Block Out the Noise: A Complete Guide to Blocking Contacts on WhatsApp (Android, iPhone, Jio Phone)

Tired of unwanted messages? Here’s how to block anyone on WhatsApp, across all your devices.

WhatsApp, a mainstay in our digital lives, has become the go-to communication tool for individuals and businesses alike. With its ability to connect us through text, video, audio, and even GIFs, it’s easy to stay in touch with friends, family, and colleagues. However, sometimes we encounter individuals we’d prefer to avoid. Perhaps it’s a persistent spammer, an ex you don’t want to hear from, or someone who constantly shares unwelcome content. Whatever the reason, blocking someone on WhatsApp is a quick and easy way to silence these unwanted interactions and regain control of your communication space.

This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough of blocking contacts on WhatsApp, covering the most popular platforms: Android, iPhone, WhatsApp Web, Desktop App, and even KaiOS. But don’t worry, it also includes instructions on how to unblock those contacts if you have a change of heart.

Blocking a Contact on WhatsApp: What You Need to Know

Before diving into the step-by-step guides, it’s important to understand the implications of blocking someone on WhatsApp:

• No More Communication: Once you block a contact, you will no longer receive messages, calls, or status updates from them.
• Hidden Information: Your last seen, online, status updates, and any changes to your profile photo will no longer be visible to blocked contacts.
• Contact List Remains: Blocking a contact does not remove them from your contact list on WhatsApp. To delete a contact completely, you must remove them from your phone’s address book.
• No Backlog: If you unblock a contact in the future, you will not receive any messages they sent while they were blocked. Past calls and status updates will also not be visible.

WhatsApp for Android

Here’s how you can block a contact on WhatsApp for Android:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap on the ‘three dots’ icon in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Navigate to Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked contacts.
3. Tap on the ‘Add’ button and search for the contact you want to block. Select their name from the list.

Alternatively, you can block a contact directly from their chat:

1. Open the chat of the contact you want to block.
2. Tap on the ‘three dots’ icon in the top right corner of the chat window.
3. Select More and then tap Block to block the contact.

If the number belongs to someone you haven’t saved in your contacts list, there’s a quicker way to block them:

1. The ‘Block’ button will appear directly in the chat window.
2. Select the option and immediately block the contact.

To identify the contact as spam and report it, you can choose the ‘Report and Block’ option instead.

Unblocking a Contact on WhatsApp for Android

Here’s how to reverse the blocking process on Android:

1. Open WhatsApp and navigate to Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked contacts.
2. Select the contact you wish to unblock.
3. Tap on Unblock.

Alternatively, you can unblock a contact from their chat:

1. Search for the blocked contact.
2. Tap and hold their name in the blocked contact list.
3. Select Unblock.

WhatsApp for iPhone

Here’s how to block a contact on WhatsApp for iPhone:

1. Open WhatsApp and navigate to Settings > Account > Privacy.
2. Select Blocked and tap on the Add New option.
3. Search for the contact you want to block and select their name.

You can also block a contact directly from their chat:

1. Open the chat with the contact.
2. Tap on the name of the contact at the top of the screen.
3. Select Block Contact > Block or Report and Block.

To block a contact from your chats list:

1. Swipe left on the chat you want to block.
2. Tap More > Contact Info > Block Contact > Block or Report and Block.

For blocking unknown numbers:

1. Open the chat with the unknown number.
2. Tap Block > Block.

If you are receiving a message from an unknown phone number, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the chat with the number.
2. Tap on the phone number.
3. Select Block Contact > Block or Report and Block.

Unblocking a Contact on WhatsApp for iPhone

Here’s how to unblock a contact on iPhone:

1. Open WhatsApp and navigate to Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked.
2. Swipe left on the contact’s name in the blocked contacts list.
3. Tap Unblock.

