Block a phone number on Rakuten Viber
This article will help you understand what happens when someone is blocked, as well as how to block and unblock a phone number on Rakuten Viber.
IMPORTANT
- To see all options described in this article, ensure that you’re using the latest version of Rakuten Viber on all your devices
- If you restore Rakuten Viber (after uninstalling it) your block list will reset. Make sure to take note of who is on your block list before you uninstall Rakuten Viber
- Your block list is synced across your devices
How to block a phone number
Block someone not saved in my contact list
When you receive a message from someone not saved in your contact list, you will see a banner with the option to Block the sender. If you believe that the person contacting you is a spammer, please report them by tapping/clicking Block and Report Spam (option will be available on the desktop after you select Block.)
Block someone I have a 1on1 chat with
- Open Rakuten Viber on your phone
- Tap on Chats
- Select a chat
- Tap Info (Android) or the name of the chat (iOS) at the top of the screen
- Tap Chat info
- Tap Block this contact
Block a phone number or someone that I don’t have a 1on1 chat with
- Open Rakuten Viber on your phone
- Tap More
- Tap Settings
- Tap Privacy
- Tap Block list
- Tap on the + (Android) or Add number (iOS) in the top corner
- Either select a contact or type in a phone number in the Search bar
- You must use the full international format: (+)(Country Code)(Area Code without the leading 0's)(Phone Number)
- Select the phone number after you finish typing
- Confirm that you want to block the contact or phone number by tapping on the top corner (Android) or Done (iOS)
What does it mean ‘to block’ a phone number?
If you block someone on Rakuten Viber, they will not be able to contact you again and will not receive any updates about your activity on Rakuten Viber.
Specifically, they won’t be able to:
- Call you
- Send you a message
- See your status updates (whether or not you’re online)
- See profile changes such as a new profile picture
- Add you to a group
What happens when I block someone?
The following table explains how the blocked person will experience their interactions with you:
Action | Blocked person | You |
---|---|---|
Message | Messages they send will always show a Sent icon for them | You will not receive the message |
Viber call | The call will sound like it is connecting but not being answered | You will not receive the call |
They add you to a group | They will see that you have ‘left’ the group (automatically) as soon as you were added | You will not receive a notification about an attempt to add you to a group |
Online status | They won’t see your online status | |
Profile picture change | They won’t see your new profile picture |
Will the person I blocked know that they have been blocked?
The person you blocked won’t be notified that you blocked them. However, they may guess that they have been blocked based on indicators such as you not receiving their messages and not being able to add you to a group.
Being in the same group as someone you blocked
If both you and the person you blocked have a group in common, you will be able to see each other’s activity within the group.
Calling/messaging someone you blocked
You cannot call or send a message to someone while they are on your block list. If you try to call/message someone you’ve blocked, you’ll see an alert asking you to unblock the person first.
How to unblock a phone number
If you decide to unblock someone, they will be able to contact you again; however, you will not see any messages that they sent while they were on your block list.
Unblock someone I have a 1on1 chat with
The quickest way to unblock someone is to find a 1on1 chat that you have with them (on your phone) and to tap the Unblock* button in the banner displayed inside the chat.
*If you send a message to a blocked number on your desktop, you’ll be prompted to unblock the number before the message can be delivered.
Unblock someone saved in my contact list
If you deleted your 1on1 chat, you will need to open a new chat:
- Open Rakuten Viber
- Tap/click on Compose (Android) (iOS and Desktop)
- Type in the name of the blocked person
You will be prompted to unblock the person before you can communicate with them.
Unblock a phone number or someone that I don’t have a 1on1 chat with
If you don’t have an open chat or the phone number saved in your contact list, you can unblock them through Settings:
- Open Rakuten Viber
- Tap More
- Desktop: Click on your profile picture next to the Search field
- Tap/click Settings
- Tap/click Privacy
- Tap/click Block list (Phone) or click Manage under Block list (Desktop)
- Find the phone number or name that you want to unblock and tap/click Unblock