Have you ever blocked someone on Venmo in a moment of frustration, only to regret burning that bridge later? Venmo‘s social payment platform aims to bring people together through sharing experiences—and yes, sending each other money. Rebuilding broken connections often starts by reconsidering harsh blocking decisions made in the past.
This guide will walk you step-by-step through removing a user from your Venmo block list in either the mobile app or desktop browser. You‘ll learn what happens afterwards and how to carefully restart communication to turn a previous foe into a friend. Follow along for pro tips on utilizing Venmo‘s privacy settings and the wider goal of unblocking properly for positivity.
Overview: The Promise and Peril of Venmo‘s Social Payments
Venmo connects an incredible 60 million users in the US alone, allowing friends to quickly pay each other for shared meals, rent, gifts, and more. The app encourages user bonding by broadcasting payments as miniature social media stories. It brings users together by revealing social connections.
However, this financial openness between friends-of-friends occasionally reveals surprising information that leads to conflicts or causes safety concerns. Damaged relationships and heated emotions may result in hastily blocking people without considering long-term consequences.
But Venmo’s inherent spirit of friendship means betrayals often heal with time. The developers made reconsidering blocking simple for exactly these moments of forgiveness and reconciliation. This guide will enable your own acts of relationship mending supported by Venmo’s handy tools.
Inside you’ll learn:
- Step-by-step instructions for unblocking in the Venmo app
- Walkthroughs for the fast desktop browser method
- What happens after you unblock someone
- How to politely communicate your intent
- Bonus Venmo privacy tips!
Let’s get started rebuilding bridges.
Step 1: Locate the Blocked User on Your Venmo App
The Venmo app for iPhone and Android makes it easy to manage your block list. Just dive into your account settings to find the complete list.
Launch the Venmo app on your mobile device and log into your account.
Tap the circular account icon at the bottom right showing your profile photo. This opens your public Venmo profile page.
Next tap the gear icon in the top right corner to enter Venmo‘s settings menu.
Scroll down and select Privacy.
Under the More heading, tap Blocked Users to view your block list.
You should now see the complete list of users you have blocked on Venmo.
Pro Tip: Take a moment to consider if you still feel uncomfortable with each blocked person viewing your profile or transactions. If safer privacy settings alone could resolve your concerns instead of blocking, consider alternative options covered later in this guide.
Step 2: Unblock the User in the Venmo App
Unblocking a user from your Venmo app only takes seconds:
Tap on the name of the specific user you wish to unblock from your block list.
In the upper right corner, tap the three-dot menu.
Select Unblock User in the pop-up menu.
- Review the red unblock confirmation prompt and tap Unblock to confirm removal.
That‘s it! On iOS you‘ll see the confirmation at screen bottom, while Android users get it centered. Venmo doesn‘t notify the user or re-add them as a friend. But your profile and transactions now become viewable to them again.
We‘ll cover what happens post-unblock and tips for smooth further communication later. But first, let‘s cover unblocking Venmo users from a desktop web browser…
Unblocking People Using Venmo‘s Website
Many folks primarily access Venmo from their computer rather than mobile. Luckily the Venmo website makes it equally simple to update your block list. Just click a few menu links to find the user and unblock button.
Here is the process:
Visit Venmo‘s website and log into your account‘s dashboard.
On the left side menu, click Settings.
Select Privacy in the settings sub-menu.
Scroll down to the Blocked users section at the bottom.
Click the Unblock button next to the user you wish to remove from your block list.
- A confirmation popup appears. Click Unblock again to complete removing them.
And with those few simple clicks, your block disappears!
Be sure to log out and back into Venmo on the website for the unblock to fully take effect across the service. The user can now view your profile information again.
Let‘s recap the key similarities and differences between unblocking Venmo users in the mobile app vs website:
| Unblocking Method | App | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Menu Access | Profile > Settings > Privacy > Blocked Users | Settings > Privacy |
| Steps to Unblock | Tap user, 3-dot menu, unblock | Scroll to user, click Unblock |
| Confirmation Prompt | Bottom or middle popup | Top notification |
Either platform makes it equally straightforward to reassess your blocks!
What Happens When You Unblock Someone on Venmo
Wondering what experience the unblocked person has after you remove them from your list? Here is what they can now do:
- View your public Venmo profile again
- Access your history of Venmo payments and activity (excluding private transactions)
- Search for and find your profile in Venmo’s social network
- Block you in return if they choose
- No automatic notification that you unblocked them
Essentially all restrictions lift—they obtain normal access to your profile and activity going forward. However past conversations and connections do not automatically restore. Consider thoughtfully reaching out upon unblocking to clear the air…
Giving Context to Your Unblock Action
Because Venmo does not notify users when they‘ve been unblocked, the change occurs in secret. Without context, your profile mysteriously reappearing could confuse, worry, or anger the other person.
Pro tip: Send a polite explanatory message contextualizing your reasons for unblocking them.
An example:
"Hi Steve, you may notice my profile visible again on Venmo. After having space to process our argument, I realized blocking you was an overreaction. I‘m hopeful we can restore our friendship despite disagreements in the past. If you feel comfortable reconnecting as well, let‘s talk again soon. No hard feelings if you need more space."
Transparent communication removes doubt by revealing your thought process and interest in reconciling. Moving forward requires openness from both parties.
Additional Venmo Actions to Control Your Privacy
For some blocked connections, fully severing ties forever may still feel warranted. In other cases, you might feel comfortable casually interacting again if given more privacy controls. Fortunately Venmo provides additional options:
Make All Transactions Private
Broadcasting every payment and purchase provides invaluable social connectivity—but sometimes too much visibility strains relationships. Venmo lets you make all transactions private instead, restricting visibility to just you and the other participant.
To enable:
Enter Venmo settings and select Privacy
Tap the switch for Private transactions to the ON position
Now only you and your direct payees/purchasers will ever see your future activity.
Retroactively Make Past Transactions Private
Hiding only future actions still leaves your history visible. Venmo accommodates a complete scrub too:
In Privacy settings, select Past Transactions
Tap Change All to Private
There! Your entire timeline hides from public visibility going forward.
Disable Contact Sharing
Venmo automatically connects you to friends also on the platform by accessing your contacts. This can facilitate uncomfortable encounters with forgotten connections. Disable this with:
Go to account settings
Choose Friends & Social > Toggle Contacts OFF
Now only you control new friends.
For full details on all Venmo privacy settings, visit their privacy controls support site.
Unblocking for Positivity on Venmo‘s Social Platform
Venmo holds an underlying philosophy of using visibility to increase human connections. But poor timing or misunderstandings strain bonds between even the closest confidants. Reactively blocking another user often represents a low point between two people.
Yet Venmo‘s design gracefully supports reforging broken connections by making blocking impermanent. Quietly unblocking someone neglects half that process of reconciliation. Thoughtfully reach out afterwards to complete mending ties. Clarify your internal thought process leading to renewed openness.
With care and honesty on both sides, former blocks can transform into stronger mutual understanding. Venmo‘s tools enable the human process of healing.
Key Takeaways:
- Unblocking users in the Venmo app or website takes just a few clicks in Privacy Settings
- The unblocked person regains access to your public profile & activity
- Politely communicate reasons for unblocking to ease confusion
- Adjust privacy settings instead of blocking if needed
- Reconnect authentically to transform relationships
Venmo offers a foundation supporting eventual forgiveness between users. You contribute the patience and vulnerability to build upon that base with others. Our shared capacity for change and growth sparks the warmth found in Venmo’s community.
Now put these teachings into practice—and go unblock an old friend waiting to hear from you again!
