Blocking stops someone from contacting you on Messenger
When you block someone on Messenger, they can no longer send you messages, see when you're online, or view your profile. The block is one-way — they won't be notified that you've blocked them, but if they try to message you, they'll see an error saying the message couldn't be sent. You can block someone whether you're using Messenger on your phone, computer, or the web.
Blocking is different from muting or deleting a conversation. Muting silences notifications but the person can still message you. Deleting a conversation just removes it from your chat list — the person can still reach you. A block is the strongest option and is permanent until you choose to unblock them later.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone on Messenger prevents them from sending you messages and seeing your online status, and they won't receive a notification that you've blocked them.
- On your phone, open the conversation with the person, tap their name at the top, scroll down, and select "Block."
- On a computer or web browser, click the person's name in the conversation header and choose "Block" from the menu.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to your Messenger settings, finding them in your blocked list, and selecting "Unblock."
- Blocking someone removes your conversation history with them from your chat list, but you can still see old messages if you unblock them later.
How to block someone on your phone
Open Messenger and find the conversation with the person you want to block. Tap their name or profile picture at the top of the chat. This opens their profile card within Messenger.
Scroll down to the bottom of the profile card. You'll see several options including "Block." Tap "Block" and confirm when Messenger asks if you're sure. The block takes effect immediately.
After you block someone, your conversation with them disappears from your chat list. If you ever unblock them, the conversation history will still be there.
How to block someone on your computer or web browser
Go to Messenger on your computer or at messenger.com in your browser. Open the conversation with the person you want to block.
Look at the top of the conversation window where their name appears. Click on their name or the information icon next to it. A menu will open showing options for that conversation.
Find and click "Block" in that menu. Messenger will ask you to confirm. Click "Block" again, and the block is complete. Like on your phone, the conversation will be removed from your chat list.
What happens after you block someone
Once you block someone, they cannot send you messages through Messenger. If they try, they'll see an error message. They also cannot see your active status (whether you're online or offline) or your profile picture in Messenger.
The person will not receive a notification saying you've blocked them. However, if they were already in your chat list, they may notice the conversation is gone from their side, or they may figure it out when their messages fail to send.
Blocking does not remove you from their Facebook friends list or affect your connection on Facebook itself — it only affects Messenger. If you want to remove them as a friend entirely, you'll need to unfriend them separately on Facebook.
How to unblock someone later
If you change your mind, you can unblock someone at any time. On your phone, open Messenger and tap your profile picture in the top left corner. Go to "Settings" and then "Blocked People." You'll see a list of everyone you've blocked.
Find the person you want to unblock and tap "Unblock" next to their name. On a computer, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in Messenger, select "Settings," then "Blocked People," and click "Unblock" next to the person's name.
Once you unblock someone, they can message you again and see your online status. Your old conversation history with them will reappear in your chat list.
Blocking versus other ways to control messages
Messenger gives you several options depending on how much contact you want to have. Muting a conversation silences notifications but the person can still message you — you just won't get alerts. Restricting a contact (a Facebook feature) means their messages go to a separate folder and they can't see when you're online, but they can still send messages. Blocking stops all messages from reaching you.
If you only want to stop seeing notifications from someone without fully blocking them, muting is the gentler option. If you want to limit their access to your information but still allow messages, restricting works. Blocking is for when you don't want any contact at all.
You can also simply delete a conversation without blocking. This removes it from your chat list but doesn't prevent the person from messaging you — the next message they send will start a new conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
They won't receive a notification, but they may figure it out if they try to message you and see an error, or if they notice the conversation disappeared from their list. There's no way to block someone invisibly on Messenger.
Can I block someone without unfriending them on Facebook?
Yes. Blocking on Messenger only affects Messenger — it doesn't change your Facebook friendship. If you want to remove them as a friend entirely, you'll need to unfriend them separately on Facebook.
What if I block someone and then unblock them — will they see old messages?
Yes. When you unblock someone, your entire conversation history with them comes back. They'll be able to see all the messages you sent before you blocked them.
Can I block someone from a group chat?
Blocking someone removes them from your view of group chats, but it doesn't remove them from the group itself. They can still see and participate in the group chat on their end. If you want to remove someone from a group, you need to remove them as a group member instead.
If I block someone, do they stay blocked if I uninstall and reinstall Messenger?
Yes. Your block list is stored on your Facebook account, not on your device. When you reinstall Messenger and log back in, all your blocks will still be in place.