How to Block Someone on WhatsApp Without Them Knowing: A Sequential Walkthrough

naazfarheenAnanya_Sreen
15 Min Read

In today’s world, social media is the most popular technology, and WhatsApp is one of them. It is the best app for connecting with a billion users, texting messages, making voice and video calls, and sharing media files daily.

While WhatsApp is a great app for staying connected with your friends and family, sometimes we need to block someone whom we don’t know or want to avoid unwanted interactions. So do not worry as blocking someone can be done politely.

1. What Happens When We Block Someone on WhatsApp?

1.1. A Blocked Contact Cannot Message You:

By blocking someone on WhatsApp, a blocked person cannot send messages, videos, or voice calls. It means all attempts to contact you will be blocked.

1.2. Profile Picture and Status Hidden:

Even if your profile picture and status are set publically, then the unknown contact will not be able to see any changes you make.

1.3. Calls Go Unanswered:

If the blocked person tries to call you, their calls go unanswered. The call will ring on their end, but you won’t receive any notifications regarding calls.

1.4. Group Chats:

If you and the blocked person are both part of a WhatsApp group, they will be able to see your messages on the group and vice versa.

The Role of Blocking Features in Messaging Apps

Ben Michaels
Ben Michaels

When it comes to privately-owned messaging apps and platforms, blocking capabilities technically aren’t legally required. However, there is absolutely an expectation for it to be allowed, so these platforms almost unanimously have such features.

It falls under user privacy, and there are countless reasons for it to be required according to various platforms – some of the top reasons being harassment and danger. There are federal laws regarding text messaging, and most platforms emulate those guidelines.

Ben Michael, Attorney, Michael & Associates

2. Why Blocking Someone on WhatsApp Might be Necessary:

2.1. Privacy Concern:

Blocking someone can assure you that they can not access your WhatsApp information, such as your profile and status. This is important to maintain your privacy and control who can view your details.

2.2. Unwanted Messages:

Taking this step can help you avoid receiving unwanted messages in a chat window from a particular contact who doesn’t want to talk.

Mac Steer
Mac Steer

Blocking someone on WhatsApp is never easy. You debate whether to give them notice or just quietly remove them from your contacts. I’ve only blocked one person before. It was an old friend from college who started frequently messaging me at odd hours.

At first, I politely responded when I could. But the pattern continued, and I realized this person had boundary issues. I felt conflicted about blocking without explaining myself.

However, I knew confronting them would likely only encourage more engagement. So one day, I just did it. Removed them from my contacts and blocked their number. I felt relief not getting those late-night texts anymore, but also sadness over losing an old friend.

While ghosting others is often unkind, in this case, it felt necessary. I learned we must sometimes make difficult choices to protect our peace.

My experience shows how blocking on WhatsApp can be a last resort when all else fails. It often causes mixed emotions. We may feel regret about losing a connection.

But also acceptance when that person repeatedly disrespects our time or space. Setting boundaries is not easy. Yet crucial for well-being.

Please feel free to reach out if you need more insights, or if you need clarification on anything I mentioned above.

Mac Steer, Owner and Director, Sims Direct

2.3. Harassment or Bullying:

Nowadays, the harassment level goes high, whether it is from physical or social media. If someone is harassing and bullying you on WhatsApp, blocking them can help you to protect yourself from further harm.

2.4. Maintaining Peace:

Sometimes, we get irritated by unwanted messages, unknown calls, and texts. It disturbs our daily life, and we need some peace.

We can keep our phones on silent mode to get silent notifications, but if a particular person is disrupting our peace, blocking them can help us maintain a peaceful environment.

 How to Block Someone on WhatsApp Without Them Knowin
By cotton-bro studio/ Pexels.com:Copyright 2020

WhatsApp Privacy Tips Before Blocking Someone

Jon Morgan
Jon Morgan

Before blocking someone, ensure that your privacy settings are configured to limit the amount of personal information that can be accessed by individuals who are not in your contacts list.

This includes restricting profile photo visibility, last seen status and status updates to only your contacts or a selected group of trusted individuals.

Moreover, exercise caution when sharing sensitive information over WhatsApp. Avoid sending personal or confidential details such as financial information, addresses, or other sensitive data through the platform.

Instead, opt for more secure methods of communication such as encrypted email or secure messaging apps for transmitting sensitive information.

If you need to block someone discreetly, take steps to minimize the likelihood of them realizing they’ve been blocked. This includes disabling read receipts and online status indicators to prevent the individual from noticing any changes in your activity on the platform.

Additionally, consider muting notifications from the person you intend to block to avoid drawing attention to the action.

Furthermore, regularly review your blocked contacts list to ensure that it only includes individuals who pose a genuine threat to your security or privacy.

Periodically reassess the necessity of blocking specific individuals and remove them from the blocked list if the situation no longer warrants it.

Jon Morgan, CEO & Editor-in-Chief, VentureSmarter

3. How to Block Contacts on WhatsApp Without Alerting Them:

Blocking someone on WhatsApp without their knowledge can be done respectfully so that later on you would not get any harm. Follow these steps to block someone on WhatsApp

Step 1: Open Whatsapp:

First, Install WhatsApp on your smartphone and make sure to log in by the number on which you are receiving unknown calls or texts. If WhatsApp is already installed on your device then directly get the WhatsApp chat.

Step 2: Locate the Chat:

Secondly, find the chat or messages of the person you want to block, and click on the chat to open it.

Step 3: Block the Contact:

Here are the steps to block a person –

  • Tap the contact’s name at the top of the chat screen. 
  • Scroll down and tap Block.
  • Confirm your decision by tapping Block again.