You can also unblock a contact from their chat:

1. Open the chat with the contact.
2. Tap on the contact’s name at the top of the screen.
3. Select Unblock Contact.

To unblock a contact from your chats list:

1. Swipe left on the chat with the contact in your Chats tab.
2. Tap More > Contact Info > Unblock Contact.

WhatsApp for KaiOS

WhatsApp is also supported on select phones running KaiOS 2.5.1+, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2.

Here’s how you can block a contact on WhatsApp for Jio Phone or Jio Phone 2:

1. Open WhatsApp and select Options > Settings > Account.
2. Click on Blocked and then choose the Add new… option.
3. Search for or select the contact you want to block and then select Block.

You can also block a contact directly from their chat:

1. Select the chat with the contact in your chats list.
2. Press Options > View contact > Block > Block.

To block an unknown phone number:

1. Open the chat with the unknown number.
2. Press Options > View contact > Block > Block.

Unblocking a Contact on WhatsApp for Jio Phone or Jio Phone 2

Here’s how to unblock a contact on Jio Phone or Jio Phone 2:

1. Open WhatsApp and select Options > Settings > Account > Blocked.
2. Select the contact you want to unblock and press unblock.

You can also unblock a contact directly from their chat:

1. Select the chat with the contact in your chats list.
2. Press Options > View contact > Unblock.

WhatsApp Web

Here’s how to block a contact on WhatsApp Web:

1. Open WhatsApp Web in your browser.
2. Click on the ‘three dots’ icon on the top right corner of the chats feed.
3. Select Settings > Blocked > Add Blocked Contact.
4. Search for the contact you want to block and select them from the list.

Alternatively, you can block a contact directly from their chat:

1. Open the chat window with the contact.
2. Click on the contact’s name at the top of the screen.
3. Select Block.

For blocking unknown numbers:

1. Open the chat window with the unknown number.
2. Click on Contact Info > Block > Block.

Unblocking a Contact on WhatsApp Web

Here’s how to unblock a contact on WhatsApp Web:

1. Open WhatsApp Web in your browser.
2. Click on the ‘three dots’ icon on the top right corner of the chats feed.
3. Select Settings > Blocked.
4. Select the contact you want to unblock from the list.

You can also unblock a contact directly from their chat:

1. Open the chat window with the contact.
2. Click on the contact’s name.
3. Select Unblock.

For unblocking unknown numbers:

1. Open the chat window with the unknown number.
2. Click on Contact Info > Unblock.

WhatsApp for Desktop App

Here’s how to block a contact on WhatsApp for Desktop App:

1. Open WhatsApp for Desktop App on your computer.
2. Click on the ‘three dots’ icon on the top right corner of the chats feed.
3. Select Settings > Blocked > Add Blocked Contact.
4. Search for the contact you want to block and select them from the list.

Alternatively, you can block a contact directly from their chat:

1. Open the chat window with the contact.
2. Click on the contact’s name at the top of the screen.
3. Select Block.

For blocking unknown numbers:

1. Open the chat window with the unknown number.
2. Click on Contact Info > Block > Block.

Unblocking a Contact on WhatsApp for Desktop

Here’s how to unblock a contact on WhatsApp for Desktop:

1. Open WhatsApp for Desktop app on your computer.
2. Click on the ‘three dots’ icon on the top right corner of the chats feed.
3. Select Settings > Blocked.
4. Select the contact you want to unblock from the list.

You can also unblock a contact directly from their chat:

1. Open the chat window with the contact.
2. Click on the contact’s name.
3. Select Unblock.

For unblocking unknown numbers:

1. Open the chat window with the unknown number.
2. Click on Contact Info > Unblock.

Conclusion

Blocking unwanted contacts on WhatsApp is a simple yet effective way to take control of your communication experience. By following these easy-to-understand steps, you can create a more positive and peaceful WhatsApp environment that reflects your preferred connections. Remember, you are in charge of who you interact with and how you manage your digital space. So, block those unwanted contacts with confidence and enjoy a more peaceful WhatsApp experience.

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