still see it. Blocking only prevents them from finding your profile and messaging you directly — it doesn't hide public content shared in groups.
Will blocking someone delete our chat history?
The conversation stays on your screen, but it disappears from theirs. You can still scroll back and read what was said, but they see an empty chat or an error message if they try to open it. The messages are not deleted from Snapchat's servers, but they're hidden from the blocked person's view.
What happens if I block someone by accident?
Go to Settings, tap "Blocked," find their name, and tap the "X" to unblock them. They'll be able to message you again immediately. They won't know you blocked them by accident — unblocking just restores normal contact.
Can I block someone without them knowing?
You can block them without a notification, but they'll discover it quickly when they try to reach you. There's no way to hide a block completely — the only way to avoid them knowing is to not block them at all.