Sent As a Text Message: Am I Blocked?

Sent As a Text Message: Am I Blocked?
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Americans spend five to six hours per day on their phones. With that comes the assumption that we can reliably contact the rest of the world 24/7, regardless of what is happening.

Cellular service and mobile communication is vital in our day-to-day lives; it can be jarring when a phone call or text message fails. There are various reasons why an SMS message might not go through, but sometimes it is because your phone number was blocked.

Since a notification like that can be confusing and maybe even upsetting, here are some reasons why a message you sent might not be completed.

Programs Can Block Your Text Messages

You should know that any mobile device can block specific phone numbers. Both iPhone users and Android devices have functions that can prevent a text message from making it to their phone.

If your text message isn’t being delivered, it is possible that the receiving party used one of these functions to block your phone number. In some cases, it is best to respect the person’s wishes who blocked your phone number.

But in other cases, it is legitimately important that you be able to contact them. So, how do you get in touch with someone who blocked your number?

How to Call Someone Who Blocked You

The easiest way to get in touch with someone who blocked you is to use another phone. A person can’t block a person; they can only block a phone number, meaning if you use another phone, you will be able to contact them however you want.

If using another phone is out of the question, there are sometimes ways to get through on your own phone. Because the other phone blocks your phone number, it is possible in some cases to get through to them if you disguise your number.

Apple and Android phones allow users to disguise their caller IDs so that the receiving phone doesn’t get their blocked number.

You can also use an app like Burner, which creates a second phone number that you can send text messages from as if you had a second phone, but without the hassle of finding another device.

How To Know if Someone Blocked You on iMessage

On iMessage, an easy way to tell if you’ve been set as a blocked contact is to see whether your text was delivered. If your texts aren’t getting through to the other person and you’re not receiving an iMessage delivery notification, there is a good chance that your phone number has been blocked.

On iOS and Apple devices, another way to tell is if your messages turn from blue to green, meaning that you are no longer connected to the other person through iMessage at all. Another way to tell is to use any of the above methods we recommended for calling the person; if your calls are going through when you use another phone or hide your caller ID, then that likely means your phone number has been blocked.

Once you’ve figured out that someone has blocked you, you are left with a question: why have you been blocked?

Why Your Messages Are Blocked

Here are a few reasons why your messages may be blocked:

YOU HAVE SENT OUT A LOT OF SHORT TEXTS RECENTLY

If the receiving party feels like you are spamming their phone, they could be inclined to block your number to save them from having to check so many notifications. If you are trying to stay in contact with someone without making them check their phone every few seconds, try sending longer messages at longer intervals. This way, they have time to process your messages.

Improving your texting etiquette could go a long way towards making people more responsive to you.

YOUR CONTACTS DON'T HAVE UNLIMITED TEXT

Sometimes a failed text message is a problem on the receiver’s end, not yours. If the person you are trying to contact has run out of their text plan, they might not be able to receive text messages until their plan resets.

If this is the case, try giving them a call to see if you can reach them over the phone.

PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY

Text messages might also fail if the person is traveling internationally. It is common for carriers to only work within the United States and requires modifications if you want to reach people outside of the country.

Check and see if they have travel plans if you wonder why your call isn’t going through.

Conclusion

It is tough to know why your text message isn’t being received without talking to the person about it. There are so many reasons why a person might be unreachable by your phone number, ranging from unexpected travel plans to more personal issues.

The silver lining is that there are always other ways to reach people, and if you deem it appropriate, there are even ways to contact people who have blocked your phone number.

One of the least intrusive ways to do this is to use Burner to create a second number and use that to contact the other person. When you use Burner, you are creating a completely new text chain with a completely new number, functionally acting as if you have a second phone without going out and spending money on a mobile device you will rarely use.

Burner protects your real number and gives you the ability to contact previously unreachable phone numbers.

Check out Burner’s free trial if you want to see these functions in action first-hand.

Sources:

Time spent on average on a smartphone in the US 2021 | Statista

Avoid unwanted calls on iPhone | Apple

Hide your caller ID when you make calls | Google

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