If I Block Someone on iPhone, Will They Know?

Last updated on November 6th, 2026 at 02:11 pm

No. When you block someone on your iPhone, Apple doesn’t send them any notification, and nothing on their phone says “blocked”. They may work it out over time, though: their calls go straight to voicemail, and their iMessages stop showing Delivered. Here’s exactly what they see, how to block someone, and how to check or undo it.

Applies to: iPhone with iOS 26 or iOS 18. The steps are similar on older versions.

What the blocked person sees

• Phone calls: the call usually rings once or not at all, then goes to your voicemail. Your iPhone doesn’t ring or show the call.
• Voicemail: they can still leave one. It’s saved in a Blocked Messages section at the bottom of your voicemail list, and you don’t get a notification.
• iMessages: their message looks sent, but it never shows Delivered underneath. You don’t receive it.
• Text messages (SMS, MMS, RCS): on their side the message looks sent normally. It isn’t delivered to you.
• FaceTime: the call rings out on their end without being answered. You don’t see it.
• Email: if you also block their email address in Mail, their emails go straight to your Trash.

Blocking only stops them reaching you on your iPhone and your other Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account. It doesn’t remove them from your contacts, and it doesn’t block them in WhatsApp, Instagram or other apps, which have their own block settings.

Can they still tell you blocked them?

There’s no way for them to know for sure, but they may suspect it if:

• Every call goes to voicemail over several days.
• Their iMessages stay blue but never say Delivered, even though they did before.

All of these also happen when a phone is off, out of signal or in Do Not Disturb, so none of them proves anything. Because none of these prove anything, it helps to know what Delivered means on an iPhone.

How to block someone

From a call, message or contact

1. Open Phone > Recents, a conversation in Messages, or the person’s card in Contacts.
2. Tap the Info button (i) or the person’s name at the top.
3. Scroll down and tap Block Caller (or Block this Caller).
4. Tap Block Contact to confirm.

This blocks all their phone numbers and email addresses saved on that contact card.

From Settings

1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Blocked Contacts on iOS 26. On iOS 18, go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Blocked Contacts.
2. Tap Add Blocked Contact (or Add New) and choose the person.

See who you’ve blocked, and unblock someone

1. Go to the Blocked Contacts list in Settings, using the path above.
2. Tap Edit.
3. Tap the red minus button next to the person, then Unblock.

After you unblock someone, you won’t receive calls or messages they sent while they were blocked. Those are gone, except voicemails in Blocked Messages.

Other ways to stop unwanted contact

• Mute a conversation: swipe left on it in Messages and tap the bell icon. You still get the messages, without alerts, and the other person can’t tell.
• Silence unknown callers: turn on Silence Unknown Callers to send calls from numbers not in your contacts straight to voicemail.
• Screen unknown callers: with call screening, your iPhone asks callers who they are before it rings.
• Filter unknown senders: in Settings > Apps > Messages, turn on Screen Unknown Senders (called Filter Unknown Senders on older versions) to move texts from unknown numbers to a separate list.

Troubleshooting

A blocked number still gets through

The person may be calling from a different number, a hidden number or an app such as WhatsApp. Block the new number too, and turn on Silence Unknown Callers for withheld numbers. Android users who want to keep their own number private can hide their caller ID on Samsung and Pixel phones. For texts from strangers, a gentler option is to let Messages screen unknown senders into a separate list without blocking anyone.

I still see their messages in a group chat

Blocking doesn’t remove anyone from group conversations, so you may still see their messages there. Mute the group or leave it if it has enough members.

Blocked messages appear on my Mac or iPad

Make sure those devices are signed in to the same Apple Account and up to date. Blocked contacts sync across your Apple devices.

Frequently asked questions

If I block someone, can they still see my texts?

Yes. Blocking doesn’t delete your past conversation from their phone, and you can still send them messages, although they can’t reply to you.

Does blocking someone delete their messages on my iPhone?

No. Your earlier conversation stays until you delete it.

Will they know if I unblock them?

No. Unblocking is silent too. Their next call or message gets through as normal.

Unwanted email can be stopped too: you can block an email address in Yahoo Mail.