How do i unblock a phone number from my phone

• You can block or unblock a number on an Android via the built-in Phone app.
• Calls from numbers you've blocked will go straight to voicemail, and you won't receive any of their text messages.
• You can add or remove numbers from your Android's block list at any time.

It used to be that the only people who could call your cell phone were people that you personally gave your phone number to. Now, though, your number goes all over the place — and as a result, you may have noticed that you're receiving a lot more unwanted calls than you used to.

If there's one particularly annoying number that keeps calling you, all you need to do is to block the number. Blocked calls on an Android will go straight to voicemail, and texts won't be delivered.

And if you later realize that you actually need to hear from that number, you can unblock them just as easily.

Here's how to do both, using your Android's built-in Phone app.

How to block a phone number on an Android

With so many different phones out today, there are several ways to block a number on Android. Here's one of the most common ways.

1. Open the Phone app.

2. Tap the three dot icon in the upper-right corner to open the menu.

3. From the menu, choose "Settings."

4. In the settings menu, scroll down until you find "Blocked numbers." Tap it.

5. At the top of the blocked numbers list, tap "Add a number."

6. Enter the phone number you want to block, then tap "Block" to complete the action.

How to unblock a phone number on an Android

If you block a number by mistake, or your circumstances change and you no longer need to block the person from calling or texting you, unblocking is even easier than blocking.

1. Return to the list of blocked numbers, find the one you no longer want blocked, and tap the "X" button next to it.

2. Confirm that you want to unblock the number by tapping "Unblock."

Going forward, you'll receive calls and texts from that number again.

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• How to block a number on any Android phone to stop receiving unwanted calls

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Melanie Weir

Freelance author

Melanie Weir is a freelance author for Insider, mainly focusing on the Tech Reference section, but occasionally contributing to Lifestyle and Entertainment topics as well. She is also a freelance writer for ScreenRant, and is the Lead Weekend News Editor at TheThings.com. In her spare time she writes plays for both stage and screen. She can be reached at , or through LinkedIn.

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Sometimes, blocking unwanted calls from telemarketing companies, unknown numbers, and certain people in your contacts could bring you peace of mind. But what if you accidentally blocked a friend in the process? Or, you want to unblock someone but can’t remember how it’s done? This tutorial will walk you through the process of unblocking a number on iOS and Android devices.

Note: The steps in this tutorial may vary based on your device model (mainly for Android) and its operating system version. We utilized a Nokia smartphone running Android 10 OS (with stock UI) and an iPhone with iOS 14.7.1 installed. Android devices (from Samsung, OnePlus, etc.) running custom Android UI may have different steps for unblocking contacts. If none of the methods below apply to your device, head to the manufacturer’s website for clear-cut instructions.

If you remember the contact(s) you blocked, you can easily unblock them from the Phone app. But if you can’t recall the contact(s), check the list of blocked numbers in the Phone settings menu and unblock them accordingly.

In this section, we’ll show you different techniques to unblock contacts on your iPhone and iPad.

1. Unblock a Contact from the Phone App

Launch the Phone app, tap the info icon next to the number you want to unblock, and tap Unblock this Caller.

If the contact isn’t in the “Recents” section, head to the Contacts tab, select the contact you want to unblock (use the search bar to locate the contact faster) and select Unblock this Caller.

2. Unblock Contacts from the Settings Menu

This is the best approach to follow if you want to have a cursory view of all blocked contacts on your iPhone.

1. Open the Settings app, select Phone, and select Blocked Contacts.

1. Tap Edit at the top-right corner.

1. Tap the minus icon to the left of the contact you want to unblock and select Unblock. That’ll unblock the number(s) and remove it from the list of blocked contacts. Tap Done to save the change.

Addendum: Unmute Unknown Callers

iOS and iPadOS ship with a feature that automatically diverts calls from unknown/unsaved numbers to voicemail. Think of this as a “soft block.” If you aren’t receiving calls from numbers you didn’t block, the “Silence Unknown Caller” feature is probably active.

Head to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers and toggle off Silence Unknown Callers.

Unblock a Number on Android

If you blocked a number on your Android device and you want to revert the action, there are different ways to go about it.

1. Unblock a Number from the Call Log

A blocked number or contact in your phone’s call log will have a crossed-out display picture, i.e., a circle with a line through it. To unblock the contact/number, tap on it, select the Unblock icon and tap Unblock again on the confirmation prompt.

Alternatively, tap the crossed-out display picture, tap the three-dot menu icon, and select Unblock numbers.

2. Unblock Number/Contact from the Phone Settings Menu

If the blocked contact isn’t in your call log, head to the dialer settings menu to unblock the number.

1. Launch the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu icon at the top-right corner, and select Settings.

1. Select Blocked numbers.

1. Tap the x icon next to the number you want to unblock and select Unblock on the prompt.

You should also toggle off the “Block call from unidentified callers” option. That’ll automatically unblock calls from numbers that aren’t on your contact list.

3. Unblock Number/Contact from the Google Contacts App

If the native dialer app on your Android device doesn’t have a menu for viewing blocked contacts, you can unblock numbers from the Contacts app.

1. Launch Contacts, tap the hamburger menu icon on the top-left corner, and select Settings.

1. Head to the “Manage contacts” section and select Blocked numbers.

1. Tap the x icon next to the blocked number and select Unblock on the prompt.

4. Unblock Number/Contact from the Messages App

When you report an SMS or MMS as spam, Android adds the number to the list of blocked contacts. Here’s how to check numbers blocked via the default Messages app and how to unblock them:

1. Open the Messages app, tap the three-dot menu icon, and select Spam and blocked.

1. Select the conversation from the number/contact you want to unblock and select Unblock on the next page.

Unblock Contacts Using Third-Party Apps

If you blocked a contact via third-party caller ID apps, you might not receive calls or texts from the person—even if the number isn’t on your device’s list of blocked contacts. Check the contact details on the app, or open the list of blocked numbers in the app’s settings menu and unblock the number.

Better yet, make the system phone app that shipped with your device the default app for phone calls.

Head to Settings > Apps & notifications > Default apps > Phone app and select the system default Android phone app.

Block and Unblock Numbers as Needed

It’s important to state that blocking and unblocking numbers are device-specific actions. Switching your SIM card to another device is an easy and indirect method to unblock a number. 

Resetting your iPhone or Android smartphone to factory default will also clear the list of blocked contacts and unblock all numbers. Although that’s extreme—because you’ll lose your files and settings—it’s a valid method to unblock contacts, and we’re putting it out there for educational purposes. 

Let us know if you have questions or recommendations.