Facebook Messenger is one of the most popular messaging platforms, used by billions of people worldwide to stay in touch with friends and family. However, sometimes you may find yourself unable to get in contact with someone on Messenger – your messages may not be delivered or you don’t receive any replies. This can be frustrating and leave you wondering if you have been blocked or ignored. There are a few signs on Messenger that can help you figure out if someone has blocked you or is just ignoring your messages.
Check message status
The first thing to check is the status of the messages you have sent to the person. When you send a message on Messenger, you can see one of three statuses:
- Sent – indicates your message has been sent from your device.
- Delivered – indicates your message has been delivered to the recipient’s device.
- Read – indicates the recipient has opened and read your message.
If you see your messages are constantly “Sent” but never get a “Delivered” or “Read” status, it likely means you have been blocked. Messenger won’t allow your messages to be delivered to someone who has blocked you.
However, if you see your messages are “Delivered” but never “Read,” it may mean the person is ignoring you or hasn’t seen your messages yet. Keep an eye on the status over a period of time to determine if you’re being ignored.
Check active status
Messenger shows when a user was “Last Active” or online. However, if you are blocked, the other person’s active status will disappear. You will only see a blank or greyed out active status, instead of the time they were last online.
This is different from someone who has logged out of Messenger or gone invisible, as you’ll still see their last active time even though their chat icon is greyed out. So if the active status disappears altogether, it’s likely you’ve been blocked.
Messages remain one tick
On Android devices, Messenger uses grey ticks to indicate message status. A single grey tick means the message has been sent from your device. Two grey ticks mean it has been delivered to the recipient’s device. Two blue ticks mean the message has been read.
If your messages remain on a single grey tick and never turn blue, even though you can see the recipient is active, it’s a sign you have probably been blocked.
You can’t start a new chat
Try starting a new chat with the person you think may have blocked you. If you are unable to find their name when starting a new message and keep getting an error, it’s likely they have blocked you.
You may also be unable to add them to group chats or send a chat invite if you are blocked.
Can’t view profile
On Facebook Messenger’s desktop site, you can view a person’s profile by clicking on their name in the chat window. If you click their name and get an error message, instead of seeing their profile, this indicates you have been blocked.
On mobile, you can tap a user’s name at the top of the chat to view their profile and information. If you are blocked, trying this will give you an error message.
You disappear from group chats
If you get removed from a group chat with the suspected blocker, it may be because they removed you after blocking you. Someone who blocks you on Messenger won’t be able to see your messages in group chats.
To test this, ask a mutual friend in the group chat if they can still see your messages. If they can’t, you’ve likely been blocked and removed.
Can’t call them
Try making a voice or video call with the person you think blocked you. If you get an error saying “Can’t call right now” or the call doesn’t go through, it’s likely because they have blocked you. Blocked contacts are prevented from calling each other on Messenger.
Mutual friends act strange
Reach out to any mutual friends you share with the suspected blocker and ask if they know why the person isn’t responding to your messages. See if your mutual friends are acting strange or avoiding the subject – they may know you’ve been blocked and don’t want to get involved.
You get an error message
In some cases, when you try to send a message to someone who blocked you, Messenger may show a direct error message saying something like “You can’t reply to this conversation” or “Message could not be sent.” This error message confirms the person has blocked you.
Try messaging from a different account
If you have a secondary Facebook or Messenger account, try messaging the person who you think blocked you from the other account. If the message goes through normally, it indicates your main account has likely been blocked while the secondary one has not.
You stop seeing them as “Active Now”
When someone is online and using Messenger, their name appears as “Active Now” in your main messages list. However, if you are blocked, the person’s name will no longer show up as “Active Now” in your list even when they are online. So if you notice you stop seeing them active, it may mean you’ve been blocked.
Conclusion
Being blocked on Messenger can be frustrating and make you feel confused when someone suddenly stops responding. However, there are a number of signals on the app that can help confirm if you have been blocked or ignored.
Pay attention to message status, active status, chat and calling errors, access to the person’s profile, and reach out to mutual friends to figure out if you have been blocked. While it may feel personal, blocking is often done for privacy and the blocker’s own peace of mind. Try not to take it personally and move on to connecting with other people.