How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number?

Mobile Phone

With today’s technological advancements, you can do everything easily with a few taps on your smartphones, including blocking someone. However, despite many innovations emerging, a straightforward way to identify if someone blocked your number isn’t existing yet at the moment. Whether you’re consistently communicating with a special person, friend, or colleague, it’s never a pleasant feeling when someone blocks your number all of a sudden. Thus, it’s important to learn how to know if someone blocked your number.

Although there are unique ways on how to know if someone blocked your number, no definitive method is available. Hence, the best option to know is to ask the recipient directly. Of course, we’ve all known how awkward it can be. Luckily, there are a few tweaks on how to know if someone blocked your number without asking them personally.

If you’re suspecting that someone blocked your contact number, here are different ways to determine if it’s genuine. We hope this article can shed light on your confusion. Given that you already got the confirmation you need, we suggest that you leave the situation as is. Save yourself from all the drama, and just let things unfold on their own, rather than harassing them.

 

How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number via iMessage

How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number via iMessage
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The first attempt you should try so you would know if someone blocked your number is sending them a text via iMessage. Unfortunately, this method only works with Apple devices. iMessage lets you know if your messages are successfully sent. It’s either “Delivered or Read”. A delivered indicator means the message went through, but the receiver hasn’t read the text yet. The latter is pretty obvious.

If you are consistently messaging the person, you will notice the indicators, as soon as there is an exchange of texts. However, if you don’t see either the Delivered or Read notification all of a sudden, chances are, the recipient has already blocked your number. Instead of getting a clear indicator below your message, you only see blank space.

Take note, there are a few exceptions regarding why you can’t see the indicators. The recipient has either activated the Do Not Disturb mode on their iPhone/iPad, turned off iMessage on their device, or have switched to a new phone that doesn’t have the iMessage app. If several days have passed by and you’re still not seeing the indicators, you can take it as a sign that you have been blocked.

 

How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number through a Simple Message

Person Sending Text Message Using Mobile Phone
© Photo by Andrey Popov on Adobe Stock

Unlike Apple devices, Android doesn’t offer a straightforward way to determine if someone blocked your number. Android smartphones don’t have any built-in, web-based instant messaging apps like iMessage. Hence, it doesn’t have a definitive Delivered or Read indicator.

If you’re using an Android device and eager to know if there is someone who blocked your number, the only way to know is by sending them a text message. If they respond, then you’re number is not blocked. Otherwise, it’s the other way around. Although it’s not the most apparent sign, it’s still worth a try.

On the contrary, this method also applies to Apple devices. Little did you know, you can also text someone using the built-in Messages app. If you don’t have a successful attempt with the first method, you can always have the option to try this method. 

 

How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number via Voicemail

How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number via Voicemail
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If you call a recipient who currently blocked your number, you won’t get any notification. Unlike text messages, voicemails provide you with more apparent indicators. Through a voicemail sequence or ringtone, you would know if there is someone blocked your number. When you aren’t blocked, you can hear a minimum of three rings followed by a voicemail prompt. In some cases, if the recipient’s phone is off or a call is in progress, your call will redirect immediately to their voicemail.

On the contrary, if someone blocks you, the voicemail works differently. Hence, if you call someone who already blocked your number, you can hear only one ring and immediately redirects to their voicemail. Although you can leave a message on their voicemail, they won’t receive it once you’re currently blocked.

If you want to give them the benefit of the doubt, you can call them once daily for a few days. Once you’ve done this and you’re still getting the same voicemail pattern, it’s an entirely apparent sign that they have definitely blocked your number.

As mentioned, there are always exceptions to the rule. If you’re calling them and they activate Do Not Disturb mode on their smartphones, all calls, including yours, are automatically redirected to their voicemail. Aside from that, the recipient’s phone is turned off, or the battery is empty. Hence, we recommend trying this method for a few days.

In a nutshell, if you have more than three rings and are redirected to voicemail, you’re not blocked, or perhaps, they’re just ignoring your calls. Otherwise, if you only get a single ring followed by a voicemail, then you’re already blocked.

 

How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number via Phone Call

How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number via Phone Call
© Photo by Johnér on Adobe Stock

Another method on how to know if someone blocked your number is calling them straight from your phone. No standard spiel for blocked recipients is available when you’re trying to call someone. However, if you hear unusual incoming call spiels, the recipient must’ve already blocked your number through their mobile service providers. Depending on the mobile carriers, some of the spiels can be the following:

 

  • “The person you’re calling is temporarily out of service.”
  • “The number you’re calling is temporarily outside of coverage area.”
  • “The number you are calling isn’t accepting calls right now.”
  • “The person you’re calling is unavailable.”

 

If you’re trying for a few days and still get the same spiel, it clearly shows that someone has already blocked your number.

As mentioned, exceptions to the rules can be applied. In this case, the person may be outside the country, or a major storm has damaged cell towers, transmitters, and other network infrastructures. Hence, your attempts to call them are unsuccessful. However, the standard spiels for these incidents include “The number cannot be reached. Please try your call later.” or “All circuits are busy now. Please try again later.

 

How To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number By using Another Number

When you’ve exploited other means and still want to double-check, you can try calling the person using another number immediately. By far, this is the simplest yet most effective solution to know if you’re blocked.

If you’re suspecting that someone blocked your number, you can simply borrow someone’s phone to verify if you’re already blocked in someone’s network. Alternatively, you can ask a friend to text or call them using their number. If you’re not getting any feedback while your friend got a reply or got their call answered, then it’s obvious that someone blocked your number from their contacts.

The point is, when you can’t call someone using your number, but can contact them using a friend’s phone, someone has likely blocked your number for a reason.