What happens if you block a contact in WhatsApp and then unblock them - briefly?
If you block a contact in WhatsApp and later unblock them, your previous messages with that contact will still be visible to both of you. However, any new messages sent during the time they were blocked will not be delivered until the contact is unblocked.
What happens if you block a contact in WhatsApp and then unblock them - in detail?
When you block a contact in WhatsApp, several immediate changes occur:
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Messages and Calls Blocked: The blocked contact will no longer be able to send you messages or calls through WhatsApp. They won't receive any notifications indicating they have been blocked; their messages simply won't go through.
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Status Updates Hidden: You will no longer see the blocked contact's status updates, and they won’t be able to view yours either. This ensures that your communications remain private.
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Removal from Groups (Optional): WhatsApp gives you the option to remove the blocked contact from any groups you share with them. If you choose this option, they will no longer be part of those group conversations.
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Visibility Changes: The blocked contact's last seen status and online status will no longer be visible to you. Conversely, your own last seen and online statuses will not appear to them.
When you unblock the contact:
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Re-establish Communication: Once unblocked, you can resume sending messages and making calls to the contact. However, they won't receive any messages or calls that were sent while they were blocked; these communications are not stored or delivered retroactively.
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Status Updates Revealed: You will once again see the contact’s status updates, and they can view yours as well. This means your private communications will be visible to each other once more.
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Group Membership (Optional): If you had removed the blocked contact from groups when you initially blocked them, you would need to add them back manually if desired. They won’t automatically rejoin the groups they were part of before being blocked.
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Visibility Restored: The last seen and online statuses for both you and the unblocked contact will once again be visible to each other. This restores a level of transparency in your communication that was absent while they were blocked.
It is important to note that the process of blocking and then unblocking a contact does not delete the message history between you and the contact. The conversation thread remains intact, and all previous messages will still be visible. However, as mentioned earlier, any messages sent during the period when the contact was blocked will not be delivered or received.
In summary, while blocking a contact in WhatsApp significantly limits their ability to communicate with you, unblocking them restores those capabilities but does not recover lost communications from the blocking period.