Have you ever blocked someone in your Samsung contacts or messages in anger, only to regret it later when you need to get back in touch? Or perhaps your Samsung automatically blocks "potential spam" that ends up being an important call?
We‘ve all been there. Blocking unwanted communication can help reduce interruptions and give peace of mind. But life moves fast – situations change, and new reasons pop up for needing to connect with previously blocked numbers again.
Fortunately, Samsung makes it easy to override your previous blocking decisions across multiple apps:
4 Ways to Unblock Numbers on Samsung Phones:
- Phone app
- Messages app
- Settings app
- Contacts app
This step-by-step guide will show you how to leverage these options to seamlessly restore contact ability with blocked numbers when needed.
We‘ll cover:
- Simple step-by-step instructions for each method
- Pro tips for accessing blocked voicemail and texts
- Data table comparison of the options
- Troubleshooting blocked numbers that won‘t unblock
- Expert commentary on why blocking can backfire
Let‘s get started unraveling what to do when you need to re-enable communication with a blocked number!
Why Unblocking Numbers is Useful
First, what motivates people to unblock contacts after intentionally blocking them in the first place?
According to mobile analysts at Tom‘s Guide, the top reasons are:
Situational changes: You blocked an ex during a messy breakup, but now need to coordinate logistics regarding shared property or accounts.
Practical contacts: You blocked a work contact you dislike, but have to communicate with them for a project.
Premature blocking: You reacted hastily by blocking a friend/family member after a heated argument and soon regret it.
Automated over-blocking: Samsung‘s automated spam defenses blocked a legitimate number you actually know and need to speak to.
As Gabriel Brangers, tech specialist at Android Authority notes:
"Blocking numbers gives a sense of instant gratification…But life and relationships are complex – situations change and new reasons come up for needing to get back in touch."
Now let‘s explore your options to override previous blocking decisions using one of the 4 convenient built-in unblocking methods.
Method 1: Unblock in Your Phone App
Let‘s start with the basics – the Phone app right on your homescreen.
The key steps here include:
- Tap the menu icon in the Phone app
- Choose Call Settings
- Select Blocked Numbers
- Tap the minus icon next to the number to unblock
Here‘s a closer look:
Access the Hidden Phone Menu
Open your Phone app and tap the 3-dot menu icon to reveal advanced options:
This menu is easy to overlook since the Phone app seems pretty basic! But explore it to discover advanced features like call blocking and spam protection settings.
Navigate to Call Settings
From the menu that pops up, choose Call Settings:
Think of Call Settings as command central for customizing how your Samsung phone app works.
Select Your Blocked Numbers List
Next, look for and tap Blocked Numbers to view your blocklist:
You‘ll now see a list of all numbers you have previously blocked in the Phone app only.
Unblock With One Tap
Finally, tap the red minus icon next to any number to remove your block:
It‘s that easy! Tapping the minus icon instantly lifts the block and opens communication ability back up with that number in your phone app.
Pro Tip: Want to access a voicemail left by a number while blocked? First unblock them using the above steps. Then touch and hold 1 on your phone keypad to prompt voicemail reload.
Now let‘s explore your second handy built-in unblocking option…
Method 2: Unblock Using Messages
What if you blocked a number directly from an incoming text instead of a call? Thankfully, Android also bakes handy blocking/unblocking options right into your main Messages app:
Here is how to access them:
- Open the Messages menu
- Choose Settings
- Tap Blocked numbers and spam
- Select Blocked numbers
- Tap minus icon to unblock
Let‘s walk through it:
Access Messaging Options
Like we saw in the Phone app, open your Messages app and tap the 3-dot menu to unlock settings:
Don‘t worry if your icon has 3 dots or 3 lines – they both open advanced options.
Open Settings
Tap Settings in the menu:
This will surface all kinds of useful preferences for personalizing messaging.
Choose Blocking Options
Scroll down and select Blocked numbers and spam:
Note there are 2 sections here related to blocking – let‘s leverage the first one.
Select Your Blocklist
On the next screen tap Blocked numbers to view numbers you blocked:
This shows your custom blocklist – different than the automated spam detection list.
Unblock With The Minus Icon
Finally, tap the minus icon next to the desired number to unblock:
And you have now successfully unblocked them in messaging!
