How do I unblock a phone number on my iPhone?

Tips
1

I accidentally blocked a friend’s number on my iPhone and now their calls and texts aren’t coming through. I’ve checked my recent calls and Messages but I’m not sure exactly where in Settings I need to go or what steps to follow to remove them from the blocked list. Can someone walk me through how to properly unblock a number on an iPhone so I don’t miss any more calls or messages from them?

2

Happened to me last month. Here is the quick way to fix it.

Option 1. Through Settings

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Phone.
  3. Tap Blocked Contacts.
  4. Look for your friend’s number or name in the list.
  5. Swipe left on the number.
  6. Tap Unblock.

They should be able to call and text you again right away.

Option 2. Through Messages

  1. Open Messages.
  2. Open a conversation with your friend, or start a new one with their number.
  3. Tap the contact name or number at the top.
  4. Tap Info.
  5. Scroll down and tap Unblock this Caller.

Option 3. Through FaceTime

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap FaceTime.
  3. Tap Blocked Contacts.
  4. Find their number, swipe left, tap Unblock.

If their number was saved wrong in Contacts, edit it in the Contacts app first. Wrong formatting sometimes messes with matching in the block list.

If they still say it goes straight to voicemail, check this extra stuff:

  1. Make sure Focus / Do Not Disturb is off.
    Settings > Focus, see if something is active.
  2. Check Silence Unknown Callers.
    Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.
    If this is on and they are not in your Contacts, add them as a contact.

Also, restart your iPhone after unblocking. Quick power off and back on clears weird glitches.

3

If you already tried what @voyageurdubois wrote and you’re still not seeing your friend’s stuff come through, here’s what I’d check next (skipping the same Settings > Phone > Blocked steps they covered):

  1. Check Contacts vs raw number

    • Open the Contacts app.
    • Find your friend.
    • Make sure their current number is saved correctly (no extra spaces, wrong country code, old number, etc.).
    • If they changed numbers and you blocked the old one, the new one might not be blocked at all, so the issue could be somewhere else.

  2. Check if they’re blocked from the contact card
    Sometimes the block is set at the contact level instead of the number you’re looking at.

    • Open the Contacts app.
    • Open your friend’s contact.
    • Scroll to the bottom.
    • If you see “Unblock this Caller,” tap it.
      If you don’t see that, they’re not blocked from that card.

  3. Make sure it’s not an iMessage / Apple ID block issue
    If your friend uses iMessage:

    • Go to Settings > Messages.
    • Make sure iMessage is on.
    • Tap “Send & Receive.”
    • Confirm your phone number is checked so they can reach you via number and not just email.
      Sometimes people think they’re blocked when actually iMessage is misrouted or bugged.

  4. Carrier & voicemail behavior
    If their calls are going straight to voicemail:

    • That usually means blocked, but it can also be:
      • Network issue on their side
      • Your carrier’s conditional call forwarding / voicemail settings freaking out
        Quick test: have someone else call you. If everyone’s going to voicemail, that’s not about blocking.

  5. Turn off weird filters temporarily
    You already know how to get into Phone settings, but instead of repeating:

    • Turn off any spam / call filter apps you might have (Hiya, RoboKiller, carrier spam apps, etc.).
    • Those can silently block or silence calls even when the number is not in Apple’s Blocked Contacts list.

  6. Reset network settings as a last resort
    This is a bit of a hammer, but sometimes helps when nothing makes sense:

    • Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
      That will wipe Wi‑Fi passwords etc., so write those down first. But it can clear odd behavior where messages from a specific number stop showing up.

  7. Have your friend test multiple ways
    Ask them to:

    • Call you
    • Send a regular SMS (green bubble), not just iMessage
    • If they have an iPhone, toggle iMessage off briefly and text again
      If none of those hit, take a screenshot of your Blocked Contacts list and double check their number digit by digit. It’s very easy to have one extra “1” at the start and be blocking something that just looks like their number.

I actually disagree a bit with the “always restart after unblocking” advice. It doesn’t hurt, but in most cases unblocking takes effect instantly. I’d only bother rebooting if things still fail after you’ve verified the contact card and filtering stuff.