When someone blocks you, the experience varies by platform, but generally, you will see a lack of delivery confirmations, the person's profile information may disappear, and attempts to contact them (calls/messages) will not go through normally.
To know if someone blocked you, watch for calls going straight to voicemail after one ring, texts showing "Not Delivered" (or no read receipts/checkmarks on apps like WhatsApp), and potential changes on social media; the most definitive test is calling from another number, where it rings normally for you but goes to voicemail on your original number, indicating a block.
You can suspect someone blocked you on an iPhone if calls go straight to voicemail (maybe after one ring) and iMessages don't show "Delivered" or "Read" receipts, but these signs can also mean their phone is off; the most reliable test is trying to call them using a different number or *67 to hide your caller ID, and if it rings normally on their end but goes to voicemail from your real number, you're likely blocked.
If you attempt to send a text message and, in response, get a message that reads “Free MSG: Unable to send message, message blocking active,” that is a sign that the recipient is not receiving messages and that you may be blocked.
However, you'll only see one gray checkmark if your message can't be delivered because the recipient has blocked you. Just bear in mind that messages, particularly those sent via Wi-Fi or mobile data, can also fail to be delivered due to slow internet, network outages, or other technical issues.
Signs you may have been blocked
If you have an iPhone and text another iPhone but don't see a “Delivered” notification, someone may have blocked you. (Android phones don't automatically show these messages.) The same goes for if you consistently see a green text bubble instead of a blue one on your iPhone.
If you text someone who blocked you, you won't see an alert that you've been blocked, but they won't get your text. If you usually see "Delivered" when you text them but don't see it now, or their message bubbles are suddenly green instead of blue, you may be blocked.
Muting helps you ignore someone without preventing them from doing anything. Blocking someone prevents them from messaging you, commenting on your observations, identifying your observations, and otherwise interacting with you on iNaturalist.
One of the quickest ways to know if someone has blocked your number is to call them. If your call goes to voicemail after one ring, this could be a sign that your number has been blocked. But, no need to panic just yet. It's also possible that the recipient's phone is just turned off or in airplane mode.
If you've been using iMessage with another iPhone user, your text bubbles are blue. If someone blocks you through iMessage, your texts will appear as green — the same bubble color you'll see in a thread with a non-iPhone user.
If the person you're calling has blocked anonymous calls, *67 won't work either. While *67 hides your number from the person you're calling, phone companies can still trace the call.
Blocked contacts won't receive texts or notifications, and read receipts won't appear. To verify blocking, check if calls go straight to voicemail or use alternative communication methods.
Once a number is blocked, any text messages or iMessages sent from that contact will not be delivered to your device. Instead, they'll be silently intercepted and discarded by Apple's servers. You won't receive any notifications, and the messages won't appear in your inbox.
The person who has blocked you will never see messages or calls from you. If a person unblocks you, messages are not resent. They will never see information that you sent while they had you blocked.
It blocks both text messages and calls, so the person who is doing the blocking will be able to rid themselves of unwanted contact entirely. Generally, the blocked sender won't have any idea that they are blocked, other than their messages aren't going through and aren't responded to.
The person you blocked will not realize you blocked them when they try to call you. On their end, they'll hear the phone ring a few times. Then, their call will go straight to voicemail. Here is the one big catch with blocking someone on iPhone: Technically, they can still send you a voicemail.
It depends on your end goal. If you are doing this to get them back then just ignore. If you just want to move on then block.
Practical signs someone may have muted you
Messages remain “sent” or “delivered” but never get quick replies: If your messages consistently show delivered but the person doesn't reply for long stretches while they remain active elsewhere, muting could be the reason.
You can suspect someone blocked you on an iPhone if calls go straight to voicemail (maybe after one ring) and iMessages don't show "Delivered" or "Read" receipts, but these signs can also mean their phone is off; the most reliable test is trying to call them using a different number or *67 to hide your caller ID, and if it rings normally on their end but goes to voicemail from your real number, you're likely blocked.
If your texts consistently show no delivery, it may be a sign you've been blocked. If your message goes through, you'll see Delivered beneath it. If it hasn't been delivered — whether due to being blocked or simply because of issues like poor reception — it will show Not Delivered.
An easy way of knowing you've been blocked is to send a message with read receipts on. If the message doesn't say delivered that means you're blocked. Calling is slightly different, it rings a couple times and goes to voicemail. You can leave a message which they will get but they won't receive a notification for it.
When someone blocks you, their device no longer notifies them when they receive a phone call or text from your number. You won't know you've been blocked. The phone will “ring” from your end, but there will be no indication on the recipient's end. You won't know if your call was blocked or simply missed.