Blocking someone on Facebook prevents them from viewing your profile, contacting you, or seeing things you post. If you later decide you want to unblock that person, you’ll need to be able to find their profile again in order to do so.
Check your Blocked List
The easiest way to find someone you’ve blocked on Facebook is to check your Blocked list. Here’s how:
- Go to your Facebook profile and click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings & Privacy” then click on “Settings”.
- On the left side of the page click “Blocking”.
- This will show you a list of all the people and pages you’ve blocked on Facebook.
Scroll through the list to see if the person you want to unblock is there. If so, you can unblock them directly from that page.
Search on Facebook
If the person you blocked doesn’t show up in your Blocked list, you can try searching for their profile on Facebook:
- Go to the Facebook search bar at the top of the page.
- Type in the name of the person you want to find.
If their profile doesn’t appear in the search results, it likely means you blocked them. You’ll need to try another method to find them.
Think About How You Know Them
Try thinking about how you know the person you blocked. Do you remember if you were Facebook friends with them?
- If they were a friend, go to your Friends list and see if you can find them there.
- If they sent you a friend request, check your Friend Requests list under the Friends menu.
- If you met them in a Facebook group, go to that group and look for them in the members list.
Even if you blocked someone, they may still show up in places like your Friends, Friend Requests, and group lists. Check there to see if you can locate their profile.
Check Previous Posts and Messages
Think back to where you interacted with the person on Facebook prior to blocking them:
- Did they comment on your posts? Go back and check those posts for their comments.
- Did they send you messages? Go to your messages and see if you can find ones from them.
- Did you message in a group chat? Go to that group chat and look for their name.
Even though you can’t see their current content, their old messages and posts should still be visible. This can help you rediscover their profile to unblock.
Use Facebook’s Download Your Information Tool
If you still can’t find the person you blocked, use Facebook’s tool for downloading your information:
- Go to “Settings” then click on “Your Facebook Information”.
- Click on “Download Your Information”.
- Select the date range for when you likely blocked the person.
- Click “Create File”. Facebook will email you a link when it’s ready to download.
This will give you a file with your Facebook data including your messages, friends list, and more. Search through it to see if you can find any trace of the blocked person’s profile.
Log Out of Facebook
As a last resort, you can try logging out of your Facebook account and searching again:
- Click on the arrow in the top right and select “Log Out”.
- Log back into Facebook with your email and password.
- Search for the blocked person again.
When you’re logged out, your block list won’t be applied. So you may be able to find the blocked profile in search or see their comments on mutual friend’s posts.
Get Someone Else to Help
If you still can’t find the blocked person’s profile anywhere, consider asking a mutual friend if they can provide you with a link to the profile or look up the person for you. Since they aren’t blocked, your friend should be able to easily find the person’s profile to share with you.
Contact Facebook
As a last option, you can contact Facebook’s customer support for assistance in finding the profile of someone you blocked:
- Go to the Facebook Help Center
- Click “Contact Us” and select “Something Else”
- Choose the topic “Blocking”
- Explain you blocked someone and now need help finding their profile.
Facebook may be able to use your email address and the limited profile details you remember to track down the account you blocked for you to unblock.
Prevent Needing to Find Blocked Profiles
To avoid having to hunt down blocked profiles in the future, consider these tips:
- Note down the profile link or username before you block someone.
- Take a screenshot of their profile picture and name.
- Download your Facebook data regularly to have a backup if needed.
- Unfollow or mute people first before fully blocking them.
Having some details saved can prevent you from losing access to an account you later want to unblock. Always double check before blocking someone that it’s really necessary.
Conclusion
It can be tricky trying to find someone you’ve blocked on Facebook, but there are several methods you can try:
- Check your Blocked list and other Facebook lists they may appear in
- Search for them on Facebook and in your previous posts/messages
- Download your Facebook information to look for traces of them
- Log out so your block isn’t applied
- Ask a friend to help locate their profile
- Contact Facebook support if all else fails
Taking preventative steps like noting profile details before blocking can also help avoid this situation altogether. With some patience and detective work, you should hopefully be able to track down the blocked profile you want to unblock.
Unblocking someone on Facebook restores your connection with that person. You’ll be able to see each other’s posts and profiles again and message if you choose. So consider carefully before deciding to unblock as it opens up that channel of communication again.
Use the unblocking process judiciously in case you blocked them for good reason originally. But when you’re ready to restore contact, know there are ways to find and unblock even difficult-to-locate profiles.
| Method | How to Do It |
|---|---|
| Check Blocked List | Go to Settings > Blocking and look for their name |
| Search on Facebook | Type their name in the Facebook search bar |
| Check Facebook Lists | Look in your Friends, Friend Requests, Groups, etc. |
| Review Old Posts/Messages | Find where you previously interacted on Facebook |
| Download Your Info | Use Facebook’s tool to get your data file |
| Log Out | Search without your block list active |
| Ask a Friend | Have them look up the profile for you |
| Contact Facebook | Get help from Facebook’s customer support |
Blocking and unblocking people is a useful Facebook feature, but can create headaches if you later want to reconnect. Just be cautious when severing connections, and know it is possible to undo blocks if you use the right techniques to locate those hidden profiles.
With some creative searching and troubleshooting, you should be able to track down that elusive Facebook profile you want to unblock. Just don’t forget next time to note those key details before hitting that block button.
Stay savvy, stay safe, and you’ll be able to manage your block list while still keeping the connections you really want. Facebook’s privacy controls like blocking give you control over your experience – so learn how to use them effectively both when blocking and unblocking.
Knowing how to find and unblock someone allows you to open those lines of communication again if you choose to. But always think carefully before unblocking as some connections are best left in the past. Use your judgment, search thoroughly, and you can unblock those Facebook profiles if you later determine it’s the right thing to do.
Facebook’s block feature helps you curate your connections and avoid unwanted contact. But occasionally situations and relationships change. If you need to find someone you previously blocked, it is possible by following the steps outlined here. So don’t worry if you change your mind – just tap into your inner detective to locate and unblock profiles that may have gotten away.
With over 2 billion users, Facebook hosts a tangle of complex social interactions. Its blocking tool lets you prune unwanted branches that grow. But other times, those severed branches need grafting back on the tree. Finding and unblocking is the graft that reattaches what was cut off. It takes patience and diligence, but can restore lost connections.
So be selective when hitting that block button, but don’t fret when former friends need unhiding. Facebook’s virtual hedge trimmers are swift, but the paths to restoration are there. You just need to know how to navigate the garden overgrowth. Tend carefully, search thoroughly, and you can uncover the lost social sprouts you want to blossom again.