How to Unblock a Number on iPhone and Android (Step by Step)

To unblock a number, open your phone's blocked list, select the number and tap Unblock. On iPhone that is Settings, Apps, Phone, Blocked Contacts, then swipe left on the number. On Android it is the Phone app, three-dot menu, Settings, Blocked numbers, then the X beside the number. If you are unblocking because you are not sure who the number belonged to, Deepscanner's free preview returns the carrier, line type and general location in about 60 seconds with no card.

• iPhone (iOS 18 and later): Settings > Apps > Phone > Blocked Contacts > swipe left > Unblock
• iPhone (iOS 17 and earlier): Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts > swipe left > Unblock
• Android (Google Phone app): Phone > three dots > Settings > Blocked numbers > X > Unblock
• Samsung: Phone > three dots > Settings > Block numbers > minus icon beside the number
• Messages sent while blocked are not delivered after you unblock

Unblocking is the easy half. Blocking is usually the second thing you do with an unknown number; the first is working out who it is. If you cannot remember why a number is on your list, a reverse phone lookup shows the carrier, line type and general location free in about 60 seconds, which tells you whether you are about to let a friend or a spammer back in.

How do I unblock a number on iPhone?

There are two routes. The blocked list works for any number, including ones you cannot find in your recent calls.

1. Open Settings. On iOS 18 and later tap Apps, then Phone. On iOS 17 and earlier, tap Phone directly.
2. Tap Blocked Contacts. Your full list appears.
3. Swipe left on the number and tap Unblock. Or tap Edit, tap the red minus, then Unblock.

If the call is still in your history, there is a shortcut: open the Phone app, tap Recents, tap the i beside the number and choose Unblock this Caller. The blocked list is shared by Phone, FaceTime, Messages and Mail, so one unblock covers all four.

How do I unblock a number on Android?

Android varies by maker, but the Google Phone app and Samsung's Phone app both use a Settings menu under the three dots.

1. Open the Phone app and tap the three-dot menu.
2. Tap Settings, then Blocked numbers (Samsung calls it Block numbers).
3. Tap the X beside the number on a Google phone, or the minus icon on a Samsung, then confirm.

You can also unblock from the call log: tap the number and choose Unblock. Menu labels shift slightly between Android versions and phone makers, so if your screen differs, look for the same three words: Settings, Blocked, Unblock.

What happens to messages sent while a number was blocked?

The unblock path on each platform, from opening the blocked list to confirming.

Nothing arrives later. This surprises most people. While the number is blocked, calls go to voicemail or are dropped, and texts are not delivered. Unblocking does not bring them back.

• Texts: not delivered to you, now or after unblocking
• Calls: blocked callers are sent to voicemail on iPhone, and you see nothing in Recents
• Voicemails: on iPhone, a blocked caller's voicemails are kept separately under Voicemail > Blocked Messages
• The other person: is not told they were blocked or unblocked

If someone insists they sent you something while blocked, they will need to send it again. That is also a quiet way to find out whether they actually want to reach you.

Should I unblock a number I do not recognize?

Not until you know who it is. A number you blocked once may have been a nuisance caller, and numbers get recycled: the one on your list could now belong to a different person. A free phone number lookup shows whether it is a mobile, landline or VoIP line, which is the quickest sign of whether it deserves a second chance.

Deepscanner searches 500M+ records from 100+ sources, so the full report, ready in about 2 minutes, can name the owner when the preview is not enough. If a search finds nothing, you can request a 100% refund within 30 days. It also works if you only have the number and nothing else.

What if I cannot find the number in my blocked list?

Check the right list first. On iPhone, a number can also be blocked in a single app: Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts or Settings > FaceTime > Blocked Contacts show the same shared list, so it should appear in all three. If it is missing, it may never have been blocked.

On Android, a carrier or a spam app may be doing the blocking instead of the phone. Open your carrier's call protection app and check its own blocked list. Some phones also hide numbers filtered as spam in a separate Spam folder in the Phone app, which has its own Not spam option.

If you think a contact blocked you, that is a different problem. There is a separate guide on how to know if someone blocked your number.

How do I stop the wrong calls from coming back?

Unblocking one number should not mean losing your protection against the rest. Keep the spam defences on and only open the door for numbers you have checked. The iPhone spam-call settings let you silence unknown callers and filter by carrier, so a wanted number can come through without every robocaller following.

What does and does not arrive once you unblock someone.

Add the person to Contacts after unblocking. On iPhone, contacts are treated as known callers, which means they ring through even with Silence Unknown Callers turned on.

Does unblocking take effect straight away?

Yes. The change applies the moment you confirm, with no restart and no waiting period. The next call from that number rings normally, and a new text arrives as usual. Nothing is stored up from the blocked period, so you will not see a flood of missed items.

If a number still seems blocked after you unblock it, check the other layers. Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone, a Focus mode that only allows contacts, and a carrier spam filter can each keep a call from ringing. Saving the number as a contact is the fastest fix for all three.

Can I unblock a number through my carrier or a call-blocking app?

Only if the block was set up there. Carrier tools such as AT&T ActiveArmor, T-Mobile Scam Shield and Verizon Call Filter keep their own block lists, separate from the phone. A number blocked in one of those apps must be unblocked in the same app. The phone's blocked list will not show it, which is the usual reason people think a number is missing from the list.

The same goes for third-party spam apps. Open the app, find its block or spam list and remove the number there. If you are unsure which layer blocked it, test by asking the person to call you after you have cleared the phone's list, then work through the carrier app and any spam app in turn.

What if blocking them again is the right call?

Then do it the same way in reverse. On iPhone, open the Phone app, tap the i next to the number in Recents and choose Block this Caller. The full walkthrough is in our guide on how to block a number on iPhone.

If the same number keeps coming back with a slightly different digit, it is probably a spammer cycling through numbers. Blocking each one is a losing game. A lookup of the new number often reveals a VoIP line, and the pattern is easier to spot once you see two or three together.