How to Block or Unblock a Contact in WeChat

Jamie Read more October 22, 2019

WeChat is huge and with almost half a billion regular users, it is one of the largest social networks on the planet. Originally from China, the app came to the west and took it by storm. As it’s a social network, you get the usual social issues so I thought I would cover how to block or unblock a contact in WeChat so newcomers can control who they talk to on the app.

How to Block or Unblock a Contact in WeChat

The vast majority of people on any social network are happy, positive and there to have a good time. You will always get one or two intent on spoiling the party for others and it’s those people we have to control. Most social networks have some form of blocking so you can enjoy your time there in peace and WeChat is no different.

It is very straightforward to block and unblock your contacts in WeChat and this tutorial will show you how. A contact in the context of WeChat is someone you friended on the app.

Block a contact in WeChat

Blocking someone in WeChat is much the same as it is on Facebook or Twitter. You will no longer see posts and updates from them and they will not be able to direct message you either. WeChat uses manual blocklists to handle such things and you can access yours easily from your Contacts.

To block using Contacts:

Open WeChat and navigate to Contacts.
Select the person you want to block and open their profile.
Select the three dot menu icon at the top right and select Block.

This will stop that individual from contacting you on the app. WeChat does not notify anyone they have been blocked so they will only find out once they try to contact you. They will see a message that looks like, ‘The message is successfully sent but rejected by the receiver.’ This message is a sure sign that someone has been blocked. It is unavoidable as WeChat has to tell them something and this is about as gentle as it gets.

Unblock a contact in WeChat

If you block someone and they change their ways, apologize or something else and you want to let them back into your life again, you can. You can revisit your block list and remove them from it. Once done, they will be able to contact you once more.

You can unblock an individual in five simple steps:

Select Me within WeChat.
Select Settings and Privacy.
Select Blocked List.
Select the individual’s profile and then the three dot menu icon.
Select Unblock from the menu.

Just like blocking, WeChat doesn’t notify the individual you blocked that you have unblocked them. Presumably you’re in contact with them anyway to have arranged this move so they will soon know. The only other way they will know is if they try to message you and they no longer see that ‘rejected by the receiver’ message.

Blocking a contact should be all you need to do in WeChat to stop them contacting you for whatever reason. You can take it further if you need to though. You can delete them as a WeChat contact. This is the same as unfriending them and removes them from your contact list altogether.

Delete a contact in WeChat

Deleting a contact in WeChat is not reversible like blocking. Once deleted, you have to add them all over again with their WeChat ID, phone number or their QR code. Again they aren’t notified but will see a message telling you they need to be a friend or contact to be messaged.

To delete a contact in WeChat, do this:

Open WeChat and select Contacts.
Select the contact you want to delete and open their profile.
Select the three dot menu icon and select Delete.

The contact is deleted immediately and you will no longer be able to message each other until you make friends again.

If you change your mind and want to add them as a contact again, you can do it anew as if nothing ever happened. Use your Friend Radar, add them from your phone contacts, use their QR code or their WeChat ID. The friend process starts all over again and you can freely message and chat as you would any other friend.

WeChat has the same kinds of controls that other social networks have to help manage interactions on the platform. They are basic but effective and work to help reduce the toxicity some people experience while online. If you’re new to WeChat, you will find the majority of people are nice and just want to get along. Now you know how to handle those individuals who don’t!