Sometimes you need to block someone on Snapchat and sometimes you change your mind later. Both are completely normal and Snapchat makes both very easy to do. Whether it is to stop unwanted messages, take a break from someone or deal with a difficult situation the block feature is there for exactly these moments. This guide walks through both sides: how to block and how to undo it when you are ready.
What Actually Happens When You Block Someone
Before going through the steps it helps to know what blocking actually does so there are no surprises afterwards.
- They get removed from your friends listand you get removed from theirs automatically.
- They cannot send you snaps or messagesand cannot view your stories or profile.
- Your profile disappears from their searchso they cannot find you by searching your username.
- Snapchat does not send any notificationso they will not know they have been blocked unless they go looking.
- Your chat history stays on your endbut you will need to manually delete it if you do not want to see it.
Blocking is a private action. The other person finds out on their own when they try to find your profile and cannot.
How to Block Someone on Snapchat
The process is the same on both Android and iPhone. There are two ways to do it depending on where you are in the app.
From a Chat
- Open Snapchat and go to the Chat screen.
- Find the conversation with the person you want to block.
- Press and hold their name or profile icon.
- Tap More and then select Block.
- Tap Block again to confirm.
From Their Profile
- Open their profile by tapping their username or Bitmoji.
- Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the screen.
- Select Block from the menu that appears.
- Tap Block again to confirm and the block goes into effect straight away.
How to Unblock Someone on Snapchat
Unblocking someone is done through your settings rather than their profile. This is because once they are blocked their profile no longer shows up when you search for them. Here is how to find them and unblock them.
- Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
- Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Blocked under the Account Actions section.
- Find the person you want to unblock in the list.
- Tap the X next to their name.
- Tap Yes to confirm and they are unblocked.
That’s the whole process. Straightforward once you’ve done it once. Worth knowing that the friend connection doesn’t come back just because you unblocked them. A lot of people assume it does and then wonder why they can’t message the person. You’ll need to send them a new request to sort that out.
Blocking vs Removing: What Is the Difference?
A lot of people confuse blocking with removing and they are not the same thing. Removing someone from your friends list is a lighter action. They get taken off your list but they can still search for your profile, view your public content and send you a message request depending on your privacy settings.
Blocking goes further. It removes the connection entirely and makes your profile invisible to them. They cannot search for you, cannot message you and cannot view anything on your account. If you want to fully cut off contact blocking is the right move. If you just want to clean up your friends list without that level of restriction, removing is enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q – Will the person know I blocked them?
No. Snapchat does not send any notification when you block someone. They may figure it out on their own if they try to find your profile and cannot but the app never tells them directly.
Q – Can I still see our old messages after blocking?
Yes, your chat history stays visible on your end after you block someone. They cannot see it or send new messages but your side of the conversation remains. You can delete it manually if you do not want to see it.
Q – Do I need to re-add them as a friend after unblocking?
Yes. Unblocking someone does not restore the friendship on Snapchat. Once they are unblocked you will need to send a new friend request or they can send one to you. Nothing gets restored automatically.
Q – Does blocking delete the chat history on their end?
No. The chat history on their device is not deleted when you block them. They can still see the old messages from before the block. Only new communication is cut off.
Q – Can a blocked person still see my public profile?
No. When you block someone your profile becomes completely invisible to them. They cannot search for your username and cannot access any of your content whether your account is public or private. But they can use online tools like Snapchat Profile Viewer that help users to view the profile anonymously.
Q – Is there a limit to how many people I can block on Snapchat?
No. Snapchat does not set a limit on how many accounts you can block. You can block as many people as you need to without any restrictions.
Final Thought
The whole thing stays private on both ends. No alerts, no notifications, nothing sent to the other person at any point. Just keep in mind that unblocking someone doesn’t mean you’re friends again. That part you have to do yourself by sending a new request whenever you’re ready.