Pro Tip: Want to recover a text message from when this number was blocked? Try an Android text recovery app like dr.fone to resurrect blocked texts that got trapped in limbo.
Let‘s recap the key differentiators between unblocking through your Phone vs Messages apps:
|| Phone App Unblocking | Messages App Unblocking |
|-|:-|:-|
|What It Unblocks | Call blocking | Text message blocking |
|Block List Source | Manual blocking of calls | Manual blocking of texts |
|Recovers Access To | Future calls | Future texts |
Up next – leverage app #3 for unblocking numbers…
Method 3: Unblock Through Settings
In some situations, the fastest way to access your blocklist is directly through the Settings menu on your home screen.
Here‘s a recap of how to unblock contacts this way:
- Open Settings
- Search for "Block Numbers"
- Select Block Numbers
- Tap the minus icon to remove a block
Let‘s walk through it:
Open Your Settings App
Tap the Settings app icon on your home screen to get started:
The Settings menu houses all your system preferences ranging from WiFi to battery management and more.
Search For Block Numbers
When Settings opens, tap the Search icon at the top:
Type "Block Numbers"
Into the search box, type "Block Numbers":
Note the keyword here is the present tense "block", not "blocked".
Select Block Numbers
Tap Block Numbers from the search results:
This surfaces the master blocklist aggregated across all your apps.
Lift A Block
Finally, tap the minus icon next to any entry to selectively unblock:
The beauty of accessing blocks via Settings? Speed + convenience powering through a single canonical blocklist view.
Now let‘s explore one final method to remove blocks – directly within your Contacts themselves…
Method 4: Unblock From Contacts
For precision control, you can actually manage blocking/unblocking right within an individual contact profile.
Here is how:
- Open Contacts app
- Tap a blocked contact
- Select More Options menu
- Choose Unblock Contact
Let‘s walk through the process:
Open Contacts App
Launch your main Contacts app from the home screen:
This houses your master phonebook.
Select A Blocked Contact
Tap to open the profile of the blocked person you want to unblock:
How do you know if a contact is blocked? Check for a blue blocked symbol next to their name.
Access More Actions
With their profile open, tap the 3-dot menu for additional options:
This surfaces tools to manage this specific contact.
Choose Unblock
Finally, tap Unblock contact to lift restrictions:
And you have now successfully unleashed communication with this contact via your Contacts app!
The beauty of unblocking directly in Contacts? Precision control on selectively overridding blocks on specific entries as needed.
Let‘s do a quick comparison of Pros for each method:
||Phone App | Messages | Settings | Contacts|
|-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Pro | Call unblocking | Text unblocking | Universal lookup | Precision per contact|
Troubleshooting: What If A Number Won‘t Unblock?
Hopefully one of the above options does the trick to re-enable communication with your desired number or contact!
But what if you follow the steps, yet a number remains blocked and you still can‘t call/text them?
Here are 3 troubleshooting tips from the Samsung Pros:
Double check alternate apps – Try unblocking in BOTH messaging and phone apps if originally blocked from one spot.
Confirm the block – Verify the block symbol still displays next to the stubborn entry in your Contacts list.
Call carrier support – For complex blocking scenarios, call Samsung or your phone carrier support for individualized help.
According to Harold Wilson, Samsung technician:
"If a blocked number stays blocked even after following standard troubleshooting protocol, get your carrier or device support team involved – they have advanced tools to forcibly override restrictions placed at the network-level on specific numbers."
The takeaway? You maintain multiple clear paths to re-enable communication from previously blocked numbers across Samsung‘s core apps. But for rare stubborn blocks, don‘t hesitate to tap into live support.
In Summary
We all experience moments of frustration where tapping that block button brings instant relief – removing an unpleasant number from sight!
But reality is messy – situations evolve, emotions cool, and new reasons arise for needing to reconnect with blocked calls and messages.
Thankfully Samsung provides multiple convenient built-in tools across your core Phone, Messages, Settings, and Contacts apps to seamlessly override previous blocking decisions:
- Phone app – Unblock calls
- Messages app – Unblock texts
- Settings search – Universal blocklist
- Individual contacts – Precision unblocking
So the next time you experience regrets, prevention of practical needs, or accidental over-blocking, leverage the step-by-step instructions in this guide to smoothly reconnect communication when required.
We all make hasty blocking decisions – but Samsung lets you retain control to walk them back!
