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Can I see blocked users on Snapchat?

Can I see blocked users on Snapchat?

Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photo and video messages that disappear after being viewed. One of Snapchat’s key features is the ability to block other users, preventing them from viewing your stories or sending you snaps. But can you still see blocked users on Snapchat even after you’ve blocked them?

The short answer is no, you cannot see blocked users on Snapchat once you have blocked them. Blocking someone on Snapchat completely removes them from your friends list and stops their content from appearing in your feed. When you block a user, their profile disappears from your app and you will no longer receive their snaps or chat messages.

However, while you cannot see blocked users’ profiles or content, there are a couple of ways that blocked users can still have a limited presence on your Snapchat app:

You can see if a blocked user views your public stories

If you post content to your Snapchat public story, blocked users can still view your public stories. And you can see the total viewer count on public stories, which will include views from blocked accounts. But you won’t see the specific usernames of blocked viewers.

Blocked users may appear in group chats

If you and a blocked user are both members of the same Snapchat group chat, the blocked user will still appear in the group chat and can send messages that you will be able to see.

Other than these limited exceptions, once you block someone on Snapchat, their presence is removed from your app and feed. You cannot search for them, view their profile or see any of their content.

How to block someone on Snapchat

Here are the steps to block another user on Snapchat:

From the Chat screen

  1. Open a chat with the user you want to block
  2. Tap on the user’s name at the top of the chat screen
  3. Tap the ⋮ icon in the top right corner
  4. Tap ‘Block’ to confirm

From the Profile screen

  1. Go to the user’s profile screen
  2. Tap the ⋮ icon in the top right corner
  3. Tap ‘Block’ to confirm

Once you block someone, you will no longer be able to see their profile or any of their snaps. Blocking is permanent unless you decide to unblock the user later on.

What happens when you block someone on Snapchat

Here is a summary of what happens when you block a user on Snapchat:

  • Their profile and icon will disappear from your Friends list
  • You will not receive any new snaps or chats from them
  • Your profile and icon will disappear from their Friends list
  • They will not receive any new snaps or chats from you
  • Your stories will no longer show up in their feed
  • Their stories will no longer show up in your feed
  • Either user can still report the other for terms of service violations

Essentially, blocking cuts off all direct communication between you and the blocked user on Snapchat.

Can you unblock someone on Snapchat?

Yes, Snapchat does allow you to unblock users if you change your mind later on:

  • Go to your blocked users list in Settings
  • Tap on the user you want to unblock
  • Tap ‘Unblock’ to confirm

Unblocking will restore communication in both directions and make both users’ stories visible to each other again.

How to see your blocked users list on Snapchat

To see a list of all the users you have blocked on Snapchat:

  1. Go to your profile by tapping the emoji/Bitmoji icon in the top left
  2. Tap the settings gear icon in the top right
  3. Go to ‘My Account’
  4. Tap ‘Blocked’

This will display a list of all users you have blocked on Snapchat. While you can’t see their profiles or snaps, you can select any user in this list to unblock them.

Pros of blocking someone on Snapchat

Here are some of the advantages to blocking another user on Snapchat:

  • Prevents unwanted snaps and messages from reaching you
  • Lets you avoid seeing someone’s public stories if you don’t want to
  • Stops someone from viewing your stories if you are uncomfortable with it
  • Can help reduce bullying, harassment, or unwanted contact
  • Allows you to cut ties cleanly with someone

Blocking can be useful for controlling who you interact with on Snapchat and keeping your experience positive.

Cons of blocking someone on Snapchat

Some potential downsides of blocking on Snapchat include:

  • The blocked user may not be aware they are blocked
  • It may be seen as a very abrupt or aggressive move
  • You may later regret blocking someone and want to unblock them
  • The blocked person can still contact you from a different account
  • In group chats, the blocked person can still send you messages

In some cases, blocking may cause more social issues so consider carefully if it is the right move. Directly talking to the person may be better in some situations.

Can you block someone without them knowing?

Unfortunately no, there is no way to secretly block someone on Snapchat. When you block a user, they will immediately see that your profile and icon have disappeared from their friend list.

Snapchat does not allow stealth blocking where you can hide your activity from others. Any user you block will obviously know they have been blocked the next time they look at their friend list or try to view your profile.

Can a blocked user still view your public Snapchat story?

Yes, if your Snapchat story is public, a blocked user can still view your public stories. Your public story is visible to anyone with a Snapchat account, even if they are blocked.

However, blocked users will not be able to see your private stories intended only for friends. They also won’t know if you have posted a new public story or be notified about it in any way. A blocked user would have to manually search for your profile and tap on your public story to view it.

So while blocked users can technically still see your public content, in practice they are unlikely to know when you’ve posted something new or go out of their way to repeatedly view your public stories.

Can you get blocked on Snapchat without knowing?

Like the reverse situation, there is no way to secretly block someone from your end on Snapchat. If you block another user, they will immediately see that you have disappeared from their friends list and will no longer be able to view your snaps or stories.

Snapchat does not allow you to block someone without them finding out. Any user who blocks you will cause your friendship to instantly disappear from your perspective as well.

While you won’t get an explicit notification that you’ve been blocked, it will quickly become obvious the next time you try to view that friend’s profile or send them a snap. At that point, you’ll know without a doubt that you’ve been blocked when you can no longer interact with that user.

Can you get around a Snapchat block?

Unfortunately, there is no way to bypass someone blocking you on Snapchat. Once a user has blocked you, the only way to interact with them again is if they choose to unblock you.

Some things that will not work to get around a Snapchat block include:

  • Creating a new Snapchat account
  • Using a friend’s Snapchat account
  • Sending snaps from a different app
  • Messaging the person from a different social media platform
  • Using a VPN or proxy service to disguise your identity

Snapchat’s blocking system is device-based, so trying to impersonate a blocked account or hide your identity technically will not work. The only proxy that can reverse a Snapchat block is if the blocking user chooses to unblock your account.

Any efforts to circumvent a block will likely be seen as harassment by Snapchat and could result in suspensions or bans of the offending accounts. The best practice is to respect if someone has chosen to block you for whatever reason and move on.

What to do if someone blocks you on Snapchat

Being blocked by a friend on Snapchat can feel upsetting or confusing. Here are some tips for dealing with the situation in a constructive way:

  • Resist the urge to repeatedly contact them from other accounts or platforms.
  • Reflect on whether you may have done something to upset them and learn from it.
  • Focus conversations on interests, not problems.
  • Consider that they may be going through a difficult time.
  • Don’t assume you necessarily did something wrong.
  • Remind yourself that not all friendships last forever.
  • Invest time in other friendships that are positive.
  • If necessary, apologize if appropriate at a later time.

With empathy and patience, you can maturely handle being blocked. And if the person has blocked you in error, they will likely unblock you themselves in time.

Conclusion

While Snapchat does not allow you to secretly block or view blocked accounts, the blocking feature does effectively cut off all Snapchat communication between you and another user. Blocking can help you control unwanted interactions but should be used thoughtfully and not as means of retaliation.

Overall, Snapchat’s approach aims to make blocking straightforward and unambiguous in order to simplify moderation challenges on the platform. By preventing any covert blocking, Snapchat forces blocking to be an open severing of social ties on the app.