If you block a friend request on social media, it prevents that person from being able to send you another friend request or message you on that platform. The specifics of what happens when you block someone can vary depending on the social network, but there are some common effects.
On Facebook
When you block someone on Facebook, here is what happens:
- They will not be able to send you any more friend requests or message requests.
- They will not be able to see things you post on your timeline.
- They will not be notified that you have blocked them.
- Any existing messages between you and the blocked person will no longer be visible to either of you.
- If they visit your Facebook profile, they will not be able to see any of your posts or information.
- You will not be able to see any of their posts or information.
- They will no longer show up as a suggested friend for you.
- You will no longer show up as a suggested friend for them.
So in summary, blocking someone on Facebook cuts off all communication and limits the information each person can see about the other. It’s as if you are strangers to each other on the platform.
Does blocking remove the friend connection?
Blocking someone on Facebook does not automatically remove them from your friends list if they were already friends. They will still show up on your list of friends, but everything will be hidden as if they are not connected to you.
To completely remove the connection, you will also need to unfriend the blocked person. Unfriending removes them from your friends list altogether.
Can the blocked person tell they are blocked?
No, when you block someone on Facebook they are not notified about it. They will be unable to interact with you on Facebook, but won’t get any message that they have been blocked specifically. So it happens silently behind the scenes.
What if you share friends or groups?
If you and the blocked person have shared friends or are members of the same groups on Facebook, blocking them does not remove those connections. You may both still appear as members of the same groups and have friends in common, even though you cannot see each other’s posts or profiles.
On Instagram
Here is how blocking works on Instagram:
- The blocked person will not be able to find your Instagram profile when searching for your username.
- They will not be able to see any of your posts or Stories.
- They will not be able to send you Direct Messages.
- Any comments they have made on your posts previously will be deleted.
- You will not receive any notifications about their activity or new posts they make.
- They will not know that you have blocked them.
So blocking on Instagram prevents the user from viewing your profile, posts, and Stories or contacting you in any way.
What happens if you already follow each other?
If you already follow each other when one person blocks the other, it will unfollow both accounts. So blocking also removes the following connection in addition to the other effects.
Can you still see mutual friends’ posts?
Yes, if you and the blocked person have mutual friends, you can still view those friends’ posts and profiles. The blocking is isolated to just you and the blocked user, not connections through other friends.
On Twitter
Blocking someone on Twitter includes these effects:
- They will not be able to view your Twitter profile or any of your tweets.
- They will not be able to send you Direct Messages or interact with your tweets.
- You will not receive notifications about their activity or tweets.
- Their tweets and retweets will not show up in your feed.
- You can untag yourself from any past tweets they have tagged you in.
- Any tweets in which you have both been tagged will not appear for either of you.
In essence, blocking allows you to remove their content from your Twitter experience and prevent them from contacting you.
Can the blocked person tell their tweets are hidden?
No, like on other platforms the person will not get a notification they have been blocked. But they will probably figure it out if they notice you have stopped replying to or interacting with their tweets when previously you had.
What happens if you also follow each other?
Blocking someone on Twitter who you also follow or who follows you will cause both accounts to unfollow each other automatically.
Are your tweets also hidden from mutuals?
No, if you and the blocked person have followers in common, they will still be able to see both accounts’ tweets unless they have also blocked one of you.
On LinkedIn
Here are the effects of blocking someone on LinkedIn:
- All connection requests from them will be cancelled.
- They will be unable to send you InMail messages.
- They will not be notified that you blocked them.
- They will not be able to view your profile or any of your posts.
- You will stop receiving notifications about their profile updates.
- You both will be automatically removed from each other’s networks if connected.
So blocking serves to remove their access to your profile and prevent any further contact.
What if you have shared connections?
Blocking someone on LinkedIn does not affect your shared connections. You may still appear as contacts through mutual networking connections, even if you cannot see each other’s profiles.
Can you see the blocked person in search results?
