You can block someone on Messenger in three taps, and they won't know it happened
Open the conversation with the person you want to block. Tap their name at the top of the chat. Scroll down and tap Block, then confirm. That person can no longer message you, see when you're online, or find your profile in search. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them the same way — go to Settings, tap Blocked people, find their name, and tap Unblock.
Blocking is different from muting or deleting a conversation. When you mute someone, their messages still arrive but don't send you notifications. When you delete a conversation, the chat disappears from your list but the person can still message you. Blocking stops the contact entirely.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone on Messenger prevents them from sending you messages, seeing your online status, or finding your profile in search results.
- The person you block will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may notice they can no longer reach you.
- You can block someone from within an open conversation by tapping their name and selecting Block, or from your blocked list in Settings.
- Blocking is reversible — you can unblock someone at any time through Settings, and they will be able to message you again.
The difference between blocking, muting, and deleting
Blocking cuts off all contact. The person cannot send you messages, see your profile picture or status, know when you're online, or find you in search. If they try to message you, they'll see an error or a message saying the request couldn't be sent. On your end, their old messages stay in your chat history, but you won't receive new ones.
Muting silences notifications without stopping the contact. The person can still message you, but you won't get a sound or badge alert. Their messages appear in your inbox, and they can see when you're online. Muting is useful when you want to stay in touch but need a break from constant notifications.
Deleting a conversation removes it from your message list, but it doesn't block the person. They can still send you messages, and a new conversation will appear when they do. Deleting is the lightest option — use it when you just want to clean up your inbox.
What the person you block will and won't see
The person you block will not receive a notification saying you blocked them. However, they will likely figure it out when they try to message you. Their message may show an error, or it may appear to send but you never respond. Some versions of Messenger show them a message saying the request couldn't be delivered.
They cannot see your profile picture, status updates, or online status. If they search for you by name, your profile won't appear in results. They also cannot see old messages you sent them — those conversations disappear from their view. However, if they took screenshots of your conversations before you blocked them, they still have those images.
If you both have mutual friends, they can still see your public posts on those friends' timelines or in groups you're both in. Blocking only affects Messenger and your profile — it doesn't hide you from the rest of Facebook.
How to block someone you haven't messaged yet
You don't have to wait for someone to message you first. Go to their Facebook profile, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select Block. This blocks them on both Facebook and Messenger at the same time. You can also block someone from a mutual friend's profile or from a group you're both in using the same menu.
Blocking from a profile works the same way as blocking from Messenger — they won't know you blocked them, and they won't be able to message you or see your profile. The main difference is that blocking from their profile also prevents them from seeing your posts and profile information on Facebook itself, not just in Messenger.
Unblocking someone and what happens after
To unblock someone, go to Settings in Messenger, tap Blocked people, find their name, and tap Unblock. Once you unblock them, they can message you again and see your profile. However, unblocking does not restore old conversations — the chat history remains deleted from their view, though it stays in yours.
Unblocking someone does not automatically send them a message or notify them that you unblocked them. They'll only know if they try to message you and succeed, or if you reach out to them first. If you unblock someone by accident, you can block them again immediately.
Blocking on mobile versus desktop
The steps are slightly different depending on whether you use Messenger on your phone or a computer. On a phone (iPhone or Android), open a conversation, tap the person's name at the top, scroll down, and tap Block. On desktop, open a conversation, click the person's name on the right side, scroll down to Block, and click it.
You can also block someone through Facebook's main website. Visit their profile, click the three dots next to their name, and select Block. This blocks them on both Facebook and Messenger. The blocked list is the same across all devices — if you block someone on your phone, they're blocked on your computer too.
What to do if someone keeps trying to contact you after blocking
If someone creates a new account to message you after you've blocked them, that's a separate account and you'll need to block it too. Open the new conversation, tap their name, and select Block again. If this keeps happening, you may want to change your Messenger settings to only receive messages from people you know.
Go to Settings in Messenger, tap Privacy, and change Who can message you to Friends only or Friends and contacts. This stops strangers from messaging you without blocking them individually. You can still receive messages from people you know, but anyone else will have to send a message request that you can ignore or delete.
If someone is harassing you across multiple accounts or threatening you, take screenshots of the messages and report them to Facebook. Tap the message, select Report, and choose the reason. Facebook can take action against accounts that violate their policies, including removing them permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
They won't get a notification, but they'll likely figure it out when their messages stop going through or when they can't find your profile. Some versions of Messenger show them an error message. If they ask you directly, you don't have to tell them — blocking is private.
Can I block someone but still see their messages?
No. Once you block someone, you cannot receive new messages from them. Old messages stay in your chat history, but you won't see anything new. If you want to read their messages without responding, mute the conversation instead of blocking.
Does blocking someone on Messenger also block them on Facebook?
Blocking from Messenger only blocks them in Messenger. They can still see your public posts and profile. If you want to block them everywhere, go to their Facebook profile and block them there — that blocks them on both Facebook and Messenger.
Can I block someone temporarily and then unblock them later?
Yes. You can block and unblock someone as many times as you want. When you unblock them, they can message you again, but old conversations won't come back. They won't be notified that you unblocked them.
What if I block someone by accident?
Go to Settings, tap Blocked people, find their name, and tap Unblock. It takes a few seconds. They'll be able to message you again once you unblock them, and you can message them too.