How to Unblock Someone on WhatsApp

To unblock someone on WhatsApp, open Settings → Privacy → Blocked contacts, tap the person, and choose Unblock — it works the same way on Android and iPhone and takes only a few seconds. Below is the exact path, plus a faster shortcut from the chat screen and a note on what does and does not come back afterwards.

Unblock from Settings (Android and iPhone)

This is the most reliable method and shows your full blocked list:

1. Open WhatsApp. On Android, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right and choose Settings. On iPhone, tap Settings in the bottom-right.
2. Tap Privacy.
3. Tap Blocked contacts (shown as Blocked on iPhone).
4. Find the person. On Android, tap their name; on iPhone, swipe left on the row or tap Edit first.
5. Tap Unblock and confirm.

That is it — the contact is removed from your blocked list and can message and call you again.

Unblock straight from the chat

If you still have the conversation open, you do not need to dig through Settings:

1. Open the chat with the blocked person, or tap their name at the top to open contact info.
2. Scroll down to the red Unblock option.
3. Tap it and confirm.

A blocked chat usually shows a small banner at the bottom offering to unblock, which is often the quickest route of all.

What happens after you unblock someone

Unblocking simply restores normal messaging. Once done:

1. The person can send you messages and call you again.
2. Your future messages to them will deliver as usual.
3. You will start seeing their last seen, online status and profile photo again, subject to their own privacy settings.

Importantly, nothing they tried to send while blocked is recovered — those messages were never delivered and are gone for good. WhatsApp does not queue them up to arrive later.

Does the other person find out?

No. Just as WhatsApp never announces a block, it never announces an unblock. There is no notification and no badge. The only way the other person might realise is that their messages suddenly start delivering again, or your last seen reappears for them. If you would rather they never noticed the gap, there is no perfect way to hide it, but nothing is spelled out to them directly.

Does unblocking restore the old conversation?

Yes — your existing chat thread with the person was never deleted by the block, so it is still sitting in your chat list exactly as it was. Unblocking simply lets new messages flow again on top of that same conversation. The only gap is the period during which they were blocked: nothing they sent in that window arrives after the fact. From the next message onwards, everything works normally, including media, voice notes, and calls.

How to block someone (so you know what you are undoing)

It helps to know the reverse action, since unblocking simply lifts it. To block a contact, open their chat, tap their name to open contact info, scroll to the bottom, and tap Block. You can also block from Settings → Privacy → Blocked contacts by tapping Add and choosing a contact. When you block someone, your messages to them stop delivering and you stop seeing their updates — exactly the state that unblocking reverses.

If you cannot see the person in your blocked list

If someone is not in Blocked contacts, you have not actually blocked them — the delivery problem may be something else. Their phone might be off, they might have blocked you, or the message could simply be failing to send. In that case, check that both of you have signal and an up-to-date app version.

Android and iPhone side by side

The feature is identical on both platforms; only the taps differ slightly:

1. Opening Settings — Android uses the three-dot menu at the top-right, iPhone uses the Settings tab at the bottom-right.
2. The list name — Android labels it “Blocked contacts”, iPhone shortens it to “Blocked”.
3. Removing someone — Android: tap the name then Unblock. iPhone: swipe left on the row, or tap Edit first, then Unblock.

Everything else — the effect on messages, calls and last seen — works exactly the same way regardless of which phone you or the other person use, because blocking lives on WhatsApp’s servers rather than in the phone’s operating system.

A quick note on business and unknown numbers

The same steps unblock a business account or an unknown number you previously blocked to stop spam. If you unblock a spammy sender and the messages return, you can always block again — and use the Report option in contact info, which can block and report in one tap. There is no limit on how many times you can block and unblock the same number, so you never have to worry about “using up” the ability to change your mind.

For related help, see how to know if someone blocked you on WhatsApp to understand the signals from the other side, and if your messages are not going through at all, our guide on fixing WhatsApp not sending messages walks through the common causes. To tidy your contact list, see how to remove a contact from WhatsApp.