If you can’t reach or even find a friend on Facebook or Messenger, it’s either because their account is deactivated or they’ve blocked you. A few clues may give you the answer and let you know if you’re banned
One of your contacts has disappeared from your Facebook or Messenger friends list? You don’t see their posts anymore? You can’t access their profile? You can’t write to them anymore? There are only two explanations: either their account is deactivated, or they have blocked you, cutting off any relationship with you on the social network. In either case, Facebook will not tell you anything, leaving you in doubt. But there are a few tricks to get the answer.
How do I know if I’m blocked by a contact on Facebook?
Facebook never tells you when a contact unfriends you or blocks you. But you can find out by following a few clues…
- With your web browser, log in to Facebook and click on your profile picture, right next to the What do you mean?
- Your Facebook profile page appears. In the left-hand column, click on All Friends in the Friends section.
- Enter your friend’s name on the search field.
- If you see No Results, your friend is no longer on your friend’s list. At this point, they may have simply removed you from their friend’s list. However, they may have also deleted their own account or been deactivated by Facebook.
- To investigate further, use the Facebook search engine. Enter your friend’s name in the search on the Facebook field, located at the top left of the Facebook page, right next to the blue F.
- The results page will appear. If your friend’s name is not listed, then you no longer have access to their profile. Again, it’s possible that their account has been deleted or deactivated. In this case, ask mutual friends if they can see the profile of the “missing” person. If they can access it without any problem, there is no doubt: you have been blocked!
- If you don’t want to ask for help or if you don’t have any mutual friends, use the comments. Locate a comment from your friend on a page or in a group.
- Click on the Reply link under his comment or directly on his name.
- If nothing happens, then no more doubt: this guy has blocked you!
How to know if you are blocked by a contact on Messenger?
Like Facebook, Messenger also doesn’t tell you if a contact has blocked you on Messenger. Especially blocked or not, but your conversations will remain accessible. But several clues will allow you to know if you are blocked…
With the web version of Facebook
- Using your usual web browser, log in to your Facebook account.
- Go to the Messenger section and open a chat with your friend. Type a message in the reply field and press Enter on your keyboard to send it.
- If a red dot appears next to your message, you can no longer write to your friend.
- To know more, click on your friend’s name in the messaging window and then click on View Profile in the menu that appears.
- If you see an error message, your friend has blocked you. If your friend’s account had been deactivated or deleted, Facebook would say “This person is not available on Messenger” and their profile picture would have disappeared.
With the Messenger mobile app
- Launch the Messenger app on your smartphone and open a chat with your friend.
- Type a message and send it. If a window titled Failed to Send appears, press OK.
- Then try to access your messenger friend’s profile by pressing his name at the top of the screen in the iOS version or the i button at the top right of the screen in the Android version
- Then tap on the Profile button just below your friend’s name.
- If you see an error message, you have been blocked by your friend. Indeed, if his account had been deactivated, you could not even text him. Facebook would then indicate “This person is not available on Messenger”.