Blocking stops someone from contacting you and seeing your profile
When you block someone on Messenger, they cannot send you messages, see when you are online, or view your profile picture and status. Any existing conversation with that person disappears from your message list, though the messages themselves are not deleted — they remain in your account's archive if you ever unblock them later. The blocked person will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may notice they cannot find your profile or that old messages no longer show a "delivered" status.
Blocking is different from muting or ignoring a conversation. Muting silences notifications from someone but leaves the conversation visible and lets them still contact you. Blocking is permanent until you choose to unblock, and it affects both Messenger and Facebook itself — if you block someone on Messenger, they are also blocked on the main Facebook platform.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone on Messenger removes them from your message list and prevents them from sending you new messages or seeing your online status.
- You can block someone directly from a conversation or from their Facebook profile, and the process takes one or two taps.
- The blocked person will not see a notification, but they may realize they cannot reach you if they try to message you later.
- You can unblock someone at any time through your Messenger settings, and unblocking restores your message history with that person.
- Blocking on Messenger also blocks the person on your main Facebook account, so they cannot message you through either platform.
How to block someone from a Messenger conversation
Open Messenger and find the conversation with the person you want to block. On mobile, press and hold the conversation name until a menu appears, then tap "Block." On a computer, right-click the conversation and select "Block" from the dropdown. A confirmation window will appear asking you to confirm the block — tap or click "Block" again to finalize it.
After you block someone, their conversation disappears from your inbox when ready. If you had notifications turned on for that conversation, they will stop. Any messages they send you after the block will not appear in your account, and they will not know whether their messages were delivered or read.
How to block someone from their Facebook profile
You can also block someone by visiting their Facebook profile directly. Click or tap their name or profile picture to open their profile, then look for the three-dot menu icon (usually in the top right corner of their profile). Tap or click the menu and select "Block." A confirmation window will appear — confirm the block to proceed.
This method is useful if you want to block someone you are not currently messaging with, or if you want to block them before they contact you. Blocking from their profile has the same effect as blocking from Messenger: they cannot contact you through either platform, and they cannot see your profile or online status.
What happens to old messages when you block someone
Messages you exchanged with a blocked person do not disappear from your account — they move to an archived section that you can still access if you unblock them later. While someone is blocked, you cannot see their messages in your main inbox, but if you unblock them, the conversation reappears with all the old messages intact.
The blocked person cannot see your messages either. If they try to open your conversation thread, they will see that the messages are no longer there, though some platforms show them a message saying the conversation is unavailable. They will not be able to tell whether you deleted the messages or blocked them.
How to unblock someone on Messenger
To unblock someone, open Messenger and tap the profile icon or settings icon (usually at the bottom or top of the screen). Look for "People" or "Blocked" in the settings menu. You should see a list of people you have blocked — find the person you want to unblock and tap "Unblock" next to their name. Confirm the action when prompted.
On a computer, click the settings icon in Messenger, then select "People" or "Blocked." Find the person in the list and click "Unblock." Once you unblock someone, they can message you again when ready, and your old conversation history will reappear in your inbox. They will not be notified that you unblocked them.
Blocking versus other ways to limit contact
Messenger offers several options for controlling who can reach you, and blocking is the strongest one. If you want to stop seeing messages from someone without fully blocking them, you can mute the conversation — this silences notifications but leaves the conversation in your inbox and allows them to keep messaging you. You can also ignore a message request from someone you are not connected with, which moves their messages to a separate folder.
Restricting someone is another option that limits what they can see on your profile without blocking them entirely. A restricted person cannot see when you are online, cannot see your posts, and their messages go to your message requests folder instead of your main inbox. Restricting is useful if you want to reduce contact with someone but may still interact with them occasionally, whereas blocking is for people you do not want to hear from at all.
What to do if someone keeps trying to contact you after being blocked
If a blocked person creates a new account to contact you, Messenger may flag the new account as suspicious, but it will not automatically block it. You will need to block the new account manually using the same steps as before. If someone is harassing you across multiple accounts, take screenshots of the messages and report them to Facebook through the "Report" option in Messenger — this alerts Facebook's safety team and may result in the person's accounts being suspended.
If the harassment is severe or involves threats, you can also report it to local law enforcement. Facebook keeps records of reported messages and can provide them to authorities if needed. Blocking alone may not be enough in cases of serious harassment, but it is always the first step to stop someone from reaching you directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
They will not receive a notification, but they may figure it out if they try to message you and their messages do not deliver, or if they cannot find your profile. There is no way for them to see a "blocked" label, but the signs are usually obvious to someone actively trying to reach you.
Can I block someone without them seeing that I read their last message?
No. If you have already read their messages, they will have seen the read receipt. Blocking does not change past read receipts — it only stops new messages from being delivered. If you want to block someone before they know you read their message, you would need to block them before opening the conversation.
What if I block someone by accident?
You can unblock them when ready through your settings. Open Messenger, go to settings, find "Blocked" or "People," and tap "Unblock" next to their name. Your conversation history will reappear, and they will be able to message you again right away.
Does blocking someone on Messenger also block them on Facebook?
Yes. Blocking on Messenger automatically blocks the person on your main Facebook account as well. They cannot message you, see your profile, or interact with your posts on either platform. If you unblock them, they are unblocked on both.
Can I block someone from seeing my story without blocking them entirely?
Yes, but you have to do it through Facebook's story settings, not through Messenger. On Facebook, go to your story settings and add them to your "Hide story from" list. This hides your stories from them without blocking them or stopping them from messaging you.