How To Block (and Unblock) Someone on Social Media

Social media brings us together and inspires communication and connectivity, but there are times when we need to control who can communicate with us. With this in mind, social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat allow you to block users and prevent them from sending you direct messages and viewing your content. Should we change our minds, unblocking someone is as easy as blocking.

You can block someone on Facebook by either navigating to their account and blocking them, or by navigating to your account’s Settings & Privacy, searching for them by name, and blocking them.

Option 1: Navigating to the user’s account

To block someone on Facebook, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to the user’s account.
2. Click the three dots below their cover photo.

3. In the drop-down menu that appears, click “Block.”

Note: If this user is not a friend on Facebook, you will still accomplish steps 1-3, but the drop-down menu will look a bit different, as the second picture below indicates.

4. Click “Confirm” in the box that appears. The box contents will differ depending on if this person is a friend. If this person is a friend, they will automatically be removed from your friends list.

Option 2: Navigating to Settings & Privacy

1. From your homepage, click on the down caret in the upper right corner.
2. Click “Settings & Privacy.”

3. Click “Settings.”

4. Click “Privacy.”

5. Click “Blocking” so that you can access your list of blocked accounts.

6. In the “Block users” section, type the name of the account you want to block. Click “Block.”

7. In the search results that appear, click “Block” next to the person you want to block.

8. In the box that appears, click “Block (username).”

Unblocking someone on Facebook

Follow these steps to unblock someone on Facebook:

1. Complete steps one through five above.
2. Next to the blocked account, click “Unblock.”

3. In the box that appears, click “Confirm.”

Note: You will not be able to block the unblocked account again for 48 hours.

To block someone on Instagram, complete the following steps:

1. Log in to the Instagram app on your mobile device.
2. Navigate to the account you wish to block.
3. Tap the three horizontal dots icon at the top right of the screen.

4. Tap “Block” in the pop-up screen that appears.

5. Choose to block the account and all other accounts that this user may make in the future, or block just this one account.
6. After making your selection, tap “Block.”

A window with a message confirming that this account has been blocked will appear.

Unblocking someone on Instagram

To unblock someone on Instagram, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to the account through search by using the magnifying glass icon.
2. You will see a blue button that says “Unblock.” Tap on that button.

3. Confirm that you would like to unblock this account by tapping “Unblock” in the box that appears.

You can also complete the following steps to unblock an account.

1. Tap on your profile image at the bottom of your screen.
2. Tap the three horizontal bars at the top right.

3. Tap “Settings” in the pop-up window.

4. Tap “Privacy.”

5. Find and tap on “Blocked Accounts.”

6. Tap “Unblock” next to the account you wish to unblock.

7. In the box that pops up, tap “Unblock.”

8. A message will appear confirming you have unblocked this account. Tap “Dismiss” to return to the previous screen.

To block someone on YouTube, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to the user’s account.
2. Click “About” in the account’s menu.

3. Click the flag icon under “Stats.”

4. In the box that appears, click “Block user.”

5. In the box that appears, select “Submit.”

Unblocking someone on YouTube

YouTube is owned by Google, and you operate your YouTube account through your Google account. Therefore, when you block someone on YouTube, you are also blocking this user on the following Google applications:

• Currents
• Classic Google Hangouts
• Google Chat
• Google Photos
• Google Maps
• Google Pay India
• Google Drive

To unblock someone on YouTube, complete the following steps:

1. Log into your Google (Gmail) account.
2. Click the icon with nine dots.
3. Click “Account.”

4. From the left-hand navigation menu, select “People & sharing.”

5. Click “Blocked” to view the accounts you have blocked.

6. Click the “X” next to the account name you wish to unblock.

To block someone on Twitter, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to the account you wish to block.
2. Click on the three dots next to the user’s cover photo.

3. In the box that appears, select “Block.”

4. In the box that appears, click “Block.”

Unblocking someone on Twitter

To unblock someone on Twitter, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to the user’s profile.
2. Hover over the “Blocked” button, and it will read “Unblock.” Click this button.

3. Confirm your wish to unblock the user in the box that appears.

You can also access all blocked users in your settings. To do so, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to your profile.
2. Select the three dots next to “More.”

3. In the box that appears, select “Settings & privacy.”
4. Select “Privacy and safety.”
5. Select “Mute and block.”
6. Click “Blocked accounts” to see your list of blocked accounts.

7. Hover over the “Blocked” button next to the account you wish to unblock. It will then read “Unblock.” Click this button.

Blocking and unblocking someone on Snapchat is a breeze. To block an account on Snapchat, complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to the profile of the person you wish to block.
2. Tap the three dots at the top of the person’s profile.

3. In the box that appears, tap “Manage Friendship.”

4. Tap “Block.”

5. In the confirmation box that appears, tap “Block.”

Unblocking someone on Snapchat

To unblock someone on Snapchat, complete the following simple steps:

1. Navigate to the profile of the person you wish to unblock.
2. Tap the button that says “Unblock.”

3. In the confirmation box that appears, tap “Yes.”

This person will now be able to contact you via direct message (or send a friend request).

Taking control of your social media experience

With access to so many users across so many platforms, it is no surprise that social media feels overwhelming at times. In addition to occasionally needing to block someone on your social media accounts, you may need to learn how to take other actions, such as reporting someone for unsavory behavior. Learn how to report someone on Facebook in this guide.

---

The steps to block someone on social media were researched in November 2021 and the screenshots reflect the app layout on an iPhone and Macbook Pro. Applications and layouts are liable to change; see the Instagram Help Center, Facebook Help Center, Google’s YouTube Support Center, Twitter’s Help Center, and Snapchat’s Support Center for additional information.