How to Unblock a Number on an iPhone or iPad

To unblock a number on a current iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Blocked Contacts, select the person or number, then tap Unblock Contact. iOS 26 and newer use this shared list, and Apple’s current iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 instructions follow the same route. The steps below also cover older devices and the FaceTime shortcut.

Removing a block lets the person contact you again through Apple’s communication apps. A block managed by Phone, Messages, FaceTime, or Mail applies across Apple apps, while a block inside a third-party app must be removed in that app. Apple’s guide to blocking and filtering communications explains how the shared list works.

Unblock a number in iOS 26 or later

These instructions work on iPhone and iPad. If your device is on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or earlier, skip to the older-version steps below.

1. Check the software version. Go to Settings > General > About and look for iOS Version or iPadOS Version. If you need the old-version route, the version name tells you which steps to use.

   

2. Open Settings. Return to the main Settings screen, then tap Privacy & Security.

   

3. Open the blocked list. Tap Blocked Contacts.

   

4. Find the right entry. Review the names and numbers in the list. Tap the exact phone number you want to unblock; if the person has several numbers or email addresses, make sure you choose the one that was blocked.

   

5. Remove the block. On the contact details screen, scroll down and tap Unblock Contact. The entry is no longer blocked, so that number can reach you through Apple’s supported apps.

   

Some iOS 26 or later versions show an Edit control on the Blocked Contacts list instead of opening a contact card. In that view, tap Edit, tap the remove button beside the right entry, then confirm with Unblock. Apple documents both list-management paths in its iPhone and iPad blocked-contacts instructions.

Use the older Settings path

On iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and earlier, blocked contacts are managed from the settings for the app where you blocked them. On an iPhone, start at Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts. On an iPad, or if the block was made in another app, check the matching path:

• Messages: Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts. On some older layouts, the list appears under SMS/MMS.
• FaceTime: Settings > FaceTime > Blocked Contacts. The list may appear beneath Calls.
• Mail: Settings > Mail > Blocked. This manages a blocked email sender rather than a phone call.

Open the relevant list and locate the number or contact. Depending on the screen, swipe left on the entry and tap Unblock, or use Edit and the remove control. If you remove a person from one Apple app’s blocked list, the change applies across Apple’s Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Mail apps. The Apple communication settings guide lists the legacy menu locations.

Unblock someone from FaceTime

If you have the person’s call in FaceTime history, you may be able to remove the block there. Open FaceTime, tap the call, and choose Unblock Contact. In a Group FaceTime record, tap the caller’s contact information first, then choose the unblock action. Apple also documents a FaceTime settings route: Settings > Apps > FaceTime > Blocked Contacts; swipe left on the contact and tap Unblock.

The same centralized Settings path works on iPad, even if you mainly use it for Messages or FaceTime rather than cellular calls. For Apple’s device-specific steps, see the iPhone User Guide and iPad User Guide.

If the number still cannot reach you

First confirm that you removed the exact number or email address they use. A contact saved under someone’s name can contain several blocked details, and unblocking one entry does not remove separate blocks for other numbers or addresses. Check a third-party calling or messaging app separately if you blocked the person there.

Also distinguish a block from call filtering. If calls from unknown numbers are silenced or screened, review Settings > Apps > Phone and its call-screening or unknown-caller options. Apple explains those controls in its call-screening guide. A blocked caller may still leave voicemail, but you will not receive a notification; messages sent while the number was blocked are not delivered. Apple says the contact is not notified that a call or message was blocked.

If your menu labels differ, check the device version at Settings > General > About and follow the matching Apple User Guide. That usually resolves whether you should look under Privacy & Security or inside Phone, Messages, or FaceTime settings.