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All of a sudden, if your WhatsApp messages stop being seen by your friend or their profile picture is no longer visible, you might wonder if they’ve blocked you on the app. But is there a way to confirm it? Let’s go over the telltale signs that indicate you’ve been blocked on WhatsApp. By the end, you’ll know for sure whether they’ve blocked you or not.
1. You Won’t See Their Profile Picture
This is one of the first signs that they may have blocked you. When someone blocks you on WhatsApp, their profile picture will no longer be visible; it will appear as blank.
However, this can also happen if they’ve removed their profile picture or set its visibility to ‘Contacts Only’ and don’t have your number saved on their phone. Even if they messaged you first, they may have simply done so without saving your number.
Sometimes, people also remove their profile picture simply because they can’t find a suitable one at the moment or just want a break.
2. You Can’t See Their Last Seen
Usually, you can see a contact’s “last seen” time below their name in your chat, unless they’ve chosen to hide it. If you used to see this and now you don’t, it could be a sign you’ve been blocked, but it’s not a guarantee. They might have simply adjusted their privacy settings.
You can control your own last seen visibility by going to Settings > Privacy > Last Seen & Online. Here, you can choose to share it with everyone, only your contacts, specific contacts, or no one at all. Keep in mind that the person you’re messaging has these same options.
While a missing last seen time can be a clue, it’s not conclusive evidence of being blocked. Let’s check other indicators that might confirm your suspicions.
3. You Can’t See Their Online Status Either
Another key indicator is their online status. If you can’t see it anymore, even when you know they’re active on WhatsApp, it might mean they’ve blocked you.
Most people leave their online status visible, even if they hide their “last seen” time. To hide the online status, they would have to go into their privacy settings and specifically choose to hide it. So, if you know they are using WhatsApp — maybe you see them active in a mutual group chat — but their online status isn’t visible to you, it could be a red flag.
It’s also possible they’ve adjusted their privacy settings and set their “Online” status to be the same as their “Last Seen” setting. This means if they’ve hidden their last seen status from you, their online status will also be hidden.However, just like with the “last seen” status, there could be other explanations.
Let’s look at more signs to help you find if you’ve really been blocked.
4. Messages Won’t Go Through
It’s natural to want confirmation, so you might try sending a casual message, like a “Good morning” or a quick question. Pay close attention to the message delivery ticks.
One tick means the message was sent from your phone. Two ticks mean it was successfully delivered to their phone. Even if you see two ticks, it doesn’t guarantee they’ll reply. They might have read your message and chosen not to respond.
However, a single tick, especially when combined with the other signs we’ve discussed, is a strong indication you’ve been blocked. If the message remains undelivered for an extended period, say 24-48 hours, and you know they’ve been online, it’s very likely you’ve been blocked.
It’s possible they have their phone turned off, are in airplane mode, or have a temporary network issue. However, if this persists along with the other signs, it’s a strong indicator of being blocked.
5. Calls Won’t Ring Either
Another way to check if you’ve been blocked is to try calling them on WhatsApp. Pay close attention to what happens when you initiate the call. If the call connects and you see “ringing,” it means the call is going through and they have not blocked you. However, if it stays on “calling” and then disconnects, it’s a possible sign of being blocked.
Keep in mind that there could be other reasons for a call not going through. They might have their phone turned off, be in airplane mode, have a poor internet connection, or be already on another call. It’s important to consider these other possibilities before concluding you’ve been blocked.
6. You Cannot Add Them to Groups
Did you know that blocking someone on WhatsApp also prevents them from adding you to groups? This is another way to check if you’ve been blocked on WhatsApp by someone. Try creating a new group and add the contact you suspect has blocked you. If you try to add them and get an error message, it could be a sign you’ve been blocked.
However, keep in mind that WhatsApp has a setting that lets users control who can add them to groups. They might have it set to “My Contacts Only,” which means you can’t add them unless they have your number saved in their contacts.
If the group is created successfully, you can simply say something like, “Oops, the wrong person!” and leave the group. If you can’t add them to a group and you’ve observed the other signs we’ve discussed, it’s highly likely you’ve been blocked.
7. Their ‘About’ Section Suddenly Went Blank
Most WhatsApp users don’t change their About section frequently for two reasons: the effort involved and because people generally don’t pay much attention to it, especially with WhatsApp Status taking over.
However, if someone’s About section had content until yesterday and suddenly went blank, along with other indicators like a missing profile picture, last seen status, and message delivery issues, it’s a strong sign that you’ve been blocked. Although, WhatsApp also lets them hide it from you without blocking.
Other Clues You May Have Been Blocked
- No more status updates: If you used to see their status updates regularly, but they suddenly vanish, it could be a sign. However, they might have just stopped using the status feature or hidden their updates from you specifically.
- You can’t see if they are typing: If you used to see the “typing…” indicator when they were replying to your messages, and now you don’t, it could be another sign. Again, this could also be due to a change in their settings or a poor internet connection on their end.
To summarize, here’s a brief overview of common signs of being blocked, how they appear, and what they might indicate:
| Can’t see their profile picture | Their profile picture is no longer visible to you. | They may have removed their profile picture OR they may have blocked you. |
| Can’t see their “last seen” status | You can no longer see the timestamp indicating when they were last active on WhatsApp. | They may have changed their “last seen” privacy settings OR they may have blocked you. |
| Can’t see their “online” status | You no longer see “online” beneath their name when they are actively using WhatsApp. | They may have changed their “online” status privacy settings OR they may have blocked you. |
| Messages only show one tick | Your messages to them consistently show only one grey tick (sent) and never two (delivered). | They may have their phone off or have network issues OR they may have blocked you. |
| Calls don’t go through | When you call them on WhatsApp, it stays on “calling” and the call quickly ends. | They may have their phone off, have a poor connection, or be on another call OR they may have blocked you. |
| Can’t add them to a group | You get an error message when trying to add them to a WhatsApp group. | They may have their group privacy settings set to “My Contacts Only” OR they may have blocked you. |
| Can’t see their “About” section | You can no longer see the information they have in their “About” section (e.g., their status message or any other details they’ve added). | They may have removed their “About” information OR they may have blocked you. |
Remember that none of these signs alone definitively confirm that you’ve been blocked as WhatsApp intentionally keeps it ambiguous to protect user privacy. However, if you notice several of these signs together, it’s highly likely that you’ve been blocked by the WhatsApp contact.
Ritik Singh
With over 7 years of experience in tech, Ritik currently heads content at Techwiser.com. His journey began by sharing his knowledge and helping other people in online communities. This passion led him to a career in tech journalism, fueled by a formal education in Electronic Media. He then went on to roles at GadgetsToUse and PC-Tablet, where he honed his skills as an editor. He's also contributed to popular publications like HowToGeek and TheWindowsClub. With a portfolio of over 2,000 how-tos, reviews, and in-depth guides, Ritik has helped millions of readers navigate their tech, from smartphones to smart homes.
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