Have you ever tried calling or messaging someone on your iPhone, only to find out you can’t reach them? You may have been blocked.
Being blocked on iPhone can be frustrating, especially when contacting someone important. Fortunately, several ways exist to tell if you’ve been blocked on your iPhone without calling.
This blog post will discuss six ways to tell if you’re blocked on your iPhone without calling. We will also answer some common questions about blocking on iPhones. Let’s get to it.
How to Tell If You’re Blocked on iPhone Without Calling?
There isn’t one sure way to know if you have been blocked or not, except if you asked the suspected blocker.
However, here are some things you can do to accurately guess if you have been blocked on your iPhone without calling the person.
Method 1: Check the Read Receipts on iMessage
One way to tell if you’ve been blocked on your iPhone is to check the read receipts on iMessage. If you message someone who has blocked you, the read receipts won’t appear.
If you send someone an iMessage and see “Not Delivered” or you don’t see any notification, they may have blocked you.
However, they may also have their iPhone in “Airplane” mode, turned off or do not have an internet connection. Check out more about messages delivery when the phone is dead.
Note: This trick only works if you have an iOS version of 16.4 or lower. iPhones updated to iOS 16.5 will still display “delivered” on iMessage even if the receiver has blocked you.
Method 2: Try Sending an SMS
Another way to tell if you’ve been blocked on iPhone is to try sending an SMS.
If you don’t see a “Delivered” or “Read” receipt on an iMessage, you can try sending an SMS instead. SMS messages are sent through your carrier’s network, which will still be delivered even if you are blocked on iMessage.
If the message goes through, it’s a good sign that you haven’t been blocked. However, if the message status remains “Not Delivered” it suggests that the intended recipient might have blocked you.
To send an SMS rather than an iMessage, follow these steps:
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Step 1. Long-tap the undelivered text in the message thread.
Alternatively, tap the red exclamation point next to your undelivered text.
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Step 2. Choose the “Send as Text Message” option from the popup.
Now your text will be sent via SMS. SMS messages appear in green, not the iMessage blue.
Note: If you see a “Delivered” or “Read” receipt on an SMS, it does not necessarily mean that you are not blocked on iMessage. It is possible that the person has only blocked you on iMessage but not on SMS.
Method 3: Use a Different Number/Device
Another way to tell if you’ve been blocked on your iPhone is to use a different number or device to text the person.
This approach is the most common and arguably effective for getting a quick confirmation. And even more, it offers a discreet yet powerful means that doesn’t alarm the recipient.
If you can send them a text or reach them via a phone call from a different number or device, then there’s a high probability that you’ve been blocked on your personal iPhone line.
Find out if a cancelled call on iPhone means you are blocked.
Method 4: Turn Off Your Caller ID
You can also turn off your caller ID to see if you can reach the person. If the call goes through, it’s a good sign that you haven’t been blocked. However, you may have been blocked if the call went straight to voicemail.
Note: There’s a catch to this. If the person that blocks you had turned on a call setting that blocks “No Caller ID” calls, then the result of doing this is a false positive.
Here is how you can turn off your caller ID on your iPhone:
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Step 1. Navigate to the “Settings” app.
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Step 2. Select “Phone” in the options.
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Step 3. Under the “Calls” section, select “Show My Caller ID.”
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Step 4. Tap the toggle switch next to it.
The toggle switch would turn white once it is off, and green means it is on.
Learn how to hide your “Caller ID” when the option “Show My Caller ID” does not appear or it is greyed out.
Your outgoing calls will not display your phone number when you do this. Instead, the person you call will see a placeholder text or number.
Method 5: Mask Your Number
You can also try masking your number and calling the person. This will hide your phone number from the person you’re calling, so they won’t be able to see that it’s you.
This is how you can mask your number:
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Step 1. Open your Phone app
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Step 2. Type “67” and then the person’s phone number.
Each country has its code. The code *67 is valid for USA and Canada.
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Step 3. Dial the typed digits.
If the call rings normally, and the person even picks, the odds are high that you have been blocked.
Method 6: Try Using Other Apps
If you are still trying to determine if you are blocked, you can use other apps to contact the person. If the person is set on blocking you, they will most likely block you in other places.
