Is your Android phone blocked by a contact?

If your texts and calls aren’t reaching friends, family, or colleagues, your number may be blocked. However, it is likely that the blocker will not notify you, or you simply cannot ask. Sometimes the blocking also happens accidentally and that is why it is good to know how to block a number on Android to reverse the process.

But what if you are the one who is blocked?

Here is the way to check it.

What happens if your number is blocked?

The first thing you need to know is what actually happens when someone has blocked your number.

If you try to call them, you’ll probably find yourself ringing once or twice before being told that their number is unavailable. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve been blocked – they may have ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode turned on – but it is a clue. If instead their phone keeps ringing, you are not being blocked, they are simply not answering for some other reason.

Unfortunately, if you try to send them text messages, there’s no obvious hint. It looks like your message is being delivered properly, but the recipient just isn’t receiving it.

How to Check If You’re on Someone’s Blocked Numbers List

If you’re talking to the person who may have blocked you, you can easily check if you’ve been blocked via their phone – with their permission, of course.

If they’re also using an Android phone, they’ll need to open the ‘Contacts’ app, open the settings menu (depending on their phone, this will be located slightly differently) and tap ‘Blocked Numbers’.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

If they are an iPhone user, they should go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts instead.

If your number is on the list, it means you have been blocked by their device. By removing it from the list, your calls and messages should arrive on their device again.

How to check if you’ve been blocked from your own Android phone

What if you have no line of communication with the person you think blocked you? On Android devices, there is an alternative solution to determine if your number is blocked:

1. Open the ‘Contacts’ app on your phone.
2. Find the contact you think has blocked your number.
3. Back up their contact information or write down their phone number and other information.
4. Tap the three dots in the top corner of the screen.
5. Tap ‘Delete’.
6. Close the Contacts app by long pressing the home button/swiping up from the bottom of the screen until all open apps are visible. Then swipe ‘Contacts’ up and off the screen.
7. Open ‘Contacts’ again.
8. Search for the deleted contact using the search bar at the top of the screen.

If the contact in question (the one you just deleted) shows up as a suggested contact, chances are your number has not been blocked. On the other hand, if they don’t show up, chances are they blocked you.

This advice only applies if someone has blocked your actual phone number through their phone. If you’re worried you’ve been blocked on another specific platform, check out our guides to find out if you’ve been blocked on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger.