This guide will show you how to unblock a number on your iPhone. In the modern digital world, our phones have become our primary means of communication. Our mobile phones serve as lifelines, connecting us seamlessly with friends, family, and colleagues. They enable us to make calls, send texts, and maintain vital social and professional links effortlessly. However, situations arise where we need to block specific contacts amidst these connections. This could be due to persistent calls from telemarketers or a desire to sever ties with someone in our personal life.
Blocking a number is a powerful tool for managing our digital interactions, providing a shield against unwelcome communication. Yet, life is ever-changing, and there may come a time when you wish to reverse this decision. The reasons vary – perhaps you’ve mended a strained relationship with someone you previously blocked or reassessed your decision regarding a particular contact.
What happens when you block a number on an iPhone
A blocked iPhone number can’t call you. And they can’t FaceTime you or text you, either. But it doesn’t mean the shunned caller has no way to get in touch because they can still leave a voicemail.
When a blocked number calls you, your phone routes it immediately to voicemail, but your iPhone will not alert you that you have a new voicemail message.
Instead, the blocked caller’s voicemail will remain in your inbox until you go in and delete it.
How to remove someone from the blocked list on your iPhone or iPad
Launch Settings from your Home screen.
Tap the green Phone icon. You’ll need to scroll down the menu a little.
Tap Blocked Contacts.
Swipe left on the contact or number you want to unblock.
A red banner will appear; tap Unblock.
That’s all there is to it. The good news about the blocked list in iOS 17 is that you can have only a specific email address or phone number for a person blocked. This gives you much freedom to dictate precisely how you can hear from particular people.
How to Unblock People on iPhone or iPad
If you previously blocked a number on your iPhone or iPad, here’s how to unblock the number so that the contact can call, text, and FaceTime you again:
Tap Settings > Phone. On an iPad that doesn’t use the phone app, tap Settings > FaceTime.
Tap Blocked Contacts (on older versions of the OS, tap Call Blocking & Identification).
In the Blocked Contacts list, swipe right to left across the number, then tap Unblock.
How to unblock a contact
Do you have a contact on your iPhone that you previously blocked but now want to unblock? Here’s how to do that.
Step 1: Start by tapping on the Contacts app on your iPhone. Next, select the name of the person you wish to unblock.
Step 2: Scroll down and choose Unblock this caller.
As you can see, unblocking someone on your iPhone is a relatively pain-free process.
The Basics of Unblocking
The instructions provided here apply to iOS 11 and up and iPadOS 13 and up. While the exact menu names might vary slightly across different OS versions, the fundamental steps remain the same.
Unblocking a Number on iPhone or iPad
If you’ve blocked a number on your iPhone or iPad, follow these steps to unblock it:
Open Settings and tap on Phone. For iPad users who don’t use the Phone app, navigate to Settings > FaceTime.
Tap on Blocked Contacts. For older versions of the OS, you’ll find this under Call Blocking & Identification.
In the Blocked Contacts list, swipe right to the left across the number you wish to unblock, then tap Unblock.
View All Blocked Contacts on the iPhone.
If you’d like to review your blocked contacts, you can access a Settings menu listing all blocked numbers.
First, open the Settings app on your iPhone to access that list.
Scroll down the Settings menu and tap “Phone.”
On the “Phone” screen, tap “Blocked Contacts.”
You can now see a list of all your blocked contacts.
To unblock someone from this list, tap “Edit” in the top-right corner of the current screen. Then, find the contact to unblock and tap the red “-” (minus) sign beside their name.
Tap “Unblock” next to the contact’s name, and tap “Done” in the top-right corner.
And your contact is now unblocked!
iPhone makes blocking and unblocking people easy, and you should use this feature to keep any annoyances out of your life.
The Silencing Unknown Callers’ Option
You may have turned the silencing unknown callers’ option on in the past and forgot about it. If you still can’t get calls from unknown numbers despite following the previous steps, consider checking this option to ensure it’s not turned on.
You turn the silencing unknown callers’ option off by doing the following:
Go to your Settings
Tap then on the Phone
Scroll down and turn off Silence Unknown Callers
The Bottom Line
If the blocked person calls you, they will be sent straight to voicemail. If you don’t have the voicemail service, they will hear that your number is unavailable.
If they send you a message, it will be sent from their end, but you won’t receive it on your iPhone.
“How do you unblock a number on an iPhone?” — now you know exactly how!
There are multiple ways to do this task.
You can do it directly from the Phone app, provided you have the number in your contacts or recent call log.
Otherwise, you can do it from Phone, Messages, or FaceTime settings.