Technology has made it easier for us to communicate with each other, but it has also made it easier for us to stop communicating with certain people. For one reason or another, you may have blocked some numbers—but is there a way to know if someone blocked you?
While there’s no surefire way to tell if your number has been blocked, there are several methods that you can try to check.
If You Have an iPhone
If you’re using an iPhone and you suspect that you’ve been blocked, you can use iMessage to verify this.
Try sending a text of some kind. If you see the “Delivered” status underneath your message, then you weren’t blocked. However, if you see “Message Not Delivered” or simply no notification underneath your message, this may be a sign that you’ve potentially been blocked.
Alternatively, your recipient may have turned on the Do Not Disturb mode. When this is switched on, you won’t be able to see any delivery notification until this has been switched off by the user.
Try Calling Them
If you call a number and you get recorded messages along the lines of the person you’re calling being unavailable, this might be an indication that you’ve been blocked, especially if you’ve tried to call them repeatedly and receive the same message.
There are exceptions, however. If they’re frequently out of the country or if some network infrastructure has been damaged, you may be getting the same message when trying to call them.
It’s best to wait for a few days before trying again.
Voicemail
If you haven’t been blocked, you’ll hear several rings before you get sent to voicemail. If their phone is off or they’re in the middle of a call, you’ll go directly to voicemail. However, if they blocked your number, you’ll hear one ring before you go right to voicemail.
Use Another Phone
You can also try calling them using another phone. Determine whether there’s a difference by first calling them using your own phone. If you’re unable to contact them, use another phone. See how long it takes before you go to voicemail.
Try to determine why you may be blocked
While there’s no definitive way to tell if you’ve been blocked, there may be several reasons as to why you’re unable to contact them. Perhaps they’re out of the country, travelling. Or maybe they’ve changed their numbers for some reason. Perhaps their network is down, or they’re on an airplane or activated Do Not Disturb mode.
If someone blocked you, there might be a pretty good reason behind it. Maybe they found a way to get cash for a laptop and didn’t tell you. Jokes aside though, if you’ve really been blocked, assess your situation and determine why they’d have a reason to block you.
Continuing to attempt contacting someone who has blocked you or has cut off communication with you may result in less desirable consequences.