What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean on iPhone & Android? 

Have you ever sent a text message to someone, only to be hit with a baffling “message blocking is active” error message? It can be frustrating, right? You might be left scratching your head and wondering what the heck is going on. Well, let’s break it down in layman’s terms. It is actually a technology feature designed to help protect us from unwanted messages, spam, or even phishing attempts. Mobile carriers and some smartphones give us the option to activate message blocking, which means we can stop certain people or numbers from contacting us. Let us see further What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean.

Message blocking on iPhone or Android means that either the person you’re trying to text or their mobile carrier is blocking your message from getting through. It’s like a virtual “do not disturb” sign on their phone. This feature helps protect you from unwanted messages, spam, or even phishing attempts. You can even turn it on yourself to prevent specific numbers or individuals from contacting you. This feature is a lifesaver for those of us who get bombarded with unwanted texts and just want to filter out the noise.

Being unable to send messages on your iPhone or Android is quite common. There can be various reasons for this error.  Whatever the reason, it’s important to figure out what’s going on so you can make sure your messages get delivered like they should. Let us further explore What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean.

What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean?

The “message blocking is active” error usually indicates that the person you’re trying to text has blocked your number or that your own device has some parental control settings enabled. Alternatively, It’s possible that the recipient’s number is being blocked by your carrier, which could also be causing the issue.

There are a variety of reasons why a number might get blocked, but in most cases, this error message means that the recipient has intentionally or unintentionally blocked your number. Usually, a significant number of T-Mobile users have experienced this error on their iPhones.

If you encounter this error, the first thing to do is try other means of contact, like calling or emailing them, to see if they’re still reachable. You can also check your own blocklist to make sure you haven’t accidentally blocked them. Don’t let message blocking get you down; there are plenty of ways to stay connected!

What Causes Message Blocking to Be Activated?

Now that you know What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean, let us know what causes it to activate. When you see the “message blocking is active” error message, it can be frustrating and confusing. There are a variety of reasons why this might happen, and it’s not always clear what the cause is.

You might have accidentally activated a message blocking yourself, or it could be due to some other technical error. Whatever the reason, it’s important to understand the possible causes behind this error message so that you can troubleshoot the issue effectively. Some prominent reasons could be:

1. Number Blocked

The first reason for What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean can be number blocked. The error message “message blocking is active” usually appears when you attempt to send a text message to a phone number that has been blocked on your device. This could have been an intentional decision on your part, or it could have been accidental.

Alternatively, if you’re unable to receive messages and see the same error message, it could indicate that you’ve been blocked by the recipient. To confirm the cause of the issue, try calling the contact on another number or reaching out to them through a different means of communication.

2. Carrier Issue

It’s possible that they are experiencing some technical difficulties or are going through a service outage. To confirm this, you can check the network bars on your phone’s screen. If you don’t see any signal bars, then that’s why you’re unable to send or receive any texts or calls.

If it’s a carrier issue, then the error will occur for all of your contacts and not just for a specific one. It can be frustrating, but the best thing to do in this situation is to wait for the carrier to resolve the issue. You can also contact their customer support to get updates on the issue and to get an estimated time of resolution.

3. Phone Plan

This is another reason for What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean. If you have a specific plan with your carrier or sim, that could be the reason why you’re seeing the message-blocking error. For example, sending messages may not be possible if you have a data-only plan and there’s no internet or data connection available.

To find out if this is the case, check your data plan and see if there are any restrictions for messaging. This issue would affect all your contacts, not just one particular person. So, it’s important to double-check your plan details and make sure you have the necessary features to send and receive messages.

4. Short Code Error

Several T-Mobile users have complained about inactive or malfunctioning shortcodes leading to this issue. If you are certain that the shortcode error is not due to any mistake on your part, you should contact your service provider or seek assistance from a professional.

How to Resolve Active Message Blocking?

After learning What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean, let me help you know the methods that will help you in resolving this issue. To resolve the active message blocking issue, you must try sending the message to someone else, checking your network coverage, changing the phone plan, restarting the mobile device, turning off Wi-Fi calling, resetting the APN settings, clearing the app caches, turning on standard SMS text messages, and enabling Google messages.

Scroll down and learn about each fixing method in detail, and try solving the active message blocking issue now. 

1. Check Your Network Coverage

The first step to resolving What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean is checking your connection. Check your phone’s screen to see the Network or Service bar. If you don’t see any bars, it’s possible that you don’t have any network coverage in your current location. If you’re experiencing this issue, wait for a few hours or try moving to a different location. 

In many cases, network coverage issues tend to resolve themselves. If the problem persists, you can try restarting your phone or re-inserting the SIM card. If these measures don’t work, you may need to consider changing your SIM card or contacting your service carrier for assistance

2. Change Your Phone Plan

If you’re still experiencing the “message blocking is active” error when trying to text any contact, it’s possible that there’s an issue with your Data Plan or Phone Plan. First, verify if your current Plan allows for text messages. If not, it might be necessary to switch to a different Plan that does.

To get more information about your best plans and options, reach out to the customer care helpline of your service carrier. They can assist you with switching your plan if necessary, ensuring that you can start sending and receiving messages again.  The problem faced mostly by iPhone users having Tmobile subscriptions can get the best T mobile plans on their website.

3. Checking the Receivers Number and Email Address

Occasionally, mistyping a number or email address can result in message-sending issues, leading to the “Message Blocking is active” error. To resolve this, double-check the accuracy of the number or email address you’re attempting to message. If it appears to be correct, proceed to the next troubleshooting method.

