Viewing blocked Facebook profiles on an iPhone can be useful if you want to see what someone is posting without them knowing. However, Facebook’s privacy settings prevent you from viewing profiles of people who have blocked you. There are a few workarounds, but they have limitations.
Why Would You Want To View A Blocked Profile?
Here are some common reasons why someone might want to view a blocked Facebook profile on their iPhone:
- To see what an ex or former friend is posting without letting them know you’re viewing their profile
- To view a profile that you think has been hacked or compromised
- To monitor what someone is posting if you have safety concerns about their behavior
- Out of curiosity to see what someone is posting after they blocked you
While the desire to view a blocked profile is understandable in some cases, it’s important to respect others’ privacy and space if they have blocked you. Repeatedly attempting to view their profile could be considered harassment.
Can You View Blocked Profiles On iPhone?
Unfortunately, there is no direct way to view a blocked Facebook profile on the iPhone app or mobile site. When someone blocks you on Facebook, it prevents you from viewing their profile or any of their posts.
This is by design – the whole point of blocking someone is to prevent them from interacting with you further on Facebook. So you will not be able to search for and view a blocked profile as you normally would an unblocked profile.
Workarounds To View Blocked Profiles
While you can’t directly view a blocked Facebook profile on an iPhone, there are some limited workarounds that may allow you to see some of their profile info and public posts:
Use A Different Facebook Account
If you have another Facebook account that the person has not blocked, you may be able to view their profile by logging into that alternate account on your iPhone. However, this will not work if they have tightened their privacy settings to exclude non-friends.
View Their Profile In Anonymous/Incognito Mode
On iPhone browsers like Safari and Chrome, you can open a private or incognito browsing session. If you view the person’s profile in this mode, it will not send any cookies or data to Facebook indicating you viewed the profile while logged into your account.
However, this is not foolproof – Facebook may still detect you are the same blocked user based on other technical data like IP address.
View Archived Versions Of Their Profile
There are some third-party sites such as the Wayback Machine (Archive.org) that make archives of Facebook profile pages. By searching for the person’s name on sites like these, you may be able to see an archived snapshot of what their profile and posts looked like at an earlier date before they blocked you.
Use a Fake Profile
You could try creating a fake or dummy Facebook profile not associated with your real identity, then attempt to friend request or view the blocked person’s profile using it. This goes against Facebook’s policies, however, and could result in the fake account being suspended.
Limitations Of These Workarounds
While the workarounds listed above may allow you to view some elements of a blocked Facebook profile, there are limitations to what you will be able to see:
- You won’t see their most recent posts or updates
- You won’t see the detailed information on their profile
- Your viewing could still be detected and blocked
- Using fake accounts goes against Facebook’s policies
In most cases, you’ll only have access to limited profile info and posts. And if the person has tightened their privacy settings, you may not be able to view the profile at all even with these workarounds.
Ethical Concerns With Viewing Blocked Profiles
Even if it is technically possible to view a blocked Facebook profile in some capacity, there are some ethical concerns to consider:
- The person blocked you for a reason – circumventing that can be a breach of trust and consent
- Repeated attempts to view a blocked profile could be considered cyberstalking or harassment
- Using fake accounts or third-party sites to view profiles may violate terms of service
- The person has a reasonable expectation of privacy from you after blocking you
These considerations are especially important if the person has blocked you due to events like a bad breakup, workplace conflict, or online bullying. Respecting their decision to create distance is normally the healthiest choice.
What To Do If You Feel Unsafe
The one potential exception is if you have legitimate safety concerns about the person’s behavior, such as threats or violence. In those cases:
- Document any concerning posts or threats they have made
- File reports through Facebook’s harassment process
- Contact local law enforcement if you feel in danger
- Consult with people you trust about the situation
Your personal safety should be the top priority if dealing with threatening behaviors online or off.
Other Ways To Handle The Situation
If you don’t have safety concerns but simply wish to know what someone is posting without their knowledge, consider these alternatives:
- Reflect on why you feel compelled to view their profile against their consent
- Discuss the situation with mutual friends to get clarity
- Practice moving on and disengaging from the conflict
- Focus your energy elsewhere on more positive connections
With time and distance, the need to view their profile usually fades. And you can gradually rebuild trust if communications reopen later on.
Conclusion
Facebook’s privacy settings make it impossible to view the full profile and posts of someone who has blocked you. The limited workarounds that exist may allow you to see some profile information, but carry ethical concerns. In most cases, the healthiest choice is respecting their decision and moving on. But if you have safety fears, contact authorities to get help addressing those concerns.