Alternative –

You can block someone without opening their chat by locating and pressing on the chat (without opening) for a few seconds and then clicking on the three dots at the top right corner. From the drop-down, select Block.

Step 4: Delete the chat(optional)

After blocking that Person on WhatsApp, you can delete the chat.

  • For Android: Press and hold the chat, then tap the Delete can icon at the top right corner. Confirm by clicking the Delete button.
  • For iPhone: Swipe left on the chat, then tap Delete.

User-Controlled Privacy with Blocking Features

Gillian Dewar - Featured
Gillian Dewar

The presence of blocking features in messaging apps is a critical component in safeguarding user privacy. From my perspective, it empowers users to curate their digital environment, much like how one controls entry into their physical home.

This feature addresses the key concern of unwanted contact, whether it’s spam, harassment, or breaches of personal space, by allowing users to sever communication channels with specific individuals.

The act of blocking is more than just a barrier; it’s a declaration of a user’s right to privacy and a step toward personal security. The ability to control who can see your online status, profile photo, and last-seen information further enhances this privacy.

Gillian Dewar, Chief Financial Officer, Crediful

4. What You Can Do if You Do Not Want to Block the Person?

WhatsApp blocking can be done politely.
image by: Anton/Pexels

4.1. Mute the Chat:

If you do not want to block the contact, mute the chat of the person. This way, you won’t receive notifications about them.

4.2. Adjust Privacy Settings:

To cover your WhatsApp status and Profile Picture from particular people, you can adjust your privacy settings.

  • Navigate to WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Privacy.
  • Here, you can set your “Last seen,” “Profile photo,” and “About” to “Nobody” or “My Contacts.”

Enhancing Blocking Features in Messaging Platforms

Lawrence Guyot
Lawrence Guyot

As a cybersecurity expert with experience in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in digital systems, I have encountered various challenges and loopholes in implementing blocking features that do not alert the user.

One common loophole is the indirect detection of the block through changes in user experience, such as suddenly not being able to see certain content or messages.

To improve upon this, enhancements in the blocking mechanisms can be designed to mimic normal user interactions, making it less obvious that a block has been implemented.

From my experience as an ethical hacker, I’ve witnessed the effectiveness of penetration testing in uncovering hidden security flaws within messaging platforms.

For instance, during a pen test for a well-known messaging app, we discovered that blocked users could still infer they were blocked through specific error messages.

This led to the development of generic error messages for different scenarios, significantly reducing the ability of blocked users to detect their status based on system feedback alone.

From a UX design perspective, implementing subtle changes in the way blocked content is handled can be key.

For example, instead of completely removing or restricting access to certain features for a blocked user, the system could gradually reduce the frequency of interactions with the blocker’s content, mimicking a natural decrease in engagement.

This slow transition masks the blocking action and improves the overall user experience by minimizing abrupt changes.

Collaborating closely with software engineers, we’ve brainstormed features that enhance privacy without sacrificing user experience. One approach is the use of advanced algorithms that dynamically adjust the visibility of users’ activities based on their interaction patterns.

This means if someone’s behavior suggests they should be blocked, the system automatically limits their access subtly, without requiring a direct block.

In conclusion, the key to improving blocking features without alerting the user lies in a multidisciplinary approach, leveraging cybersecurity, ethical hacking, UX design, and software engineering insights.

By focusing on enhancing privacy and security in a way that is seamless and non-disruptive to the user experience, platforms can create more effective and less detectable blocking mechanisms.

Lawrence Guyot, President, ETTE

Final Remarks:

No one wants to be spammed or bothered by someone to whom you do not want to talk, and blocking someone is a useful feature to maintain your privacy, security, personal information, and online safety.

By following the steps outlined in the article, you can politely block a contact and make sure that the blocked contact will not know that they have been blocked by you. 

However, always remember that while blocking is a great way to deal with unknown people and interactions, you should use it responsibly and only when needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will the blocked person know they’ve been blocked?

No, the blocked person will not know that you have blocked him because they will not get any notification or message regarding blocking.

However, they may figure it out if they notice that you are responding to their messages or calls on WhatsApp.

2. Can I unblock someone later? 

Yes, You can block someone at any time by going to WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked Contacts. Tap on the contact you want to unblock and then tap “Unblock.”

3. Can I block someone without opening their chat?

Yes, you can do this by pressing on the chat (without opening) for a few seconds and then clicking on the three dots at the top right corner. From the drop-down, select ‘Block“.

4. What happens to group chats when I block someone?    

In the group chats, the blocked person can still see your message, and they can see yours. However, they would not be able to send any message to you individually.

Guest Author: Saket Kumar

Last Updated on by Saket Kumar

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By naazfarheen Content Writer Intern
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Myself Farheen Naaz sheikh, I hail from Nagpur Maharshtra. I have completed my education from Nagpur University. After my education I worked in IT sector around 1,2 years, after working in It sector I decided to move forward my career in Digital Marketing , for reason of I went through some digital marketing internships. Talking about my skills, I have good communication skills, excellent in content writing and willingness to learn new things, one more skill is there, management and team work.

Education B.tech Specialization in Electronics & Telecommunication Certifications/Qualifications B.tech in Electronics and Telecommunication Diploma in Electronics and Telecommunication Digital Marketing Internship by Aswebworks

Ananya, with a background in commerce, is a passionate writer and has written numerous articles covering a wide range of topics such as travel, food, health, etc. She also works as an editor, guiding fellow writers and helping provide the audience with content that is useful to them.

Education BCom(Hons.) - University of Delhi
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