THINK you’ve been blocked on WhatsApp? Or maybe you’re worried someone you’ve blocked can work it out.
WhatsApp says there’s no guaranteed sure-fire way to discover a block – but there are plenty of clues that can give you a good idea.
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First, it’s worth considering why you’ve been blocked.
If you’ve been harassing or abusing someone, you should stop trying to contact that person.
It might also be a hint that you’re just annoying on WhatsApp, so maybe try to clean up your act.
So how can you tell if you’ve been blocked?
WhatsApp says one of the big giveaways is that you can no longer see a contact’s last seen or online in the chat window.
You won’t see updates to a contact’s profile photo.
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Any messages that you’ve sent to someone who has blocked you will always show a single check mark (message sent) – but never a second (message delivered).
And any calls you try to place won’t go through.
“If you see all of the indicators above for a contact, this could mean that the user is blocking you,” said WhatsApp.
“However, there are other possibilities.
“We have made this intentionally ambiguous in order to protect your privacy when you block someone.
“Thus, we cannot tell you if you are being blocked by someone else.”
WhatsApp – a quick history
Here’s what you need to know…
- WhatsApp was created in 2009 by computer programmers Brian Acton and Jan Koum – former employees of Yahoo
- It’s one of the most popular messaging services in the world
- Koum came up with the name WhatsApp because it sounded like “what’s up”
- After a number of tweaks the app was released with a messaging component in June 2009, with 250,000 active users
- It was originally free but switched to a paid service to avoid growing too fast. Then in 2016, it became free again for all users
- Facebook bought WhatsApp Inc in February 2014 for $19.3billion (£14.64bn)
- The app is particularly popular because all messages are encrypted during transit, shutting out snoopers
- As of 2020, WhatsApp has over 2billion users globally
To block a contact on iPhone, go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Blocked > Add New… and then choose the contact you want to block.
On Android, open WhatsApp then tap More Options (three dots) then Settings.
Then go into Account > Privacy > Blocked Contacts, tap the Add Contact sign and then choose the person you want to block.
If an unknown number is contacting you on either platform, you can open the chat with them, choose their profile and block them from there.
Best Phone and Gadget tips and hacks
Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered…
WhatsApp trick reveals exact number of texts you’ve sent to pals
In other news, using this version of WhatsApp could get you banned.
Beware this huge WhatsApp scam attack targeting unsuspecting users.
And check out the brilliant new WhatsApp View Once feature.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
