Most Snapchat users have been there. You send a Snap or look for someone’s story, and nothing shows up. No new activity, no notifications, and no updates from the person you used to see all the time. It creates a small puzzle that can feel irritating or awkward. Getting blocked on Snapchat feels personal because the app doesn’t tell you directly. Unlike other platforms that might send notifications or give clear indicators, Snapchat keeps things vague, probably to avoid drama. But there are clear signs that tell you exactly what happened, and understanding these signs saves you from wondering.
Snapchat has multiple privacy settings. Someone might have removed you as a friend, blocked you on Snapchat completely, or just changed their settings so you can’t see their story. Each situation looks slightly different, and knowing the difference helps you figure out what actually went down.
Can I Still See Their Profile If They Blocked Me?
This is usually the first thing you check. Open Snapchat and use the search bar at the top. Type in their username or their display name. If they blocked you, one of two things happens: either they won’t appear in search results at all, or their name shows up but when you tap it, you can’t see any of their information.
If you can find their profile but it looks empty, that’s a sign. You won’t see their Snap Score, you won’t see when they joined Snapchat, and their Bitmoji won’t appear. The profile exists but it’s basically a blank page. This happens because Snapchat hides blocked users’ information from you while still keeping their account visible in some searches.
However, this isn’t foolproof. If someone deleted their account entirely, you’d see similar results. The difference is that a deleted account usually disappears completely from search, while a blocked profile might still show the username but with no accessible information. One reliable trick is to search for them using a different account or ask a mutual friend to check. If your friend can see their full profile, stories, and Snap Score, but you can’t, you’ve been blocked. If nobody can find them, they likely deleted their account.
What Happens When I Try to Send Them a Message?
Try sending them a snap or a chat message. If you’ve been blocked, the message will appear to send on your end, but it never actually delivers. You’ll see “Pending” next to the message, and it stays pending forever. It won’t say “Delivered” or “Opened” like normal messages do.
The tricky part is that “Pending” can also appear if someone hasn’t added you back as a friend yet, or if they removed you from their friend list without blocking you. So pending alone doesn’t confirm a block, but combined with other signs, it builds a case.
If you previously had conversations with this person, check your chat history. If they blocked you, your entire chat history with them might disappear or become inaccessible. Old snaps and messages vanish as if the conversation never happened. This is different from someone just removing you as a friend, where chat history usually remains visible.
Will Their Stories Still Show Up?
Stories are another clear indicator. If you could see their stories before but now you can’t, and you know they’re still actively posting because mutual friends can see them, you’ve likely been blocked.
Go to the Stories page and look for their name. If it’s completely gone and you can’t find it anywhere, that’s a red flag. Sometimes people set their stories to private or only share with close friends, which would also hide them from you, but this usually happens as they adjust settings. If you’re wondering why their stories stopped showing up, it’s possible someone blocked you on Snapchat.
Check if you can still see stories from other mutual friends. The block becomes increasingly obvious when everyone else’s stories appear normally but this specific person’s content has vanished completely.
Can I See Their Snapchat Score?
Snap Score is one of the most reliable indicators. If you were friends before and could see their score, but now it’s completely hidden or shows as zero, something changed. When someone blocks you, their Snap Score disappears from your view entirely.
Open your friend list and look for their name. If they’re still on your list but their score shows nothing, or if tapping their name doesn’t reveal any score at all, you’re likely blocked. Active Snapchat users have scores that increase constantly, so a sudden disappearance of that number means they’ve cut off your access.
Compare this with mutual friends. If your friends can see this person’s Snap Score updating normally while yours shows nothing, that confirms the block. Snap Scores don’t just disappear unless the account is deleted or you’re blocked.
What If We Have a Snapstreak?
Snapstreaks disappear immediately when someone blocks you. If you had a streak going with this person and it suddenly vanished without explanation, and you know you didn’t miss a day, they likely blocked you.
The streak counter would just be gone. No fire emoji, no number showing how many days you’ve maintained it. It’s like the streak never existed. Snapchat doesn’t give you a warning or explanation, it just removes it from both sides.
However, streaks can also end if either person simply stops sending snaps for 24 hours, or if there’s a technical glitch. So a lost streak alone isn’t definitive proof, but combined with other signs like pending messages and missing profiles, it strengthens the case.
Also Read: Snapchat Streaks: The Daily Habit Driving Gen Z Connections
How Is Being Blocked Different From Being Removed?
This confuses many people. Being removed as a friend and being blocked are two different things. If someone removes you, you can still find their profile, send them snaps that show as pending until they add you back, and see their public stories if their privacy settings allow it.
If someone blocks you, you can’t find their profile easily, can’t send them anything that will ever deliver, and definitely can’t see any stories regardless of their privacy settings. Blocking is more severe and final.
When you’re just removed, you might still see them in your friend list under a different category, like “Add Friends” suggestions. When you’re blocked, they vanish almost entirely from your Snapchat experience.
Why Won’t Snapchat Just Tell Me?
Snapchat doesn’t notify you about blocks because it wants to minimize confrontation and drama. If the app sent a notification saying “User X blocked you,” it could lead to uncomfortable situations, arguments, or people creating new accounts to harass the person who blocked them.
The vague approach protects users’ privacy and safety. Someone who needs to block another person, perhaps due to harassment or uncomfortable interactions, can do so without triggering retaliation. It’s frustrating when you’re on the receiving end and just want clarity, but the policy makes sense from a safety perspective.
Other apps like Instagram and WhatsApp use similar approaches. They give hints and signs rather than explicit notifications. It’s become the standard way social platforms handle blocking.
What Should I Do If I Think I’m Blocked?
First, don’t assume the worst immediately. Check all the signs: search for their profile, try sending a message, look for their stories, and check their Snap Score. If multiple signs point to a block, you probably are blocked.
Respect their decision. If someone blocked you, they had a reason, even if you don’t understand it or think it’s unfair. Creating new accounts to reach them or asking mutual friends to intervene usually makes things worse and can be considered harassment.
If you think it was a mistake or misunderstanding, you might reach out through a different platform if you have that option, but keep it brief and respectful. One message explaining you noticed you can’t reach them on Snapchat and asking if everything’s okay is acceptable. Multiple messages or persistent attempts to contact them crosses into inappropriate territory.
Sometimes blocks happen during arguments or emotional moments, and people unblock later when they’ve cooled down. Other times, blocks are permanent boundaries. Either way, the healthiest response is accepting it and moving forward. Social media connections aren’t owed to anyone, and everyone has the right to control their online space and who has access to them.
