Going straight to voicemail or receiving zero ‘Delivered’ status updates on text messages is a frustrating experience. You may wonder if your number is blocked or if the recipient is unavailable. So, how can you find out if you’ve been blocked on your iPhone?
You’re likely blocked if the call goes straight to voicemail or after one ring. You can send an iMessage and view the Read Receipts to determine if your number is blocked. You may be blocked if you don’t see ‘Delivered.’ You can also enter *67 or hide your Caller ID to see if you’re blocked.
Don’t panic if you can’t get a hold of someone or if you have been blocked. Although frustrating, the recipient may be unavailable or without an internet connection. Let’s take a look at some of the methods you can use to determine if someone blocked your number.
Can You Find Out If Someone Has Blocked Your Number?
There isn’t a straightforward way to determine if someone blocked you other than asking them directly. However, you can use several different methods below to gauge if you’ve been blocked or if the recipient isn’t available. Here’s a few:
Send an iMessage
One method to determine if you’ve been blocked is to send an iMessage, which is sent over the internet. Regular SMS messages have a green bubble, while a blue bubble indicates an iMessage.
Here’s what to do:
- Launch the Messages App on your iPhone.
- Send a short iMessage to the recipient that may have blocked you.
- Check the read receipts or delivery status after sending the iMessage.
After sending an iMessage, you’ll notice the delivery status underneath the text. If the delivery status reads ‘Delivered,’ you have not been blocked. If the recipient enabled read receipts, the status would turn to ‘Read‘ after they open the message.
Not seeing ‘Delivered‘ doesn’t always indicate that you’ve been blocked, as the recipient may not have Wi-Fi or their phone is dead.
Send a SMS Message
Another method to try to determine if you’re blocked is to send a standard SMS message. If you notice the ‘Delivered‘ status underneath the SMS, you haven’t been blocked. However, if you see a ‘Message Not Delivered’ status, you may have been blocked.
Note: Automated responses don’t indicate that your number is blocked. You will not receive automated responses if your number is blocked.
Try Calling Them
Alternatively, you can try calling the person that may have you blocked. If the call goes straight to voicemail or rings once and then goes to voicemail, you’re probably blocked.
However, the recipient may be busy and decline the call after one ring. You may want to try calling them a few different times during the day to see if it’s a connection issue.
Turn Off Caller ID and Call Again
You can disable the Caller ID on your iPhone and call the person to determine if you have been blocked or if they’re avoiding you. Here are the steps:
- Launch the ‘Settings‘ app on your iPhone.
- Navigate to ‘Phone‘ then select ‘Show My Caller ID.’
- Disable the toggle slider next to the ‘Show My Caller ID’ option.
Now the recipient won’t see your name or number when you call them. Give them a call after disabling the Caller ID and view your results.
If the call rings as normal and doesn’t immediately transfer to voicemail after the first ring, you’re most likely blocked. If the recipient answers the call or it cuts off after a few rings, your number is also likely blocked.
Check Other Messaging Apps
If your number is blocked, you’re most likely blocked on other messaging apps as well. Try contacting the recipient on other apps like WhatsApp or Messenger.
If these messages go through and you receive a response, you’re not blocked. It’s best to be polite and make these messages count, as you may be blocked on these apps as well.
What Are the Signs That You’ve Been Blocked?
There’s a few telltale signs that your number is blocked if you can’t reach the recipient via phone or text message. Some additional signs include:
- Your phone calls go directly to voicemail or after one ring.
- You receive a busy tone, or your call gets immediately cut off.
- You do not receive a response via text messages and do not see ‘Delivered‘ on the read receipts.
- You cannot reach the recipient with a hidden caller ID.
What to Do When Someone Blocks Your Number
Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot you can do to reach the recipient if your number is blocked. That being said, there are some situations where you need to get a hold of someone in case of emergency.
These methods aren’t foolproof but can help you reach someone who has your number blocked.
Hide Your Caller ID or Use *67
One method to get a hold of someone who has your number blocked is to hide your Caller ID or use *67. You can use the steps above to hide your Caller ID or type *67 before you dial their phone number. If the call rings normally or they pick up, it means your unmasked number was blocked.
Use Another Messaging App
As mentioned earlier, you can use a different messaging app like WhatsApp or Messenger to get a hold of someone who has your number blocked. These methods aren’t foolproof, and they may have you blocked on these platforms as well.
How Do You Block Other People on an iPhone?
You can block unwanted calls, FaceTime requests, and messages on the iPhone by following the steps below.
- Launch the Phone App on your iPhone.
- Select ‘Favorites‘, ‘Recents‘, or ‘Voicemail‘ to find the contact you want to block.
- Select the ‘More Info‘ button next to the number or contact.
- Scroll downward and select ‘Block this Caller.’
Alternatively, you can click ‘Contacts‘ and select the contact you want to block. Scroll down and select ‘Block this Caller’ to prevent them from sending unwanted calls, messages, and FaceTime requests.