Signs You've Been Blocked: How to Detect If Someone Has Blocked Your Number

Any unexplained inability to communicate with another person using a mobile device probably means they have blocked the number. Aside from the functional reasons, knowing if you have a blocked number is a great way to determine where you stand with that person. The reason they have opted to drop communication may not be immediately apparent, and while it is not alright to invade their privacy and try to contact them without their consent, there are a few ways to confirm you have been blocked. The method to determine if you've been blocked depends on the device both of you are using, which mainly falls under Android or Apple.

How can you tell if a person has blocked you on an Android device?

Here are some methods to determine if someone has blocked you on an Android device:

Text messages are not being delivered 

When one sends a  text message,  and it fails to be delivered to the recipient, or there is no notification for its delivery, the receiver most likely did not get the text. It means there is a high potential that yours is a blocked number. That said, this does not automatically mean the number has been blocked, considering that failed message delivery can occur in problematic network areas that take more than the usual delivery time. The best thing to do if you start with this option is to confirm it with another approach or go ahead and contact the receiver and ask them if they blocked your number. 

Check the Status of Their Number in Your Contact List

When calls go to voicemail or messages continuously fail to be delivered, there is another way to check without asking the person if they have blocked your number directly. 

●     Go to the Contacts App on your Android mobile device and search for the person’s number. 

●     Select and copy the number

●     Navigate to the three dots at the screen corner and select ‘Delete.’ 

●     Close the Contacts app and then reopen it

●     Type in the name or the number of the person if you have it on hand into the search parameter of the app

A search for the person’s name or number should show it as a suggested contact. If that is not the case, then the person has likely blocked your number. 

User Unavailable Message

Getting an automated ‘User Unavailable’ message when trying to call the person is a good sign that the person has blocked your number. 

Calls Go Straight to Voicemail

This is not the most foolproof way of proving a blocked number because this happens for many reasons. It could be that the individual is unavailable at the time or resides in an area with problematicmobile networks.  Alternatively, depending on their lifestyle choices, they often operate with their phones off. However, if you find that calls are always going to voicemail and there is no other apparent reason why that is the case, they have likely blocked your contact. 

Call Via Another Phone Number

The typical ring is three to ten times before a call goes to voicemail if the person on the other end opts not to pick up the phone. If it does not ring but goes directly to voicemail, the phone is either in an airplane, in‘Do not Disturb’ mode,  or switched off. Alternatively, the number may be blocked. One way to determine if the person has blocked this specific number is to call the same number using another number. Logic dictates that if the person has not blocked the number, the same results experienced when calling your number will be seen with a new number. However, the answer should be self-explanatory if the number goes through and the person picks up the call after a few rings. That said, not many people will answer  calls from unknown  or hidden numbers. 

Check their Social Media 

Social media is also one way to determine if a number has been blocked. With Android devices, if one has been previously blocked via social media and can no longer see the posts of the person of interest, it means they have been blocked. Certain apps like WhatsApp do not let you know a person's status if they have blocked your number. It is also not possible to send messages to them. Facebook does a better job of telling a person they have been blocked, though, while X does not allow you to see their profile. Most social media applications do not allow individuals to see or comment on posts with blocked numbers. 

How can you tell if a person has blocked you on an iOS device?

To find out if someone has blocked you on an iOS device, here are a few methods:

Try sending them an iMessage 

If you suspect someone has blocked your number and you both use Apple devices, try sending them an iMessage. These come with delivery statuses below. If the person has not blocked the number, the status will illustrate that it has been delivered. In some instances, where the individual has allowed their feedback to be recorded, it will show ‘Read ‘once they open the message. A blocked number will not return the delivery status or a read receipt. Rather, the message will remain in its bubble. It will not show ‘Not Delivered.’ However, when sending a typical SMS, the person who has blocked the number will return a ‘Message Not Delivered’ notification. 

Checking the Color of the Texts

If both of you like to use iMessage to chat and suddenly your messages turn green, that is a sign that your number has been blocked. Blue bubbles, symbols for iMessages, depict connectivity between iOS devices. The usual messages are sent through the mobile carrier and appear green. SMS that are not delivered will be described as such underneath the green bubble. A sudden switch from blue to green may mean the user is in airplane mode or has recently moved to Android. 

Call the Person 

This is one of the more direct ways to see if the person has blocked your number. If the call goes straight to voicemail without ringing, you could have already been blocked. That said, this is not a foolproof indicator, considering they may be in a bad network area, or their phone may be off for the time being. If you have tried calling them on separate occasions with no luck, you can opt to mask your number and try it again. Dial *67 before typing in the phone number. If it usually rings with this number, or if the person suddenly answers. That means your number was blocked. Aside from dialing *67 to mask the number, you may opt to disable  caller ID from the phone settings. Disabling it will have the number show up as hidden when you call their number.

Check if they have also blocked you on the other messaging applications. 

If the individual seems to be set on blocking you, they might have gone the extra mile to do so on the other applications. Try to see if you can view their profiles or comments on Facebook, X, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The same approach you would use for Android devices also applies to iOS platform options. There is a possibility they may not have remembered to block you on one of the other platforms, and that gives you a chance to message them. If they fail to respond to it when they get back online, that should tell you all you need to know. 

Respect Their Boundaries

Regardless of the device used, it should be easy to determine if your number is blocked. Try not to assume so at first by waiting it out, as there are several reasons messages have not been delivered or why calls go to voicemail. Even if you confirm that it is indeed blocked, the best way to go about it is to respect their  boundaries.  Cease from trying to contact them any further and move on if necessary. They could have had to do so as a way to avoid confrontation. 

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