In most cases, the answer is . When you unblock someone on major messaging platforms, messages sent while they were blocked are permanently lost and will not retroactively "flood" your inbox.
Think of blocking as a dam. When the dam is up, water (messages) cannot flow through. When you remove the dam, only new water can flow—the water that tried to pass earlier is gone.
Messages sent during the block period are never delivered to your device, even after unblocking. However, if the blocked user leaves a voicemail , it may still be accessible in a separate "Blocked Messages" section within your Phone app . when you unblock do messages come through
"Short answer: No. Think of blocking as a black hole for texts. Anything sent while the block was active disappears into the void. Once you unblock, you’ll start getting their new messages, but you’ll never see the ones they sent in the meantime."
Have you ever unblocked someone and missed an important message? Share your experience in the comments (or don’t—your block list is your business). In most cases, the answer is
It depends on the platform, but generally, no —messages sent while you were blocked will not come through after you unblock someone. However, future messages will be delivered normally.
Many people get confused because the sender sometimes sees “Delivered” (especially on iMessage). This is a technical limitation, not a guarantee you received the message. Apple’s servers may acknowledge receipt to the sender’s device, but your device never downloads it. When you unblock, your phone does not go back and request those old messages. When the dam is up, water (messages) cannot flow through
So if you unblock an ex, a former friend, or a persistent salesperson, you won’t receive a flood of old messages. You’ll simply start fresh from that moment onward.
While unblocking reopens the door for future communication, the messages sent during the "dark period" are typically discarded by the apps' servers to protect user privacy and reduce data clutter. Platform-Specific Breakdown
Only new messages sent after you unblock will come through. Any messages sent during the blocked period are gone forever—they will not suddenly appear in your inbox.
Messages sent while a contact is blocked generally do not appear after unblocking, as most platforms treat the block as a complete severance of communication, allowing only future messages to pass [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. While iMessage, WhatsApp, and social media apps do not deliver these lost messages, some Android devices may store blocked SMS in a "Spam & Blocked" folder [7]. You can check your device's specific blocking settings to confirm if any messages were stored. AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses Copy Creating a public link... You can now share this thread with others Good response Bad response Show all