4. Try With Plain Texts

In some cases, sending messages with emojis, attachments, files, or photos can lead to delivery failures or trigger the “message blocking is active” error on your iPhone. Many users have reported experiencing this issue, particularly when sending attachments.

To troubleshoot this problem, try sending plain text messages without any extra attachments to see if that resolves the issue. If it does, then the problem was likely caused by the attachments or files.

5. Check For Messaging Services on Your Account

Make sure to verify your data plan before attempting to send messages. If your data plan doesn’t include both incoming and outgoing SMS/MMS services, your messages won’t be sent, and you’ll encounter the “Message Blocking is active” error on your iPhone.

6. Enable and Disable Airplane Mode

The last but not the least way of What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean is this. Sometimes, network issues can cause disruptions in voice or video calls and lead to message-sending failures. In such cases, the Airplane Mode can be enabled and disabled to refresh the cellular network connection and potentially resolve the issue. All you have to do is head to settings and find Airplane mode. Tap on it and enable it. Wait for some minutes and tap on it again to disable it.

7. Try to Send a Message to Another Person

Try to send the message to another person if you cannot send a message to that person. If your message gets successfully delivered, it means that the first person to whom you were trying to send the message might be roaming or out of coverage. 

Moreover, you can also try resolving the issue by restarting your phone. Check the below header to get details on this quick fix. 

8. Restart Your Mobile Device 

You must try rebooting your device, whether it is iOS or Android. Turn off your cellular device and switch it back on after waiting for a few seconds. Now, wait again for a few seconds or minutes to connect your mobile to the available network signal. As soon as it gets fully on with a network signal, try sending a text again to the person to whom you were trying to send the message. 

9. Disable the Message Blocking From Your Account 

You must try to look for the contacts that you have blocked by scrolling to the blocking list or the blocking controls. Check the contact details. You might have enabled message blocking from your account, so you cannot send the message to your preferred contacts. 

10. Check Your Account Standing Bill

Not paying bills on time also causes the message blocking issue. Check by contacting customer service or navigating to your network provider’s official website that you do not have any pending dues. If you have paid the bill timely and it is not updated, then contact customer service and update your bill by sharing the details for the paid bill. 

11. Turn Off Wi-Fi Calling

The research found that many users reported that their message blocking issue was resolved after turning off the Wi-fi calling toggle.  

1. iPhone: You can disable the Wi-Fi calling feature on iPhone: Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi calling > Turn the toggle off. 

2. Android: You can disable the Wi-Fi calling feature on Android: Settings > Connections or SIMs > Wi-Fi calling > Turn the toggle off. 

12. Turn On Standard SMS Text Message (iPhone)

You can send iMessages only on your iPhone devices if connected to the internet signal. But, if you are at a place without network connectivity, you must be trying to send the standard SMS text message. But, to use this feature, you must turn on the standard SMS text message by following the steps below. 

1. On your iOS device, you must first launch the Settings app.
2. Scroll and click on the Messages option. 
3. If the “Send as SMS” feature is turned off, toggle on the option. This will enable you to send text SMS if you are not connected to the internet and cannot use the iMessage feature.)

13. Try Clearing Message App Caches (Android)

Getting errors for sending messages on Android devices can be due to not removing the app caches. You must try sending the text message again once you clear the app caches on your Android mobile. To clear App caches on your mobile phone, Go to Settings > Click Apps > Tap on See all apps (at the top right corner) > Messages > Storage or Store & Cache > Clear Cache. 

14. Enable Google Messages on Samsung Galaxy

If you are a Samsung Galaxy user, you can easily resolve the message blocking issue by switching to Google Messages. Download and install the Google Messages app from the Google Play Store on your Samsung Galaxy phone. 

Now, try sending the text message using the Google Messages app on your Samsung Galaxy device. If you can send messages without getting the message blocking error, you can now make Google Messages your default messaging app. 

15. Reset Your APN Settings

If your Android or iOS device has incorrect APN settings, then you can also get a message blocking error. Now, you must try resetting the APN settings on your respective mobile devices. 

Reset APN Settings on Android

1. Go to the Settings menu. 
2. Scroll and click on the Connections or Wireless Network option. 
3. Click on Mobile Networks. 
4. Click on the Access Point Names. (This option is in some Android devices’ SIM menus.)
5. Click on the three-dot menu option. 
6. Look and click on the Reset access points or Reset to default.
7. Tap on the Reset access points or Reset option. 

Reset APN Settings on iOS

1. Go to the Settings menu. 
2. Tap on the Cellular option. 
3. Click on the Cellular Data Network option. (On some iPhone models, there are no APN reset details. Hence, you won’t be able to see the Cellular Data Network option. Therefore, in this case, you must contact your carrier to ensure that your APN details are correct.)
4. Click on the Reset Settings button. 

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, “Message Blocking is Active” can be a frustrating error to encounter when you’re trying to send or receive messages. However, there are many different factors that can cause this error, ranging from a blocked number to issues with your carrier’s network or data plan. By understanding the potential causes and solutions for this error, you can troubleshoot the problem and get back to messaging with ease.

Remember to check if the number or email address is correct, remove any unnecessary attachments or emojis, and make sure your data plan allows for SMS/MMS services. If you’re still experiencing issues, try restarting your device, resetting your network settings, or contacting your carrier for assistance.

By following these tips and tricks, you’ll be able to overcome the “Message Blocking is Active” error and stay connected with your contacts. Don’t let technical difficulties get in the way of your communication – with a little bit of troubleshooting; you’ll be back to messaging in no time!

I hope you now know about What Does Message Blocking is Active Mean!

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