Block a person on Messenger directly from the chat
The fastest way to block someone on Facebook Messenger is to open the conversation with that person, then tap or click the three dots (or info icon) at the top of the chat window. Select "Block" from the menu that appears. Facebook will ask you to confirm — once you do, that person can no longer message you, see when you're online, or know if you've read their messages.
After you block someone, their old messages stay in your chat list but appear grayed out. You can delete the entire conversation if you want it out of sight. The person you blocked won't receive a notification that you blocked them, but they'll notice they can't send you messages anymore.
On mobile, the exact location of the block option varies slightly between iPhone and Android, but the process is the same: open the chat, find the menu icon, and select block. On desktop, right-click the conversation name in your message list to find the block option faster.
Key Takeaways
- You can block someone directly from any Messenger conversation by tapping the menu icon and selecting block.
- A blocked person cannot send you messages, see your online status, or know whether you've read their messages.
- Blocking on Messenger also blocks them on Facebook itself — the two are connected.
- You can unblock someone at any time through your Facebook settings if you change your mind.
- The person you block will not receive a notification, but they will discover they're blocked when they try to message you.
Block someone through your Facebook settings
If you don't have an active conversation with someone but still want to block them from contacting you on Messenger, go to your Facebook settings instead. On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll down, and select "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings." On desktop, click the downward arrow in the top right corner and choose "Settings and Privacy," then "Settings."
Once in Settings, look for "Blocking" in the left sidebar (on mobile, scroll down to find it). Tap or click "Blocking," then type the person's name in the "Block people" field. Select their profile from the results and confirm. This blocks them from messaging you, seeing your profile, and sending friend requests.
This method is useful when someone has been messaging you repeatedly and you want to stop it before it becomes a problem, or when you want to block someone you're not currently chatting with.
What happens when you block someone on Messenger
When you block someone on Messenger, several things change immediately. They cannot send you new messages — if they try, they'll see an error saying the message couldn't be delivered. They also cannot see your active status (the green dot that shows you're online), cannot see when you've read their messages, and cannot call you through Messenger.
The blocked person can still see your public Facebook profile and posts unless you've also adjusted your privacy settings to restrict them. However, they cannot add you as a friend, tag you in photos, or send you friend requests. If you were already friends before blocking, the friendship is removed.
Your old conversations with this person remain in your message list, but they appear faded or grayed out. You can delete them entirely if you prefer, though this doesn't affect whether the person is blocked — it only removes the conversation from your view.
Unblock someone if you change your mind
If you decide later that you want to unblock someone, the process is straightforward. Go to Settings, find "Blocking," and look for the list of people you've blocked. Find the person's name and click or tap "Unblock" next to their profile. Confirm the action, and they'll be able to message you again.
Unblocking someone does not automatically restore your friendship on Facebook — you'll need to send a friend request if you want to be connected again. It also does not restore old messages that were sent while you had them blocked. The person will not be notified that you've unblocked them.
Difference between blocking and muting on Messenger
Blocking and muting are two different tools that serve different purposes. When you block someone, they cannot contact you at all — messages don't go through, and they can't see your status. When you mute someone, they can still message you, but you won't get notifications about their messages, and their chat won't appear at the top of your message list.
Muting is useful when you want to reduce contact with someone without completely cutting off communication. You can mute a conversation by opening the chat, tapping the menu icon, and selecting "Mute." You'll still see their messages if you look for them, but you won't be bothered by constant notifications.
Choose blocking if you don't want any contact with someone. Choose muting if you want to stay in touch but reduce how often you see their messages.
Block someone who's not in your contacts
Sometimes you receive messages from people you don't know or have never added as friends. On Messenger, these appear in a separate "Message Requests" folder. You can block someone directly from a message request without adding them as a friend first.
Open the message request, tap the menu icon (three dots), and select "Block." This prevents them from sending you any more messages through Messenger. They also cannot see your profile or send you friend requests on Facebook.
If you've already deleted a message request, you can still block that person through your Settings by going to Blocking and typing their name. This is helpful if someone keeps trying to contact you from different angles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
They won't receive a notification, but they'll find out when they try to message you and see an error. They may also notice they can no longer see your profile or online status. There's no way to block someone invisibly on Messenger.
Can a blocked person still see my Facebook posts?
That depends on your privacy settings. If your posts are set to public, they can see them even after being blocked. If you want to hide your posts from someone, adjust your privacy settings to "Friends Only" or create a custom list that excludes them. Blocking only affects Messenger and direct profile access.
What if someone blocks me on Messenger?
You won't get a notification that you've been blocked, but you'll notice when you try to send a message and it fails to deliver. You also won't be able to see their online status or call them. If you think you've been blocked, try sending a message — if it doesn't go through after several attempts, you've likely been blocked.
Can I block someone on Messenger without blocking them on Facebook?
No. Blocking on Messenger automatically blocks them on Facebook as well. The two platforms are connected, so one block affects both. If you only want to stop their messages but keep them as a Facebook friend, use mute instead of block.
How do I block someone on Messenger if I'm using the desktop website?
Open the conversation, click the person's name at the top of the chat window, and select "Block" from the menu. On the desktop version, you can also right-click the conversation in your message list and choose block from the context menu. The process is the same as on mobile, just with different button locations.