Blocking stops a person from contacting you and seeing your activity
When you block someone on Snapchat, they can no longer send you messages, see your stories, or view your location if you share it. They cannot see your username in search results, and any existing conversation between you disappears from your chat list. The person you block will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may figure it out if they try to message you and see an error.
Blocking is permanent until you choose to unblock the person. You can block and unblock someone as many times as you want. If you block someone and then unblock them later, your old conversation does not come back — it stays deleted.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone removes all your conversations with them and prevents them from contacting you or seeing your stories.
- You can block someone from your chat list, their profile, or a conversation thread in under 30 seconds.
- The person you block will not get a notification, but they will see an error if they try to message you.
- Unblocking someone does not restore old messages — the conversation stays deleted even after you unblock them.
- If someone blocks you, you cannot see their profile, send them messages, or view their stories.
How to block someone from your chat list
Open Snapchat and go to the Chat tab at the bottom of the screen. Find the person you want to block in your list of conversations. Press and hold their name until a menu appears with options. Tap "Block" from the menu that pops up.
A confirmation screen will appear asking if you want to block this person. Tap "Block" again to confirm. The conversation will immediately disappear from your chat list, and the person will no longer be able to message you.
How to block someone from their profile
Search for the person's username using the search icon at the top of the Chat tab. Tap their name to open their profile. Look for the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of their profile and tap it. Select "Block" from the menu.
You will see a confirmation message. Tap "Block" again to finish. This method works even if you have never chatted with the person before — you can block someone you only know from their public profile or a story they posted.
How to block someone during a conversation
Open an active conversation with the person you want to block. Tap their name or username at the top of the chat window. Their profile will open. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner and select "Block" from the options.
Confirm the block when prompted. The conversation will close and disappear from your chat list immediately. This is the fastest route if you are already messaging with someone and decide you want to stop contact.
What happens when you block someone
The person you block will see an error message if they try to send you a message or view your profile. They will not see your username in search results, and they cannot add you as a friend. If you had a public story running, they can no longer view it. Any snaps you sent them before the block remain on their phone, but they cannot reply to them.
If the person you blocked tries to call you on Snapchat, the call will not go through. They will not receive a notification that the call failed — it will simply not connect. If you have mutual friends, they can still see both of your profiles and stories, but the blocked person cannot see yours.
How to unblock someone
Go to your profile by tapping the profile icon in the top left corner of the Chat tab. Tap the settings icon (the gear) in the top right. Scroll down and tap "Blocked." You will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and tap the X next to their name.
A confirmation message will appear asking if you want to unblock them. Tap "Unblock" to confirm. Once you unblock someone, they can message you again and see your stories, but your old conversation history will not come back. You will start fresh if they message you again.
What to do if someone blocks you
If someone blocks you, you will not receive a notification from Snapchat. You may notice it yourself if you try to message them and see an error, or if you search for their profile and cannot find it. When someone blocks you, you cannot see their profile, send them messages, or view their stories or public content.
If you think someone has blocked you, try searching for their username. If their profile does not appear and you know they have an active account, they have likely blocked you. You cannot unblock yourself — only the person who blocked you can unblock you by going through their blocked list and removing your name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
Snapchat does not send a notification when you block someone. However, they may figure it out if they try to message you and see an error, or if they notice they cannot find your profile in search. There is no way for them to know for certain from Snapchat itself.
Can I block someone without deleting our conversation?
No. Blocking someone on Snapchat automatically removes the conversation from your chat list. The messages are deleted from your view, though the other person may still have them on their phone. If you want to keep the conversation but stop receiving messages, you would need to mute the chat instead of blocking.
What is the difference between blocking and muting?
Muting silences notifications from someone without blocking them — they can still message you and see your stories, but you will not get alerts when they send you something. Blocking removes all contact and deletes your conversation. Muting is gentler if you just want to avoid notifications from someone.
If I unblock someone, will they know?
No. Unblocking someone does not send them a notification. They will only know if they try to message you again and the message goes through, or if they search for your profile and find it. Snapchat does not tell them you unblocked them.
Can I block someone on Snapchat if they are not my friend?
Yes. You can block anyone on Snapchat, whether you are friends with them or not. You can search for their username and block them from their profile without ever having chatted. This is useful if someone is harassing you or you want to prevent a specific person from contacting you.