How To Block or Unblock Someone on Twitter

Social media platforms like Twitter can bring out the best or the worst in people. Great content also comes with a fair share of negativity and vitriol. That’s why the Block feature on Twitter can help keep unwanted Tweets at arm’s length. If you feel the need to erase someone from your Twitter feed, this post is for you. 

Alternately, if you blocked someone who has since seen the proverbial light and you’re ready to unblock them, this article is also for you! Twitter knows that irreconcilable differences are part and parcel of its platform. As such, they’ve taken steps to let you take a break from others when you feel it’s needed.

How to Block Someone on Twitter

With more and more trolls running rampant on Twitter, it’s important to know how to silence the noise. Fortunately, doing so is quite simple. You can simply block the user from a tweet or their profile.

To block a user from a tweet:

Step 1

Select the More icon (three dots to the right of the tweet).

Step 2

Select ‘Block @[username].’

Step 3

Select ‘Block‘ to confirm.

That’s it! If you use the mobile app, the interface may be slightly different, depending on your current operating system, but the effect is the same. The person will no longer appear on your timeline or have the ability to tweet you.

Sometimes you’ve got to double-check who you’re blocking.  Most Twitter handles are pretty obscure, and you might want to make sure you’re blocking the right person before you blast off about their insensitive Tweet.  To block from a user’s profile:

Step 1

Visit the person’s profile page by clicking on the magnifying glass at the bottom and typing their name in the search bar at the top.

Step 2

Tap on the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner (it may appear as a gear depending on your operating system.

Step 3

Select the ‘Block‘ from the dropdown menu on the right.

Step 4

Confirm that you no longer wish to block this person, and you’re all set!

If you want to check that the block is in place, visit the person’s profile, and you should see a little button saying Blocked.

How to Unblock Someone on Twitter

If for any reason, you want to unblock someone on Twitter, that’s just as easy. Whether you have reconciled with a friend or decided the silence is not golden, unblocking them restores access, provided they haven’t blocked you.

Interestingly, even though you’ve blocked another user, you can still see their tweets if you choose to. They can’t see yours but before you unblock a toxic account, consider that you can still snoop their content undetected.

Finding Blocked Accounts

There are a few ways to find a blocked account. The simplest way is to go to your search bar and type in their @[username] or scroll through the list of previously searched accounts. If you don’t remember the username, or it doesn’t appear when you search, do this instead:

Step 1

Tap on your profile icon in the upper right-hand corner.

Step 2

Tap ‘Settings and privacy.’

Step 3

Tap ‘Privacy and safety.’

Step 4

Scroll down to the Safety heading and tap ‘Blocked Accounts‘

Step 5

Tap on the account you wish to unblock or view.

How to Unblock the Account

Once you’ve located the blocked account, follow these steps:

Step 1

Tap on the ‘Blocked‘ button.

Step 2

A notification will pop up from the bottom.

You can also unblock Twitter users on the web.

1. Log into Twitter using your profile.
2. Select ‘More’ from the left menu.
   
3. Select ‘Settings and privacy.’
   
4. Select ‘Privacy and safety‘ then ‘Mute and block.’
   
5. Select ‘Blocked accounts‘ in the next menu.
   
6. A list of blocked accounts will show.
7. Click the ‘Blocked‘ button and confirm when prompted.
   
8. Rinse and repeat for all users.

The Effect of Blocking on Twitter

So what does blocking someone on Twitter actually achieve, other than allowing you a modicum of peace and quiet? The blocking process actually does several things:

• A blocked account is automatically unfollowed.
• You will automatically be unfollowed by the blocked account.
• Neither will be able to follow the other until the block is lifted.
• You will not see any Tweets from blocked accounts.
• A blocked account will see a message telling them you blocked them if they try to DM you.
• You can choose to visit the profile and click on the option to view their tweets as long as you’re the one who blocked them.

Essentially, a block will stop the user from looking at anything you do, including tagging other users while on Twitter. You and they may see mentions of each other when someone else retweets something or mentions either of you, but that’s it.

Muting a User on Twitter

If you don’t want to go as far as blocking someone on Twitter, you can mute them instead. This just removes their Tweets from your timeline without blocking them altogether. This is useful for those friends who overshare, family members who have nothing better to do than Tweet all day, or companies you like to follow, but they send out too much marketing.

From a Tweet:

1. Select the more icon (the down arrow to the right of the tweet).
2. Select Mute.

You can do the same from a profile.

1. Visit the person’s profile page.
2. Select the gear icon on the profile page.
3. Select Mute and then Mute again to confirm.

If you’re using an app and don’t see the three horizontal dots, it may appear as a gray down arrow instead, depending on the OS you’re using. It achieves the same goal.

Now when you see that person’s profile or a tweet, you may see a small red speaker icon with a line going through it. This is to signify that you have muted them. You can Unmute them by following the same process, only choosing to Unmute the user.

Frequently Asked Questions

Social media is great for many things. But it’s also important to protect your peace. If you have more questions about blocking Twitter users, keep reading.

I’ve blocked a user who’s harassing me, but they created a new account. What can I do?

It’s no secret that Twitter can be a toxic online environment. Of course, you can block people, but that won’t stop them from making a new account and harassing you again. If this has happened to you, it’s a good idea to report the account. Although this isn’t an immediate solution, the Twitter support team can permanently ban the user or even an IP Ban.

When a user is reported for violating Twitter’s strict Community Guidelines, the support team will review their account. If the offense is harsh enough, an IP Ban is implemented. Not only does this ban the users’ account, but it also helps to ensure the offender does not make another account.

While there are workarounds to this (meaning the user may find a way to make another account), it isn’t likely you’ll have an issue with them in the future.

How do I report a Twitter account?

If the offense goes beyond a simple nuisance and into a dangerous or threatening territory, you can report the account to Twitter’s support staff.

Following the same instructions we’ve shown above, choose the option to ‘Report’ the user rather than the Block option. Fill out the forms to submit the report. You will receive a confirmation message that the report was received, but you won’t necessarily know the outcome.

It’s also a good idea to take screenshots of any harmful messages or Tweets on the users’ profile. If the other user decides to delete messages or their account to avoid retribution, you can file a report with screenshots on the Twitter Support website.

How will I know if someone blocked me on Twitter?

Due to the nature of blocking, you won’t receive any notifications or alerts that another user took the action to hide your Tweets. However, Twitter does make it especially easy to find out if you’re blocked. All you need to do is use the search bar to locate the users’ profile. A message will appear stating the account owner blocked you.

If you see this message, there is no question; you’ve most certainly been blocked.

Can a blocked user still see my DMs?

Yes. Blocking users on Twitter only means you will no longer have the ability to communicate with one another. It does not, however, mean that past conversations will be blocked.

Managing Twitter users is simple, and blocking or muting takes just a moment to provide immediate relief. Given how annoying some people can be on the platform, this is truly one of the bonuses of an easy-to-use social media platform like Twitter!