7 Ways to Tell Someone Blocked Your Number By Texting

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Telltale signs that someone has blocked your texts

Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: March 24, 2026 Fact Checked

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Signs You've Been Blocked

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FAQ

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If someone you've been texting has stopped responding, you're probably wondering if they blocked your number. While you won't be notified when someone blocks your texts, there are some ways you can figure it out by sending them a text and looking for certain clues. In this article, we'll show you what to look for if you think someone has blocked your texts, and answer some common questions about blocking texts on your iPhone or Android.

Quick Signs That Someone Blocked Your Texts

Text bubbles that used to be blue are now green.
You don't see "Delivered" or 2 black (or gray) checkmarks below sent messages.
They don't show up as a suggested contact on Android.
You can't find their profiles or messages on social media apps.
You see an error when you text them.
You no longer see their "has notifications silenced" message when you used to.

Section 1 of 2:

Signs Someone Has Blocked Your Number

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There's been a change in iMessage color bubbles. If you have an iPhone and are texting someone else who has an Apple device with iMessage, you'll usually see blue text bubbles if messages are going through normally. If you've been blocked, the bubbles may turn green.
- Green text bubbles on an iPhone don't always mean you've been blocked. These bubbles can also appear if the other person's phone is not connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or cellular data, or if they've turned off iMessage.^{[1]
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You don't see "Delivered" or a delivery confirmation icon. Whether you're using an iPhone with iMessage or an Android with RCS, or even texting across the two platforms on some carriers, you'll usually see a sign that your text has been delivered to the other person's inbox shortly after sending the message. On an iPhone, you'll see "Delivered" (iPhone/iPad), while on Android, you'll see two black unfilled checkmarks.^{[2]
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- If you never see "Delivered" on your iPhone, or if your Android never changes from a single checkmark to a double checkmark, you may have been blocked.
  - If you both have read receipts enabled, "Delivered" will change to "Read" once the other person opens the message. On Android, the 2 checkmarks will fill with color.
- Keep in mind, there are other reasons your message might not be reported as "delivered." For example, if the other person's phone isn't connected to the internet or Wi-Fi, they may receive the message as a text (SMS), which would not send a delivery confirmation. You also won't see "Delivered" if their phone is turned off.
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If you see a message like "Not delivered," "Unable to send message: Blocking is active," or "Messages can't be delivered to this number," it's possible the person has blocked your number. But while the error message that specifically states you've been blocked is pretty straightforward, other errors can have other meanings. You might have message delivery problems if the other person's phone is off, disconnected, or if their (or your) mobile carrier is having problems.
Here's a test you can try: Delete the person from your contacts, then search for their phone number in your contacts to see what happens. If searching for their phone number displays their name as a "suggested" contact, you're definitely not blocked. However, if their name doesn't appear as a suggestion, it could be because they've blocked you.^{[3]
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Try visiting the person's profile in apps like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Snapchat. If you can't open their profile, or if their profile doesn't show up when you search for their username, they may have blocked you on that platform. If you're blocked on social media, you can probably assume they've also blocked your phone number if you also communicate via text.
If a person you text via iMessage puts their phone into Sleep, Do Not Disturb, or another focus mode, you may see an automated message at the bottom of the conversation with a moon icon that says "(name) has notifications silenced." If you usually see this message at certain times, try texting during those times. If the automated message doesn't appear as it used to, they may have blocked you. However, it's also possible they've turned off the Share Focus Status feature.
Ask a mutual friend to send a text to the person you think has blocked your number. If they see "Delivered" or the delivery icons but you don't, or their bubbles are blue while yours are green, it's likely the person has blocked your number but not theirs.

Section 2 of 2:

Common Questions

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Will texts still deliver if blocked? If someone blocks your number, your texts will not be delivered to them. The person you texted will not know you've texted them if they've blocked you, and you won't see "Delivered" or two checkmarks below your sent text.
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Do blocked iMessages stay blue? If you text someone who blocked you through iMessage, your sent texts may stay blue even though they aren't delivered. If you continue texting them over time, the messages will turn green. And in both situations, you will not see "Delivered" if they've blocked you.
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If I block someone's number, will they know? While they won't get a notification, they may be able to figure out that you've blocked them because their messages won't be delivered to your inbox, and they may see green bubbles instead of blue ones (iMessage).
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Am I blocked, or is their phone just off? If you text someone whose phone is turned off, it could look like they've blocked you. If you text someone via iMessage (iPhone) or RCS (Android, such as through Google Messages or Samsung Messages on Android) and their phone is off, the message will not show as "Delivered," which is the same behavior you'll see if they've blocked you.^{[4]
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