How to Tell If Someone Blocked You on Facebook Messenger
Think you're still friends with someone? Maybe not
What to Know
- Send the person a message. If it goes through, they probably haven't blocked you.
- If you see a warning saying that the message wasn't sent, the person might have blocked you.
- If you can view the person's Facebook profile, they may have blocked you on Messenger but not on Facebook.
This article explains how to tell if someone blocked you on Facebook Messenger with instructions for the desktop website and the mobile app.
How to Tell If Someone Blocked You on Messenger: Mobile Version
The easiest way to check whether you've been blocked on Messenger but not on Facebook is to use the mobile app and check whether or not a message gets through.
If it doesn't, you can then check if that person is still on Facebook. If they are, then they've blocked you on Messenger only.
While in the Messenger app, tap the Search bar and type in your friend's name.
Tap your friend's namewhen it appears in the search results.
Type your message in the text boxnear the bottom of the screen and select the send button.
If the message sends as normal, your friend hasn't blocked you on Messenger. But, if you're told "Message Not Sent" and that "This person isn't receiving messages at this time" this means either:
- You've been blocked on Messenger but not Facebook.
- You've been blocked on Facebook itself.
- Your friend has deactivated their account.
There's also a possibility that you won't get a message at all. The intended recipient will not receive your message nor be able to respond, though. So if you don't receive a response, it's possible you've been blocked.
In any case, your next step is to determine which of these possibilities apply. Open the Facebook app and conduct a search for your friend's name. If they appear in the search results after typing their name, then they might have blocked you on Facebook Messenger, but not on Facebook. But if your friend's account doesn't appear, this doesn't necessarily mean they've also blocked you on Facebook. They might have deactivated their account.
How to Tell If Someone Blocked You on Messenger: Desktop Version
The same basic methods apply when using your computer to check whether someone blocked you on Messenger, although the steps are slightly different.
Go to messenger.comand log in to your Facebook account.
Select the New Message icon in the top-right corner of the left-hand column.
Type the person's name into the search bar and select it once it appears.
Type a message in the conversation box.
Press the send button (arrow icon).
After clicking the Send button, you might receive a message which reads, "This person isn't available at the moment." Once again, this doesn't necessarily mean they've blocked you on Messenger since they could've either blocked you on Facebook or deactivated their account.
There's also a chance you'll see nothing out of the ordinary (as in the screenshot above), but the recipient will not receive your message nor be able to respond.
FAQ
How do you block someone on Facebook Messenger?
To block someone, open the Messenger app, find the person you want to block, and hold your finger on their name until a pop-up box appears. Select the option to Block Messages, then tap Done.
How do you delete messages on Facebook Messenger?
To delete a message, open the Messenger app, find a chat, then tap and hold your finger down on the individual message. At the bottom of the screen, tap Remove.
How do you deactivate your Facebook Messenger?
The only way to deactivate Messenger is to deactivate your Facebook account. To hide your online status, open the Messenger app, tap your profile photo, and select Active Status. Toggle Show when you're active / Show when you're active together.
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If you're worried someone blocked you on Facebook Messenger, there are some simple signs to look for. While there's no built-in Messenger feature that tells you if you're blocked, you can still figure it out based on the behavior of the check mark icon after you send a message. This wikiHow guide will teach you the easiest way to find out if someone blocked on you Messenger using your Android, iPhone, iPad, or computer.
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1
Open a conversation with the person in Messenger on your computer, phone, or tablet. If someone blocks you on Facebook (either on the web or in the official Facebook app), you'll also be blocked on Facebook Messenger. To find out, start by opening a chat in Messenger with the person you're wondering about in the Messenger mobile app or on the web at //www.facebook.com/messages.
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2
Look for "This person is unavailable on Messenger" in the typing area. If you see this message in the area where you'd normally type a message, you are not blocked—the person has either deactivated their account, or the account was deleted by Facebook.[1]
- For some reason not explained by Facebook, this text doesn't appear at the bottom of all deactivated accounts.
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3
Check the person's profile photo and name. If you can still see this person's profile photo and name at the top of the chat, the user has not deactivated or deleted their account—you could still be blocked. But if their profile photo is now a gray outline of a person instead of their old photo, they've likely deactivated their account, not blocked you.
