Can’t get a Response? How to Know if Someone Blocked you on iMessage

If you’re trying to get in touch with someone on iMessage, and you can’t do it, there are four signs that point to a block. If the person hasn’t blocked you, then something else is wrong. If someone doesn’t respond to your messages, there are a couple of explanations for this. Maybe they’re busy with something else and haven’t had time to reply yet, or maybe they have blocked you.

You’ll see the Words “Delivered” or “Read” Below the Last iMessage you Sent

If your message was sent successfully, you’ll see the words “Delivered” or “Read” (if they have Read Receipts on) below the last iMessage that you sent them.
For example, imagine you’re coordinating a team meeting and you send out the agenda via iMessage to your colleague, Jamie. If the message goes through, right below your text, you’d see the word “Delivered.” Now, if Jamie has her Read Receipts turned on and she opens the message, that “Delivered” will change to “Read.”
If you don’t see these words, it means they either didn’t get your message, don’t have adequate service to receive messages, or might have blocked you.
Maybe they’re in a remote location for a business trip and don’t have adequate service to receive messages. Another scenario could be that they’ve turned off their data or are in airplane mode.
If you see the words “Delivered” or “Read,” then it means that person has received your message. If they don’t respond, check to make sure that the phone number is correct by sending them another iMessage. And always ensure that you’ve got the right phone number. It’s easy to mistype a digit, and you might end up sending crucial information to a stranger!

Check the Bubble Color

Another way to know if someone blocked you on iMessage is to check the bubble color. If you see green bubbles, this means that your text messages are being sent through SMS, and they might have blocked you on iMessage. For example, if you send me a message and I receive it with a green bubble, this means that the message was sent through SMS rather than iMessage. If you don’t see a blue bubble on your end, then it’s likely that they’ve blocked you on iMessage. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean they have blocked your number altogether; it just means they have blocked you from sending them messages over iMessage. SMS is a cellular carrier technology where Apple controls iMessage. If a person blocks you on iMessage, then they won’t get any of your texts at all.

When an iMessage user blocks another user or stops receiving their messages altogether instead of seeing these messages in blue bubbles (as they should), they’ll see them listed as “not delivered” instead of being able to read them outright on their phone screen like normal conversations would appear under normal circumstances without any issues whatsoever.

You Can’t FaceTime the Person

It’s pretty easy to spot if you’re blocked on iMessage because when you try to call or video chat them using FaceTime, it won’t work. You’ll get an error message that says something like, “The recipient does not accept your invitation.” If this happens, it means that person has blocked your number from calling them through iMessage and FaceTime. You can also try to FaceTime them using their phone number instead of their Apple ID, but that may not work either. You’ll get a message that says, “Cannot reach this person right now.” If this happens, it means that person has blocked you.

If you’re blocked, there’s no way to unblock yourself. The only thing you can do is wait until the person who blocked you decides to unblock you.

Does the Moon Icon Mean You’ve Been Blocked?

When Focus and Do Not Disturb mode is activated on iOS devices, users can temporarily disable notifications for all but the contacts or apps that they select—so if you send someone a message through iMessage and don’t get a response, it may be simply because their notifications are turned off. 

With iOS 15 and beyond, when you have Focus mode enabled and receive a message, your phone will automatically notify the sender of the message that you have Focus mode activated. If this is the case, a moon icon next to your friend’s name in the chat window will indicate that they have muted notifications. 

If you are on the recipient’s contact list in iMessage, and they have enabled notifications for your name specifically (as opposed to enabling them globally), then you should have the option to break through Focus mode and send a notification anyway. If you don’t, you might be blocked on iMessage.

Try Calling the Number You’re Sending an iMessage to 

If you’re being ignored or blocked on iMessage, take a break and give the person some space. If you’ve confirmed that the message was delivered, checked to see if there’s a notification-silenced message in your sent folder. If you’ve been blocked by another user, they will not be notified of your phone call if you attempt to place one. 

Call From a Different Number 

If you’re concerned about a person’s ability to receive messages, use this method as your last resort. Tricking someone into answering by using a different number is invasive and wrong. Of course, if there’s a legitimate concern and you’ve tried all the steps we mentioned without success, the last resort could be to call them from an unrecognizable number. 

If you call from a different phone number and cannot get through, something may be wrong with either the person you’re trying to contact, or their phone may lack service/coverage at the time. 

Conclusion 

If you’re still not sure if someone has blocked you on iMessage, check all four signs—and don’t assume anything. If someone hasn’t blocked you, they’ll be able to receive messages from your iPhone and iPad. Despite what you may want to hear, it’s important to remember that if someone is hard to reach or has blocked your number entirely, giving them space is often the best option. You can’t control other people, so don’t waste your time wishing they would do what you want. 

Avoid the temptation to cyberstalk someone who has hurt you, and give them time and space to process their feelings. You could always talk to the person who blocked you to clear up any misunderstandings face-to-face, step back and get some outside perspective, or simply move on if you notice things aren’t working out. At least now you know how to check if you have been blocked on iMessage. If you’re wondering about an option for iMessage on PC or iMessage for Android, check out Spike. 

If you want to be sure that someone has blocked you, you need to check all of the warning signs. If at least three of them are present, there’s a good chance that the person has blocked you. If only one or two are there, then it is less likely that this is the case. When in doubt, leave the person alone.