There are 100 reasons why you might want to block someone from your social media. Maybe it’s the obnoxious uncle who keeps posting speedo pictures to your wall or maybe it’s the crazy customer with a penchant to take you down. Either way, it’s important you know exactly what happens when you block someone from social media—or what doesn’t happen at all.
What happens when I block someone on social media? On all popular social media platforms, the person you are blocking will NOT be notified that you have blocked them. The person will remain unaware until they search for you OR recognize your posts, tweets, videos, snaps, videos, and images no longer appear.
Blocking someone on social media is typically a very easy event. Most platforms make it simple to block someone, but there are a few caveats that you should be aware of when blocking people from your social media page.
Are people notified when I block them from social media?
This is the first and most obvious question asked. After all, we are human. It’s not that we need to be liked, it’s that we hate being disliked. There is a difference.
So when you hit the “block” button, will your frenemies become your enemies? Will they know you’ve blocked them? What happens next?
Nearly every social platform has made the blocking process fairly painless. After all, if everyone was notified every time we blocked them, Facebook would have died a long time ago and Twitter would have burst into flames.
But in case you need to hear it from the sources, here you go:
Official screenshot from Facebook: Facebook makes it clear that no one will be notified. Sweet!
Official screenshot from Twitter: Twitter also makes it clear that no one will be notified. Awesome!
Official screenshot from Instagram: No one will be notified after blocking. Victory!
Official screenshot from LinkedIn: No one will be notified when blocking. All those weird business contacts…later!
Official screenshot from Youtube: They don’t say that they won’t notify them. But in our experience, they don’t. Google owns them and Google doesn’t notify blocking on any of their products. You can feel good about this one.
Official screenshot from Pinterest: Clear as day, no one is notified when being blocked. Go ahead and block away folks.
Official screenshot from Snapchat: Not as clear, doesn’t say they don’t notify. But, they don’t receive an “alert”.
But, because Snapchat is a conversation platform, there are some things to be aware of.
- They will still be able to see your chat history.
- Your chat history with them will disappear or become “invisible”.
- They will disappear from your contacts list. Out of sight out of mind. They will remain on your list as “blocked”.
- The Snapchat search engine will not allow you to find them until you unblock them nor will they be able to find you.
- You will not be able to send any snaps to the blocked person nor will they be able to send you any snaps back.
- The person may eventually get banned from Snapchat for repeat offenses.
So, while they aren’t notified, it’ll be pretty obvious you blocked them. Evidence of your conversation will be there, but they won’t be able to continue communication. It’s like your neighbor decides to build a fence and the only fencing installed is between your house and their house. Pretty obvious they don’t want to speak with you anymore.
Snapchat blocking is a case of be careful who you converse with. Because if you have to block someone, they will know about it and probably pretty quickly.
Will our conversations and messages be deleted?
On most platforms, you’ll still be able to read old messages and conversations but you won’t be able to start any new ones. The general practice is for the message to remain, but no new messages can be generated.
One of the most common causes of blocking someone is either harassment, a break-up, or a regretful message. When it comes to the latter, if you send a message to a user and then quickly block them, they will still see your message. I’m talking to you Snapchat users. Type with caution and while sober.
Will I be able to unblock people?
In short, yes, and on this is true on every social platform. Social platforms want you to connect because advertising is their core business. The more time you invest in the platform, the more friends you have, the more ads they can show you, and the more money they make. They don’t want to violate this relationship at all—$$$$.
To be helpful, we’ve put a guide on how to unblock people from each platform. We know, we know…your welcome 😉
How do I unblock someone from Facebook?
Facebook Unblock:
- Click the down arrow in the top right corner of Facebook and then go to Settings.
- On the left side you’ll see the word BLOCKING, click that.
- Next, you’ll see an area that says BLOCK USERS. This will show you all the lovely people you’ve blocked.
- Click unblock next to anyone who has won your affection back.
- Click confirm. You’ve victoriously allowed this person back in your life—or at least Facebook page.
How do I unblock someone from Instagram?
Instagram Unblock:
- Find their username and this will take you to their profile.
- You’ll now locate the three menu dots that look something like •••
- Tap Unblock
- “Reunited and it feels so goooood.”
How do I unblock someone from Twitter?
Twitter Unblock:
- Find your profile. Bottom right on phone. Top right on Web.
- Click Settings and Privacy on web and Setting>Privacy and content on mobile. t
- Click Blocked accounts.
- Find the person you want to unblock and click Unblock on web or the red blocked circle on mobile.
- You won’t automatically follow them if you have in the past. You’ll have to re-follow them again.
How do I unblock someone from Linkedin?
Linkedin Unblock:
- Find the ME icon at the top of your Linkedin Page. It’ll have a little head icon or your image.
- Click Settings and Privacy.
- Once you are to the privacy tab, click blocking and hiding on the left
- Next to blocking, you’ll see change. Click that.
- You’ll now see everyone’s name. Click unblock next to their name.
How do I unblock someone from Youtube?
Youtube Unblock
- In the upper right hand corner, click the profile icon.
- Once the menu drops down, select Creator Studio. A dashboard will appear.
- Click on Community.
- You should now see a list of names you’ve blocked.
- Click Approve next to their name. They’ve clearly behaved well.
How do I unblock someone from Pinterest?
Pinterest Unblock
- Identify the person you want to unblock.
- Go to their profile.
- Click unblock.
- Thanks for making it easy Pinterest. You do everything right.
How Do I unblock someone from Snapchat?
Snapchat Unblock
- Locate the settings gear at the top right of your phone.
- Scroll down until you see the blocked section. Click it.
- Select the user you want to unblock by pressing the X next to their name on the right.
- Click yes to confirm that you want to unblock them once the popup appears.
Related Questions
What are the top reasons to block someone on social media?
- Cleaning house – Sometimes friendships/relationships are no longer growing and you want a minimalist approach to your social accounts.
- Harassment – If someone gets out of hand, they need to be removed from your social accounts. Don’t think twice. You may even want to report them to the social media support area as they are probably harassing others.
- Public relations – Not everyone needs to be your friend and not everyone should be speaking on your behalf. If someone is hurting your reputation, they need to be removed immediately.
- Sensitive information – If you are posting information that could be used against you, it might be best to block someone from seeing it. Remember, posting is public, forever.
Are people notified when I unblock them? No. Everything resumes as a normal day on their social accounts. Your shared information won’t suddenly flood their pages.
Is it rude to block someone on social media? Blocking someone is the same as restricting access to them in real life. While it might appear rude on the surface, it may be a necessary step to creating appropriate boundaries. Not everyone will interact appropriately and unblocking is one way to create separation.
How should I report harassment? First, determine if the harassment is likely to escalate. If you have reason to believe it will, contact your local police or sheriff’s department to file an official complaint. In many instances, people who fail to report harassment immediately slow down legal involvement when inappropriate interactions continue. After law enforcement reporting, block all social media accounts from user.