- Sometimes, but not always, a deactivated account's name will be replaced with "Facebook User" instead of the name you're used to. This may happen if Facebook has deleted the person's account for violations, or if the person has deleted their own account permanently.
- If someone deactivates their Facebook account, they can reactivate it at any time.
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4
Click or tap the person's name to visit their profile. To find out what's going on for sure, click or tap the person's name at the top of the chat. If you're on a phone or tablet, you'll also need to tap Profile to continue on to the profile page.
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Look for an error message. One of two things will happen now—you'll either see the person's profile, or you'll see an error that says "This Content Isn't Available Right Now" (or similar). Here's how to figure out what that means:
- If you can see the person's profile as normal, you are not blocked on Facebook, and their account is active. It is still possible that they've blocked you on Messenger but not on Facebook.
- If you see "This Content Isn't Available Right Now" (or similar) instead of their profile, and their profile photo in Messenger was a gray placeholder icon, they haven't blocked you—they've deactivated their account (or it was deleted by Facebook).
- But, if the person's profile photo and name are visible at the top of the chat and you see "This Content Isn't Available Right Now" on their Facebook profile, this person blocked you on Facebook, which means you're also blocked on Messenger. You can double-check by looking for their name in your Friends list—if it's no longer there, and you can't search for the person, you're blocked on both Facebook and Facebook Messenger.[2]
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1
Open a conversation with the person in Messenger on your computer, phone, or tablet. If you've determined that you're not blocked on Facebook, you can examine the details of a sent message to figure out if you're blocked on Messenger. Start by opening a conversation with the person you're curious about.
- Even if you're blocked, you'll still see the conversation with the person in Messenger.
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2
Send the person a message. This can be a simple hello, a question, an emoji, or anything you wish. When you send a message, you'll see a circle containing a single checkmark next to your message—this means the message is sent, but not yet received. You can usually figure out if someone blocked you based on the behavior of that icon over time.
- If you see a red exclamation point icon instead of the checkmark icon (or you see "Not Everyone can message this account"), the person's account may have been terminated by Facebook or their messaging is restricted due to complaints. It doesn't mean they've blocked you.
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3
Wait a while and then check the Sent icon. After a while, the checkmark icon you saw earlier will usually change to a different icon:
- If the person has logged in to Facebook on a computer or opened Messenger on their phone or tablet but has not opened your message, the circle around the checkmark will fill with a solid color.
- When the person does open your message, the checkmark will be replaced by the person's profile photo.
- If the person never received or opened the message, the original Sent icon—the hollow circle with a checkmark inside—will still be there. If the icon hasn't changed and you know the person has been on Facebook or Messenger, they've probably blocked you.
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4
Find out if that person has been on Facebook or Messenger. Ask a mutual friend to find out whether the person has been on Facebook, seen, or replied to any of their messages. If the person in question has been on Facebook or Messenger, but that Sent icon never changed in your conversation, you're blocked on Messenger.
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Question
What happens if you block someone on messenger?
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
In a nutshell, the blocked person cannot contact you on Messenger and you cannot contact the blocked person on Messenger.
Question
Can you tell if someone blocked me on Messenger?
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
It is tricky but not impossible to tell whether or not someone has blocked you on Facebook Messenger. First, this information is shielded from you for privacy reasons. However, you may be able to work out someone has blocked you through the error messages that turn up when you try to message them. For example, a message that reads: “This person isn’t available right now” could signal you've been blocked on Messenger (or maybe completely blocked on Facebook). The methods explained above explain how to check further––just realize that none are foolproof and may mean something other than being blocked. You could ask the person through another channel or ask a mutual friend if you're game.
Question
What do I do if I'm ignored on Facebook Messenger?
At most, send one more message. If it goes unanswered as well, back off and forget them. They do not want to talk to you, and you shouldn't let that get you down. Delete the chat and try to forget about it.
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About This Article
Article SummaryX
1. Figure out whether you're blocked on Facebook. If you are, you're also blocked on Messenger.
2.
Send a message to the person in Messenger and watch the "Sent" icon afterwards.
3. Wait a few days and check your message--did the icon change? If not, and the person's account is active, they've likely blocked you.
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