Most of us have received calls: “Your car’s warranty is about to expire…”, whether we have a car or not. Besides going to DoNotCall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 to be added to the do not call list, you can also block specific phone numbers from your phone.
But what if you need to block someone you know, such as a co-worker, neighbor, or ex? Can they tell you’ve blocked them? We’ll walk you through the ways someone can tell if their number is blocked or not.
Can someone know if I blocked their number?
First, if you block someone’s number, they won’t find out right away. They won’t get a notification saying they’ve been blocked and can’t see it clearly anywhere, but they can infer it. There are many ways a person can know if they have been blocked, like sending you messages and calling you.
If you and the other person you blocked both use iPhones, your text message exchanges will be through iMessage, so they’ll show up in blue.
This message was sent as an iMessage so it is blue and says Sent, meaning your number is not blocked
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet
If they are not blocked and decide to send you a text message, it will appear as Delivered.
The signs are colored
After blocking my number on the other phone, messages were sent as text instead of iMessage
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet
If a sent text message is green, it means it was sent as SMS instead of iMessage. They can see it too Not yet delivered red under the green text bubble or the message may have been sent as an iMessage and not display if it is Delivered. These can all be clues that they may have been blocked by someone else.
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However, iMessages may display in green or not display at all Delivered when someone’s phone is off or if they have no signal or internet connection at the time. So the other party may assume that’s the case before realizing that they’ve been blocked.
When someone thinks they’re blocked, it’s all about putting the pieces together to determine whether the other person really blocked their number. If you call someone who hasn’t blocked your number, you usually hear a few rings before the number goes to voicemail.
When you call a number that has blocked your number, you may hear one and a half rings or no ring at all and then the call will go to voicemail. If it goes straight to voicemail, their phone may also be turned off or out of range, or they may have temporarily turned it on Do not disturb working, driving or sleeping mode.
If the person you blocked calls your number, they will go to voicemail and can leave a message, but you will not receive missed calls or voicemail notifications.
If “Someone” you’ve blocked calls your number, they may go straight to voicemail
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet
If the blocked party’s messages were sent as texts when they used to be iMessages and their calls always go straight to voicemail, they may try calling you from a different number or hide their number. They can hide their number by dialing *67 before your phone number and the call will come in as No Caller ID.
If the caller is blocked from contacting another number or by hiding their number, they can be fairly certain that you have blocked them.
Dial *67 + phone number. So *67(XXX)-XXX-XXXX, shows as No caller ID on other phone
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet
For peace of mind, I will not answer No Caller ID calls after blocking someone, unless I am expecting a very important call.
Also: How to find and remove spyware from your phone
If you’re the one being blocked, remember that while no one wants to find themselves blocked by someone else, especially if it’s someone you care about, the best thing to do is to allow that person some privacy and time. to handle their need to do so.
Incoming calls without caller ID hidden numbers use *67
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet
Frequently asked questions
Can someone know if I blocked their number on Android?
Android isn’t as straightforward as the iPhone when it comes to trying to figure out if someone blocked you. Since there’s no iMessage in Android, it’s a little harder to identify. Some phones provide read and delivered receipts, so if that’s the case with your phone and the blocked person’s phone and they don’t see the receipt, they can try to find out more.
Also: 5 quick tips to better secure your Android phone now
Either way, if their call to your number doesn’t go through and they hide their number to call you and it goes through, they will likely find out that you blocked their number regardless of the boundary. receive sent or read.
Does blocking a phone number block the number on Whatsapp?
When you block someone’s number, you won’t receive their calls, texts, or voicemail notifications. But if you also use Whatsapp for communication, their number will not be automatically blocked on the messaging app either.
Whatsapp is a messaging app that is independent of your phone’s manufacturer and carrier. To block someone from contacting you via Whatsapp, you will have to do it within the app. Going to the contact information in Whatsapp and tapping on Block (this person) will do the trick.
How do I know if someone has blocked me on Whatsapp?
If you think someone has blocked you on Whatsapp, you can send them a message to check. When someone receives a Whatsapp message, two checks will show up as it is deposited and they will turn blue as it is read. If only a gray check mark appears, the message has not been sent to the recipient.
It may not be sent if the person does not have internet service at the time or if their phone is turned off. If you have other reason to think they might have blocked you on Whatsapp, wait a few days and if the check mark never doubles then they probably did.
Can someone tell me if I have their number blocked on my landline?
If you’re receiving unwanted calls on your landline, you may be wondering whether someone can tell whether you’ve blocked their number, whether you’ve blocked the number with a call blocker, or whether you’ve blocked the number with a call blocker. through your phone service provider. The blocked party will not receive a notification that they have been blocked, but if they call your landline, they may hear a busy signal or a message that their call cannot go through or that the number that’s busy. Which variation of this they hear will depend on the service provider.
For example, blocked callers can’t leave voicemails on your landline like they can on your iPhone. Their calls simply will not be taken.
