Here's what happens when you block someone's number on your iPhone

Steven John

Jun 19, 2019, 02:26 IST

Here's what happens when you block someone's number on your iPhone

Aleksey Khilko/Shutterstock

When you block a number on an iPhone, you limit that number from contacting you in several ways.

It's easy to block a phone number on your iPhone, but you might wonder what specifically happens on the receiving end of your block.
When you block a number on your iPhone, you prevent that number from contacting you via text, phone, or FaceTime.
Of course, blocking a person's number on iPhone does not prevent that person from contacting you through third-party apps like Instagram or WhatsApp.
But text messages sent from a blocked number will not be delivered to your iPhone, and you won't receive phone or FaceTime calls from said number.
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It's come to this: you're blocking a number. Your iPhone doesn't care if you're blocking an ex-boyfriend, a spam caller, your crazy aunt, or any other phone number; it will dutifully shut that contact out of your life. At least in terms of texts, calls, and FaceTime.

Blocking a number on an iPhone can't prevent the person from reaching out via third-party apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, or Instagram, but it will put up a wall between you in terms of the iPhone's primary methods of communication.

But what actually happens when you block a contact on your iPhone? What does the other person see or hear when they are blocked? The answer in all cases is… not much.

What happens to blocked texts on iPhone

iPhone

This is what the person whose number you've blocked will see when trying to send you a text - a floating message bubble without a "Delivered" receipt beneath it.

When you block a contact, their texts go nowhere. The person whose number you've blocked won't receive any sign that their message to you was blocked; their text will simply sit there looking as though it were sent and not yet delivered, but in fact, it will be lost to the ether.

What happens to blocked FaceTime calls

When someone tries to FaceTime a number they've been blocked by, the blocked FaceTimer's call will simply ring and ring without an answer (because the person on the receiving end won't even know he or she is being contacted) - until the blocked caller gives up.

What happens to blocked phone calls

When you block a number on your iPhone, the blocked caller will be sent straight to your voicemail - this is their only clue that they've been blocked, by the way.

The person can still leave a voicemail, but it won't show up with your regular messages. Instead, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the voicemail window and tap the "Blocked Messages" tab.

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Any voicemails from a blocked number will be grouped into their own "Blocked Messages" folder, which you can access by scrolling to the bottom of your voicemail section.

How to block a number on iPhone

So, how do you block a number on an iPhone? Pretty simple stuff, really. Just tap the blue 'i' in a circle beside the phone number, scroll down, hit "Block this Caller," then confirm.

And to block an existing contact, open the contact up, scroll down, and ditto.

For more detailed instructions and further information, see our article, "How to block a number on your iPhone."