What Happens to Your DMs When You Block Someone
Blocking is about stopping future contact, not erasing the past. Here's the exact breakdown:
The conversation stays
The existing DM thread remains in both inboxes. All previously sent messages are still readable on both sides.
No new messages can be sent
While the block is active, neither person can send new messages in that thread.
They aren't notified
Instagram never tells someone they've been blocked. They may infer it because your profile becomes unsearchable to them.
Profile, comments and likes hide
Your profile, and your comments and likes on each other's posts, become hidden from one another for the duration of the block.
Do the Messages Delete If You Block and Unblock?
No. Unblocking simply restores the ability to message again, and the old conversation is exactly where you left it. Blocking and unblocking is not a way to wipe a chat.
How to Actually Make the Messages Disappear
If your goal is to remove the messages, you need a different action than blocking:
Delete the conversation (your side only)
- Open Direct Messages.
- Swipe left on the conversation (or tap and hold) → Delete.
- This removes the thread from your inbox only. The other person still has their copy.
Unsend individual messages (removes for both)
- Open the conversation and tap and hold the message you sent.
- Tap Unsend. The message is removed from both inboxes.
- Note: you can only unsend messages you sent, not ones you received.
What About Comments?
Comments behave like messages: blocking hides your comments from each other but does not delete them. If you want a comment gone for good, delete it directly. For unwanted comments at scale, automated moderation is far faster than blocking people one by one.
Blocking one troll at a time doesn't scale
If you're blocking accounts to escape spam, scams, or harassment in your comments and DMs, there's a better way. FeedGuardians automatically hides spam and offensive comments and filters unwanted messages across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok—so you don't have to play whack-a-mole.
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you block someone on Instagram, do the messages disappear?
No. The DM thread and all past messages stay in both inboxes. Blocking only stops new messages and hides your profile, comments, and likes from each other—it never deletes chat history.
Does the other person know I blocked them?
Instagram doesn't send a notification. They may suspect it because your profile no longer appears in search or on your posts for them.
How do I delete the messages for both of us?
Use Unsend on each message you sent—that removes it from both inboxes. Deleting the conversation only clears it from your own inbox.
Do comments disappear when I block someone?
They're hidden from each other while the block is active but not deleted. Unblocking makes them visible again; to remove them permanently, delete the comments directly.
Related Guides & Resources
How to Block Someone From Commenting on Instagram
Stop a specific account from commenting—without fully blocking them.
How to Unhide Comments on Instagram
Find and restore comments Instagram hid behind its filters.
How to Filter Comments on Instagram
Automate spam and offensive-comment filtering instead of blocking accounts one by one.