iMessage

How to Know if You Got Blocked on iMessage

Tips that'll help you suss out whether you have been blocked on iMessage or the other person is just busy and unable to read your messages.

Sakshi Garg

Apr 21, 2023 • 4 min read

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To determine if you're blocked on iMessage, check if your messages show a "Delivered" status. If it disappears, you may be blocked. Try calling the person; if the call goes straight to voicemail or disconnects, you might be blocked. However, consider other factors like Do Not Disturb mode, network issues, or a switched-off phone before concluding.

Getting blocked downright sucks! No one’s going to argue about that. But when you're using iMessage to communicate with someone, how can you know for sure whether they have really blocked you, or it's just that overthinking mind of yours working overtime?

Although there isn't a single fact that'd make you entirely certain, some ways would help you figure it out, i.e., whether you were really blocked or the person was just too busy to get back to you.

✅ Check your iMessage Delivery Status

Apple's exclusive instant messaging service iMessage has a lot of features. One of them happens to be the delivery status. Each message you send via iMessage has a delivery status tag with it. It lets you know if your message was delivered. Although this 'delivered' only appears underneath the latest news (and then changes to read if the other person has read receipts enabled), it can be very helpful in sussing out your blocked status.

If “delivered” appears underneath all your latest messages, then rest assured that the person hasn't blocked you.

But if suddenly the “delivered” tag disappears, it can be a cause for concern. When someone blocks your number, they'd stop getting your messages, and your phone will no longer be able to tell you that it has delivered your message.

The messages you sent before you were blocked can still be read by them, i.e., their status can change from “Delivered” to “Read”. But the message you sent after getting blocked will not reach them. Any messages you send, while you were blocked, won’t reach the other person even after getting unblocked.

But does the absence of “delivered” always mean that the other party has blocked you? Not necessarily. There are other scenarios where your iMessages stop getting delivered to the other person.

If someone shifts from an iPhone to an Android without deleting their number from the iMessage servers, their number will still show up in iMessages. But the messages you send will not reach them. Hence, no “delivered” tag. They might also be simply not connected to the internet. So, what to do next?

🤙 Try Calling Them

iMessage is not a standalone app where the person can block you. They have to block your number completely, which means when you are blocked, you can’t just “not text” them, you also can’t call them.

When your number is blocked, calling the person would almost immediately send you to either voicemail or disconnect your call. If they have the voicemail service on, you’d be able to leave a voicemail, but it’d go straight to their blocked voicemail box. But the cue here is going straight to voicemail or getting disconnected every time after not even one complete ring.

⛔ Could it be DND?

Your call going straight to voicemail or getting disconnected does not always mean that you have been blocked. Their iPhone could simply be in the Do Not Disturb mode. So, how do you figure that out?

First of all, you could try calling them again within 3 minutes of your first call. If they have the enabled setting to allow ‘Repeated Calls’ to ring, your call will get through.

But it still doesn’t necessarily mean you’re blocked if it doesn't. They just might have the setting turned off. It’s time to open your Messages again and drop them an iMessage. Even in the DND mode, your message is delivered to the other person. They just won’t get a notification.

So, if your messages aren't getting delivered, and your calls aren't getting through either, sorry to say, but the chances are, they have most likely blocked you.

But don't write them off just yet. It would be best if you gave the person some time. They could just be out of the network area or have their phone switched off – all the same things will happen, i.e., your messages won't be delivered, and your calls will go straight to voicemail. But if this continues for some days, it's time to take the hint and either mend your fences or move on because they have most definitely blocked you.