No, when you block someone on LinkedIn they will not appear in any People Search results you run. But you may still find their name through group or company pages if you have overlapping professional networks.
On Pinterest
Here is how blocking works on Pinterest:
- They will not be able to directly message you through Pinterest.
- Any of your content that they have repinned onto their own boards will be automatically unpinned.
- They will not receive notifications about your Pinterest activity.
- Your boards and pins will be hidden from their view.
- You will stop seeing their content in your home feed and notifications.
- They will not know you have blocked them.
So blocking limits their access to your content and removes your content from their account while preventing communication.
What if you follow boards they created?
If you followed boards that the blocked person created, you will automatically unfollow those boards when you block that person. Their boards will no longer show up in your feed.
Can you collaborate on group boards still?
No, if you were collaborating with the blocked person on group boards, blocking will remove both of you as collaborators from those group boards.
On Snapchat
Blocking someone on Snapchat includes these effects:
- They will no longer be able to view your Stories.
- They will not be able send you Snaps or Chat messages.
- Your name will be deleted from their friends list.
- Their name will be deleted from your friends list.
- Your Snap score will no longer increase based on their activity.
- They will not get notified that you blocked them.
So blocking cuts off all direct communication and removes the friend connection on Snapchat.
What happens to existing Snaps?
Any unopened Snaps sent between you and the blocked person will be deleted when the block happens. So blocking retroactively erases those messages.
Can the blocked person still view your public Stories?
No, blocking on Snapchat prevents the person from viewing any of your Stories, even public ones visible to all Snapchat users.
Should You Notify the Person You Blocked?
Most social networks do not directly notify someone when they have been blocked. The blocked person will figure it out based on your lack of response and inability to interact with them. But you can optionally choose to directly inform them about the block over another communication channel.
Some situations where notifying them may be appropriate include:
- If they are harassing you online, explaining that you blocked them may get them to stop or discourage further harassment.
- If it is someone you know personally, notifying them about the block allows you to explain your reasons and potentially preserve the relationship offline.
- If you believe they may not understand why communication has been cut off, sending a message prevents confusion about the change.
However, there are also reasons why you may want to block silently without notification:
- If you are concerned about retaliation or encouraging further contact.
- If you do not have another way to safely contact them.
- If you believe they will not care or do not want explanation.
- If the main goal is just to remove their ability to interact with you.
Can Blocking Be Undone?
On most social networks, blocking is not permanent unless you choose to delete the contact entirely. You can typically find a list of users you have blocked in your account settings and unblock them to restore communication.
Some reasons you may want to unblock someone include:
- They have stopped the behavior that originally led to you blocking them.
- You blocked them by accident and want to undo it.
- Significant time has passed and you are willing to reconsider.
- You overreacted and want to restore contact.
- You need to get in touch with them regarding a specific matter.
However, if they resume unwanted behavior after being unblocked, you can always block them again. So unblocking can be undone if needed.
Blocking Etiquette
While social platforms allow you to block anyone, there are some general etiquette guidelines to consider:
- Don’t block as an overreaction to minor conflict – explore resolving issues first.
- Explain your reasons if blocking someone close to you personally or professionally.
- Block silently if concerned about backlash or retaliation.
- Avoid mass blocking people you disagree with politically/ideologically.
- Be selective – block only those causing real issues or harm.
- Unblock if the reasons are no longer applicable or valid.
Blocking should not be used lightly or as an attempt to shut out opposing views. Reserve blocking for cases of harassment, spam, uncontrolled negativity, or danger to your well-being.
Conclusion
Blocking someone online cuts off their access to interacting with you and limits what information they can see about you. It prevents them from contacting you without notifying them of the block. Each social platform handles blocking slightly differently, but the overall effect is removing that person from your digital experience.
Blocking can always be undone unless the contact is deleted entirely. But it is best used judiciously for situations of harassment, toxicity or risk, rather than as a strategy to avoid opposing opinions. With the right rationale and selective use, blocking can be an effective online protection tool.