Facebook Messenger has become one of the most popular chat apps. As we’d expect from such a popular platform, you can block and unblock other users. While you can block other users on Facebook, Facebook Messenger also offers the feature separately from the social media site.
If you accidentally block someone on Facebook messenger or forgive them for their indiscretions, you can easily unblock them. Here’s a quick guide on how to unblock someone on Messenger, covering iOS, Android, and web browsers.
Mobile Devices (iOS & Android)
Facebook Messenger is available as an application on Android and iOS devices. The interface is pretty similar on iOS and Android. However, there are some slight differences.
How to Unblock Someone on iOS
iPhone and iPad users can follow these steps to unblock another user on Facebook Messenger:
- Open Facebook Messenger and tap on your profile icon in the upper left-hand corner.
- Tap on Privacy.
- Tap on Blocked Accounts.
- Tap on the account you’d like to unblock.
- Tap on Unblock Messages and Calls.
As with most things iOS, it doesn’t take a lot to perform the steps to unblock someone.
Android
If you have an Android phone or tablet with the Facebook Messenger app, follow these steps to unblock someone:
- Open Facebook Messenger and tap on your profile icon in the upper right-hand corner.
- Scroll down to the Preferences heading and tap on Privacy.
- Tap on Blocked Accounts.
- Tap on the account you’d like to unblock.
- Tap on Unblock Messages and Calls.
As you can see, the unblocking process is pretty streamlined for both iOS and Android users.
Browser Method
If you prefer the browser version of Facebook Messenger, you can follow these steps to unblock an account:
- Use this link to log directly into Facebook Messenger. You can also open Facebook and tap the Messenger icon in the upper right corner.
- Tap on the three horizontal dots in the pop-out window. Then, tap on Block Settings.
- You will see a list of users you’ve blocked on Facebook. But, if you scroll down, you can see the list of users you’ve blocked on Messenger. Tap Unblock next to the user you’d like to remove from this list.
The web browser makes it slightly more complicated than the app version of Facebook Messenger to unblock accounts. But, once you get the hang of it, it’s easy enough.
How to Block Someone on Messenger
Here’s a quick recap on how to block a user on Messenger.
Messenger App
Access Chats and navigate to the one you’d like to block. Enter the chat thread and tap on the profile picture of the person you’d like to block. Then, swipe down and tap on Block for more options.
Select “Block on Messenger” in the following window and confirm your choice in the pop-up. Note that this action doesn’t block that person on Facebook.
The other way to do it is to tap on your profile picture within Chats, select People, and then Blocked. Tap “Add Someone” and choose a person among your contacts.
Browser Method
There are two ways to block a person on Messenger here. Navigate to the Blocking tab (as described above) and enter the contact name in the box next to “Block messages from.”
Another option is to click on the Messenger icon, select the chat thread you’d like to block, and click the gear icon. Select Block to complete the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep reading if you have more questions about unblocking users on Facebook Messenger.
If I block someone on Facebook, does it block them on Messenger too?
Yes. If you opt to block someone on Facebook, you will automatically block them on Facebook Messenger. However, if you choose to block someone through Messenger, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are blocked on Facebook.
Will my messages reappear after I unblock someone?
If you block someone on Messenger, you can still see all of the messages you’ve sent and received. This means that you can still see everything after unblocking the other user.
The option to ‘Unblock Messages and Calls‘ is greyed out. What’s going on?
If you’ve followed the steps above but the ‘Unblock Messages and Calls’ button is greyed out, it is because you’ve blocked them on Facebook and not just their messages and calls. You can tap on the ‘Unblock on Facebook’ option to begin communicating with the other person again.
Lock, Stock, Unblock
So, who do you think deserves to be blocked or unblocked? Feel free to share your experience with the rest of the community.
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