Blocking stops calls, texts, and FaceTime from someone you choose

When you block someone on iPhone, their calls and text messages go nowhere near your phone — they don't ring through, and you won't see notifications. FaceTime calls from that person also fail silently on their end. The blocked person can still leave voicemails, but those go to a separate folder you can delete without listening. They won't know they're blocked unless they try to call and hear a message saying the call couldn't go through, or they notice your status never updates on iMessage.

Blocking is different from muting or silencing notifications. When you mute someone, their messages and calls still come through, but your phone doesn't alert you. When you block, nothing reaches you at all. You can block contacts, phone numbers, email addresses, and people who message you through iMessage or FaceTime.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked calls and texts don't reach your phone or trigger notifications, but voicemails still go to a separate folder.
  • You can block someone from the Phone, Messages, FaceTime, or Contacts app, and the block applies across all of them.
  • A blocked person can still see your profile picture and status in iMessage, but their messages won't deliver and they'll see "Not Delivered" after a delay.
  • You can unblock someone at any time through Settings or the same app where you blocked them.
  • Blocking someone does not delete past conversations, photos, or call history with that person.

Block someone from the Phone app

Open the Phone app and go to the Recents tab at the bottom. Find the person you want to block, swipe left on their name, and tap the red circle with a line through it (the block icon). A menu appears asking you to confirm — tap "Block this Caller." That person's future calls will go straight to voicemail.

If you want to block someone who isn't in your recent calls, open Contacts, find their name, tap "Edit" in the top right, scroll down, and tap "Block this Caller." You can also block a number that called you by opening the call details and tapping "Block this Caller" at the bottom of the screen.

Block someone from Messages

Open the Messages app and find the conversation with the person you want to block. Swipe left on their name or message thread. A menu appears with options including a block icon (a circle with a line through it). Tap it, then confirm by tapping "Block Contact." Their future text messages won't deliver to you, and you won't see notifications.

If you want to block someone who messaged you but isn't a contact, open their message thread, tap their name or number at the top of the conversation, scroll down, and tap "Block this Caller." The same action blocks them from iMessage, SMS, and MMS.

Block someone from FaceTime

Open the FaceTime app and find the person in your Recents list. Swipe left on their name and tap the block icon (circle with a line through it). Confirm by tapping "Block Contact." They won't be able to call you on FaceTime, and their calls will fail on their end without ringing your phone.

You can also block someone from FaceTime by opening a call or message from them, tapping their name or number at the top of the screen, scrolling down, and tapping "Block this Caller."

Block someone from Contacts

Open the Contacts app, find the person's name, and tap "Edit" in the top right corner. Scroll down to the bottom of their contact card and tap "Block this Contact." Confirm the action. This blocks them across calls, messages, and FaceTime all at once.

This method is useful if you want to block someone before they contact you, or if you're blocking a contact you've saved but haven't heard from recently.

What happens after you block someone

When you block someone, their calls go to voicemail, their texts show "Not Delivered" after a few minutes, and their FaceTime calls fail. They can still leave voicemails, which appear in a separate "Blocked Messages" section in the Phone app that you can access or ignore. Their contact card stays in your Contacts app unless you delete it separately.

In iMessage, a blocked person can still see your profile picture and online status, but their messages won't deliver. After a delay, they'll see "Not Delivered" under each message they send. They may suspect they're blocked, but iMessage doesn't explicitly tell them.

Past conversations, photos, and call history with the blocked person remain on your phone. Blocking doesn't erase them. If you want to delete the conversation, you can swipe left on it in Messages or Phone and tap "Delete."

Unblock someone on iPhone

To unblock someone, open Settings and scroll down to find the app where you blocked them (Phone, Messages, or FaceTime). Tap that app, then look for a "Blocked Contacts" or "Blocked" option. Find the person's name and tap "Unblock" or swipe left and tap the unblock icon.

Alternatively, you can unblock someone from the same app where you blocked them. In the Phone app, go to Recents, swipe left on their name, and tap the unblock icon. In Messages, swipe left on their conversation and tap unblock. In FaceTime, swipe left on their name in Recents and tap unblock. In Contacts, open their card, tap "Edit," scroll down, and tap "Unblock this Contact."

Once you unblock someone, their calls and messages reach you again, and they can see your iMessage status updates. You won't receive notifications for messages they sent while you had them blocked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a blocked person tell they're blocked?

Not for certain. If they call, they hear a message saying the call couldn't go through, which might suggest a block. In iMessage, they see "Not Delivered" under their messages after a delay. But they won't get an explicit notification that you blocked them, and they could also assume your phone is off or you have Do Not Disturb on.

Do blocked voicemails still count toward my voicemail storage?

Yes. Voicemails from blocked contacts take up space in your voicemail inbox just like any other voicemail. You can listen to them or delete them from the Blocked Messages folder in the Phone app.

What if I block someone but they contact me from a different number?

Blocking applies only to the specific phone number or contact you blocked. If they call or text from a different number, you'll receive it normally. You can block multiple numbers from the same person if needed.

Does blocking someone delete our message history?

No. Your past conversations, photos, and attachments with that person stay on your phone. Blocking only stops new messages from reaching you. If you want to erase the conversation, you have to delete it separately.

Can I block someone without them being in my contacts?

Yes. You can block a phone number or email address that isn't saved as a contact. When they call or message you, tap their number or name and select "Block this Caller" from the options that appear.