When you block a contact, the outcome is set by the product where you block them, not by a single rule that applies everywhere. In most consumer messaging and phone apps, the blocked person’s calls and messages stop reaching you. Whether they are told, whether they can leave voicemail, and whether the contact card or connected features change all depend on the service. The word “blacklisted” is commonly used to mean “blocked,” and that is the term the platforms themselves use, so this article uses it.
Blocking in one service does not block the person in other apps, on other numbers, or through other accounts. The sections below set out what each major service documents, followed by a comparison table and a short list of things to check before you block someone.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Where the block happens decides the outcome
A block is scoped to the service that applies it. Blocking a number in your phone app does not change what happens in your messaging app, and blocking an email sender in one mail client does not affect a support ticket system that person may use. Five things vary from one service to the next:
- What happens to incoming calls, messages, or emails: declined, not delivered, or moved to a folder.
- Whether the blocked person can leave voicemail.
- Whether the blocked person is notified or can infer the block.
- Whether connected features such as location sharing, group chats, or emergency settings change.
- Whether the saved contact, past conversation, or support record remains, and what happens after you unblock.
Platform by platform
Apple: Phone, Messages, and Mail
On an iPhone, Apple’s guidance says a blocked person may still leave a voicemail, but you receive no notification for it. Calls and messages from a blocked number or contact are not delivered to you. Apple also states that the blocked person is not told that the call or message was blocked.
#1 Best Overall
- Universal unlocked. Compatible with all major U.S. carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and other prepaid carriers.
- Super-bright, super-smooth 6.7" display. See your screen clearly even outdoors in sunlight, and enjoy seamless views with a fast-refreshing 120Hz display.*
- AI-powered camera system. Take stunning photos in any light with the 50MP camera**, look your best with a 32MP selfie cam*****, and capture extreme close-ups.
- Superfast 5G performance. Unleash your entertainment at 5G speed*** with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and up to 12GB of RAM with RAM Boost****.
- Long-lasting battery + TurboPower charging. Power through day after day with a 5200mAh battery, then get hours of power in just minutes.****
In Mail, messages from a blocked sender are moved to Bin rather than your inbox. Mail blocking applies across your Apple devices signed in to the same account, according to Apple’s current support material.
These behaviors belong to Apple’s own apps and current operating-system instructions. They are not a description of how every phone or mail provider works.
Apple: location sharing, Family Sharing, and group messages
Blocking can stop Find My people location sharing with that person. A blocked person who is in your Family Sharing group may still see the location of your devices in Find My devices, because that visibility runs through the family group rather than through a person-to-person share.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsRank #2
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
If the blocked person is one of your emergency contacts, blocking removes them from that role. Safety Check may then prompt you to review other information you share with them.
Group messages follow different rules depending on the system release. On iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, or earlier, Apple says a blocked person can remain in a group Messages conversation and may still see your messages there, and they are not told about the block. If you leave the group, a note appears to the other group members. Confirm the behavior on the release you run, because Apple’s description is tied to these older versions.
Google Phone app
On Android, the Phone app automatically declines calls from a blocked number. If visual voicemail is turned on, blocked callers cannot leave a voicemail. Calls received while the number was blocked do not appear in your call history.
Rank #3
- Charger NOT Included, 6.7" Super AMOLED FHD+, 90Hz Refresh Rate, 385 ppi, 800 nits (HBM), 1080x2340px, 5000mAh Battery
- 128GB, 4GB RAM, microSDXC, Exynos 1330 (5nm), Octa-Core, Mali-G68 MP2 or Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
- Rear Camera: 50MP, f/1.8 (wide) + 5MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 2MP, f/2.4 (macro), LED flash, panorama, HDR; Front Camera: 13MP, f/2.0, Android 14, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
- 3G: HSDPA 850/900/1700(AWS)/1900/2100; 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/13/14/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/48/66/71, 5G: 2/5/25/41/66/71/77/78 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - Nano-SIM + eSIM
- US Model – Global Connectivity – Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will Also work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Straight Talk.
Google’s instructions note that some steps vary with the Android version and with installed apps or features, so the menu names on your phone may differ from the documentation. Google’s guidance does not address whether the blocked caller is told about the block.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outlook and Teams
In Outlook, messages from blocked senders are moved to the Junk Email folder. In new Outlook, blocking an account can also remove that person from the Teams people picker and from Teams search, unless you have already interacted with them in Teams.
