How to Tell If Someone Has Blocked You on WhatsApp

WhatsApp doesn’t notify you when someone blocks you, but several signs indicate you’ve been blocked. No single sign is definitive — you need to look for multiple signs together.

Sign 1: Messages Show Only One Grey Tick

Your messages show one grey tick indefinitely (sent but never delivered). However, this could also mean the person has no internet or their phone is off. If messages don’t deliver for several days, blocking becomes more likely.

Sign 2: Profile Photo Is Hidden

You can no longer see their profile photo — instead you see a blank grey circle. This happens because WhatsApp hides profile visibility from people you’ve blocked. However, this also occurs if they’ve set their privacy settings to hide their photo from non-contacts.

Sign 3: Last Seen and Online Status Not Visible

Their ‘last seen’ and ‘online’ status permanently show as hidden, regardless of their privacy settings. If you could previously see their last seen and now cannot, blocking is likely.

Sign 4: WhatsApp Calls Don’t Connect

If you try to call them on WhatsApp and it never rings (just shows ‘Calling…’ indefinitely or immediately fails), you may be blocked. Try calling from a different WhatsApp number — if it connects, you’re blocked on your main number.

Sign 5: Can’t Add Them to a Group

Try adding them to a WhatsApp group. If you’re blocked, WhatsApp shows an error: ‘You can’t add this participant.’ This is one of the most reliable blocking indicators.

What You Cannot Do When Blocked

You can’t send messages, make calls, see their status updates, or view their profile information. All your messages will remain on one tick permanently. The block is completely one-sided — they can still see your profile and contact you if they choose.