For example, you can contact them through Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or another messaging app.
If, by any luck, they haven’t blocked you there as well, they will see your message when they’re back online, but they may not respond.
In that case, make the message you send them count, but be polite if you want to understand why they blocked your texts and calls.
Also Read: How to Block Snapchat on iPhone
How to Text Someone Who Blocked You
The best way to text someone who has blocked you is to do it anonymously with a different identity.
You can do that on your iPhone by changing your iMessage email address or using an anonymous texting service.
Method 1: Changing Your iMessage Address
iMessage works with the underlying email address attached to your Apple ID. It, however, allows you to change it to a desired one.
You can use this trick to send a text to someone who blocked you on your iPhone through iMessage because the email address that was previously blocked is different from the one you’re using now.
The following steps describe how you can go about this:
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Step 1. Create a new Apple ID with a different email.
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Step 2. Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
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Step 3. Select the “Messages” option.
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Step 4. Tap on “Send and Receive.”
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Step 5. Tap on your “Apple ID” and choose “Sign Out.”
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Step 6. Tap “Use your Apple ID for iMessage.”
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Step 7. Select “Use Other Apple ID.”
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Step 8. Log in with a new Apple ID email.
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Step 9. Select your new email under “Start New Conversations From.”
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Step 10. Open iMessage and send a message.
Method 2: Using Anonymous Texting Services
To use an anonymous texting service, you don’t need a new phone number to text someone who has blocked you. All you need to do is to access the websites of these services. Some anonymous texting services you use are:
- TextforFree (Free for U.S. Users)
- SendAnonymousSMS (Free for Everyone)
- AnonymousText.com (Charges a one time of one-time fee of $1.49)
Remember to respect the recipient’s privacy and boundaries when using anonymous texting services. While these services provide a means of communication, you must always be respectful and considerate.
Does a Caller Know If They’re Blocked on iPhone?
No, a caller does not know if they’ve been blocked on iPhone. When you block someone on iPhone, they can still see your phone number in their call log, but they won’t be able to contact you. They won’t get any notifications that their calls or messages have been blocked.
However, according to Apple, when you block a phone number or contact, they can still leave a voicemail, but you won’t get a notification, and messages they send or the ones you send won’t be delivered. Also, the contact won’t be notified that the call or message was blocked.
What Does a Blocked Caller Hear?
When you call someone who has blocked your number on your iPhone, you’ll hear a single ringtone or nothing at all, and then their phone will go to voicemail. However, this can also mean the person you call is in airplane mode or on Do Not Disturb Mode.
So to be sure, try different times over two to three days. You have been blocked if you hear the same thing consistently during these trials.
Does “Do Not Disturb” Mode Block Calls?
No, the “Do Not Disturb” mode does not block calls. “Do Not Disturb” mode differs from “Block Caller” mode. Calls and alerts will be silenced when you turn on “Do Not Disturb” mode. However, the caller will still be able to leave a voicemail.
In contrast, if someone has blocked your number, their phone will not ring even if “Do Not Disturb” mode is disabled.
Does Blocking Someone on iPhone Block Them on Other Apple Devices?
Yes, blocking someone on your iPhone will block them on all of your Apple devices, especially if you block the person on iMessage — any message or attempt by the individual’s Apple ID that was blocked won’t get through to you.
The person would remain blocked on every Apple device you sign in with the Apple ID you use to block them. Also, blocking a contact on your Phone, FaceTime, Messages, or Mail app blocks them across all four apps.
But in any case, you can still call, message, or email a blocked contact without unblocking them; only they won’t be able to do the same.
Related article: Can FaceTime be tapped?
You Can Know If You Are Blocked on iPhone Without Calling
If you have followed all of the steps above and you are still unsure if you have been blocked, then it is likely that you are. However, as this article has shown, there is always the possibility of another explanation for why you cannot get through to the person.
When all else fails, you can always go old school – ask them face-to-face and ease your burden. Of course, it’s not the most straightforward approach! But hey, while tech tries to lower the barrier of long-distance communication, nothing beats the good old physical interaction.
I hope this blog post has helped you to understand how to tell if you’re blocked on your iPhone without calling.