A blocked person can still reach you in Teams by entering your full email address, although tenant policies may restrict this. Blocking support differs for third-party accounts in new Outlook, so name your Outlook version and account type when you check the behavior. Microsoft’s guidance does not state whether the blocked sender is notified.
Rank #4
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Signal
A blocked person cannot contact you on Signal and cannot see your profile updates. Signal does not tell you when someone else blocks you, and you are not notified of the block from your side in the same way you would be by a message.
Messages sent while the contact was blocked are not resent after you unblock them. After unblocking, you receive notifications for calls and messages sent from that point on. Anything that arrived during the block is not recovered from Signal.
Recommended Free Tools
A blocked contact or number can no longer call you or send you messages. Blocking does not remove the person from your contacts list, and it does not remove you from the blocked person’s phone contact list. The contact card stays in place, so do not assume it has been deleted. WhatsApp’s Help Center does not state whether the blocked person is told about the block.
Best Value
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Tracfone plan required, activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- DISPLAY: Immersive viewing on a 6.7-inch super-bright 120Hz display with powerful stereo speakers and Bass Boost for cinematic entertainment.
- CAMERA SYSTEM: Advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera captures sharp, detailed photos and videos in any lighting condition
- PERFORMANCE: Lightning-fast 5G connectivity paired with a powerful processor and RAM Boost for smooth multitasking.
- BATTERY LIFE: Long-lasting 5000mAh battery with TurboPower charging technology delivers hours of power in minutes.
Zendesk and other support systems
In Zendesk, a blocklist is an administrator control and is separate from a personal phone block. An email support request from a blocklisted address or domain may be suspended for review or rejected, depending on the rule an administrator has configured. Zendesk notes that email and other support channels do not apply allowlist and blocklist rules in the same way, so the outcome depends on the channel.
A blocklisted user is not removed from existing tickets. Administrators should decide and document whether a rule suspends or rejects requests, and which channels it covers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Side-by-side comparison
| Service | Calls and messages to you | Voicemail | Blocked person notified? | Saved contact or records | After unblocking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Phone and Messages (iPhone) | Calls and messages not delivered | May still leave voicemail; you get no notification | No; Apple says they are not told | Not stated in Apple’s phone guidance | Not stated in Apple’s phone guidance |
| Apple Mail | Messages moved to Bin | Not applicable | Not stated in Apple’s Mail guidance | Not stated in Apple’s Mail guidance | Not stated in Apple’s Mail guidance |
| Google Phone (Android) | Calls automatically declined | Cannot leave voicemail when visual voicemail is on | Not stated in Google’s Phone guidance | Not stated in Google’s Phone guidance | Not stated in Google’s Phone guidance |
| Outlook (new Outlook) | Mail moved to Junk Email; Teams contact may be hidden | Not applicable | Not stated in Microsoft’s guidance | Not stated in Microsoft’s guidance | Not stated in Microsoft’s guidance |
| Signal | Blocked person cannot contact you or see profile updates | Not applicable | No; Signal does not tell you when someone blocks you | Not stated in Signal’s guidance | Messages sent during the block are not resent; notifications resume for new calls and messages |
| Calls and messages from the contact stop | Not stated in WhatsApp’s Help Center | Not stated in WhatsApp’s Help Center | Contact remains in your list and in theirs | Not stated in WhatsApp’s Help Center | |
| Zendesk (admin blocklist) | Email suspended for review or rejected, per rule | Not applicable | Not stated in Zendesk’s guidance | Existing tickets are not removed | Not stated in Zendesk’s guidance |
What a block does not cover
A block is a control inside one service. It does not stop the person from reaching you by another phone number, another email address, a different messaging account, or a shared device. It also does not change group conversations or family arrangements that sit outside the blocked service, unless the platform specifically says so, as Apple does for group messages and Family Sharing above. Treat a block as a limit on one channel, not as a guarantee of no contact.
Quick Recap
Before you block someone
- Identify the exact app or account where the contact is reaching you. A block elsewhere will not cover it.
- Check whether the person is in a group conversation, Family Sharing group, or Find My arrangement, and whether they are an emergency contact.
- If you need a record of past messages, save what you need before blocking, because the platform may not restore messages sent during the block.
- On Android, check whether visual voicemail is on if you still want to receive voicemail from other callers.
- In a work or school Microsoft environment, confirm with your administrator whether tenant policies limit blocking.
- For a support desk, confirm which channels a blocklist rule covers and whether it suspends or rejects requests.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
