How To Unblock a Number on Samsung in 4 Easy Steps (With Photos)

Blocking someone on a Samsung phone is the modern-day digital equivalent of leaving your phone off the hook, but even better. You can choose who to block, when, and for how long. When you’re ready to put the proverbial phone back on the hook, you can unblock someone easily.

We’re about to show you how to unblock a phone number on Samsung. Of course, Samsung is versatile and offers multiple options to unblock a number. We’ll cover all that and a bit more in the following sections.

How to Unblock a Number on Samsung – Phone App

Naturally, most of us will use the phone app to block and unblock numbers. If that’s easier for you, here’s how to unblock someone:

Step 1: Tap the Menu Icon

Open the phone app (also known as the dialer) then, tap the three-dot menu icon.

Note: Older Android versions on Samsung had three-horizontal bars too.

Step 2: Tap Call Settings

Now, a small window will appear. You’ll see a few options to choose from. Tap Call Settings to move forward.

Step 3: Tap Blocked Numbers

Near the top of this screen, you’ll see the Blocked Numbers option. Tap that option.

Step 4: Tap the Minus Sign

You’ll see all your blocked numbers on this page. Tap the red minus (-) sign to the right of the number you want to unblock on your Samsung.

When you remove a number from your Samsung’s block list, they can call and text you again. If you decide you make the right decision by blocking the person, tap the contact in the phone app. Then, tap the i button. Finally, tap Block at the bottom of the page.

How to Unblock a Number on Samsung – Message App

While you can’t angrily slam a phone down anymore, you can angrily hit the block button during a heated text exchange. If you realize your decision was a tad over the top, you can also unblock the number in the Message app on a Samsung phone.

Here’s how to do it:

Note: This section does take an extra step. But it’s still pretty simple, regardless.

Step 1: Tap the Menu Icon

Open the Message app on your Samsung and tap the menu icon (just like we did with the dialing app above).

Note: The menu icon has changed over the years. Those with newer versions of AndroidOS will see three vertical dots. Those running older Android versions will see three horizontal lines.

Step 2: Tap Settings

A small pop-out menu will appear. Tap the Settings option.

Step 3: Tap Blocked Numbers and Spam

You’ll need to scroll down just a bit to see the Blocked numbers and spam option. But when you do, tap it.

Step 4: Tap Blocked Numbers

You’ll now see two options: Block Numbers and Block Messages. Tap Block Numbers.

Note: Blocked messages are typically spam messages that your Samsung auto-blocks. The messages still come to your phone, but they go to a separate folder, and you don’t see notifications. This function is similar to that of Twitter message requests. We’ll show you how to unblock messages from a spam number on a Samsung below.

Step 5: Tap the Minus Sign

Now, tap the minus sign (-) to the right of the phone number you want to receive calls and texts from again.

How to Unblock Numbers on Samsung – The Settings App

This method allows us to unblock numbers on your Samsung and any Android version (especially Samsungs). If, for any reason, you had problems with the methods above, this one will work for you.

Step 1: Open Settings

Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the settings cog in the top right corner.

Step 2: Tap the Search Option

Tap the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner.

Step 3: Type Block Numbers in the Search Bar

Type Block Numbers.

Note: If you type Blocked Numbers, you only see the Block Messages option. Keep it in the present tense (no ‘ed’) to get the right results.

Step 4: Tap Block Numbers

You’ll see an option for Blocked Numbers and Blocked Messages. Select the Block Numbers option.

Step 5: Tap the Minus Sign

Your screen will display every phone number you have blocked. Tap the minus icon (-) to the right to unblock the number.

How to Unblock a Number on Samsung – The Contacts App

Finally, you can unblock a number on Samsung using the Contacts app. You simply need to go directly to the contact and unblock them. It’s helpful if you many numbers and don’t want to sift through them to find the person to unblock.

Here’s what to do to unblock a contact:

Step 1: Tap the Contact

Open the Contacts App and tap the phone number you’d like to unblock.

Note: If you ever have trouble finding an app, open the app drawer (swipe the middle of the screen) and type the app’s name in the search bar at the top. You can also long-press the app on this page to locate it.

Step 2: Tap the Menu Icon

Tap the menu icon. We’re keeping the same theme with step two here. Except you’ll find this icon in the lower right corner this time.

Step 3: Tap Unblock Contact

Finally, tap Unblock Contact in the small pop-up window.

It’s absolutely vital to know how to block and unblock contacts in your Samsung smartphone. Whether it’s for security or privacy reasons, this is a helpful function all smartphone users should be able to navigate. The step-by-step guide above should clear up any confusion. However, if you prefer a tutorial, here’s a YouTube video that should clarify any lingering questions.

Managing Blocked Numbers and Spam

At this point, we’ve shown you every possible way to block and unblock a number on a Samsung. But before we leave you with only the wisdom of unblocking numbers, let’s look at how you can disable some of Samsung’s auto-blocking features.

While these are nice features to have (because they cut down spam), some Samsung aficionados prefer to see all communications. If that sounds like you, keep reading this section.

Block Calls from Unknown Numbers

Samsung will auto-block any phone numbers, not in your contacts. This is a tad detrimental for many of us who need to answer calls from random numbers. Fortunately, you can easily disable this feature.

Follow the steps above to access the Block Numbers settings (steps 1-3 in all our tutorials above). Then, toggle off the Block calls from unknown numbers option.

Blocked Messages

Here’s a fun one; your Samsung is hiding text messages! But it’s actually kind of nice. We’ve never seen a single message in the Blocked Messages folder that wasn’t spam. However, you might want to check these occasionally. If you want to unblock a spam number or message on Samsung, follow the steps above. Instead of tapping Blocked Numbers, tap Blocked Messages then, tap the messages.

If you want to unblock them, tap Edit in the top right corner. Then, select Unblock number in the bottom left corner.

Samsung Numbers Unblocked

We’ve looked at different ways to unblock a number on Samsung devices. Any of the above methods get the job done. While most Android devices have blocking options, Samsung’s are a bit different. You can unblock the numbers you blocked, but you can also unblock the numbers that Samsung blocks.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/BrianAJackson.