- How to unblock someone on YouTube from your Google Account
- How to unblock someone on YouTube from the mobile app
- What changes on YouTube when you unblock someone
- Unblock versus unhide on YouTube: the difference
- Why someone won't show up on your YouTube blocklist
- A sensible approach to unblocking people on a business channel
- Frequently asked questions
To unblock someone on YouTube, open the blocklist page in your Google Account and click or tap the remove icon next to their name. On Android you can also use Settings, Privacy, Blocked contacts. If they aren't listed, check your hidden users list in YouTube Studio.
You blocked someone on YouTube in the heat of the moment, and now you want them back, or you simply can't remember who's on the list. It happens a lot, particularly to anyone who moderates live chats or comments for a business channel. The route to the blocklist is a little hidden because YouTube hands the job to your Google Account, so here's what YouTube's own help pages say, including the separate route for messages and the different job of unhiding a user from your channel.
How to unblock someone on YouTube from your Google Account
YouTube's help article on blocking channels says the way to unblock someone is through the blocklist page in your Google Account. The steps are the same on a computer and on a phone, apart from clicking versus tapping:
- Sign in to the Google Account you use for YouTube and open its blocklist page (search your Google Account for blocklist, or follow the link in YouTube's help article).
- Find the person in the list.
- Click or tap the remove icon next to their name.
YouTube's help doesn't name the icon, and menus vary by app version, so look for the control sitting beside each person. Once it's gone, they're off your blocklist.
How to unblock someone on YouTube from the mobile app
If you blocked someone from video sharing and messages, YouTube's help article on sharing and messaging gives two extra routes on Android. Menus vary by app version, so you may need to look around a little on iPhone.
- Tap your profile picture, then Settings.
- Tap Privacy, then Blocked contacts.
- Tap the remove button next to the person you want to unblock.
You can also open the conversation, tap More in the top right corner and choose Unblock. Either way, the help article says the person isn't notified that you blocked them, though they'll see they can no longer message you.
What changes on YouTube when you unblock someone
YouTube's help says that when you block a channel, it can no longer see your messages in live chat or comments, and it can't mention you. Blocking also applies to that person's account in other Google products. Unblocking reverses that block, so the account is no longer treated as blocked. The help pages don't spell out every detail of what happens to old comments or messages, so I won't guess. If you're worried, check the specific comment threads or the conversation after you've unblocked.
One detail worth knowing: the conversation stays in your inbox after a block, but you can't message the person while they're blocked.
Unblock versus unhide on YouTube: the difference
Plenty of creators mix these two up. According to YouTube's help article on hiding users, hiding someone from your channel is a different feature to blocking. A hidden user's comments, live chat messages and community posts don't appear on your channel, they can't create clips from your videos or live streams, and they aren't notified. Hiding doesn't hide their past activity.
To unhide someone, the help page says to go to YouTube Studio, then Settings, then Community moderation, then User management. In the Hidden users box, select Remove next to the person's name, then select Save. So if you can't find someone in your blocklist, they may be on your hidden users list instead.
| Feature | Where you manage it | What it does, per YouTube's help |
|---|---|---|
| Block | Google Account blocklist page, or Settings, Privacy, Blocked contacts in the app | Blocked channel can't see your live chat messages or comments or mention you; messaging stops |
| Hide from channel | YouTube Studio, Settings, Community moderation, User management | Their comments, live chat messages and posts don't appear on your channel; they aren't notified |
Why someone won't show up on your YouTube blocklist
If you can't find the person you want to unblock, go through these in order:
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
- Check the hidden users list in YouTube Studio, because hiding and blocking are separate.
- Check you're signed in to the same Google Account you blocked them from.
- If the account is a supervised child account, YouTube's help says a parent manages blocks from the linked account.
- If you blocked a channel through live chat, try the live chat or conversation route rather than the account blocklist.
If it's still missing, YouTube's help centre is the right place to ask, because the list is tied to your Google Account.
A sensible approach to unblocking people on a business channel
If you run a channel for your business, I'd treat the blocklist like a customer service tool rather than a punishment list. Take a quick look every so often, and unblock anyone you'd happily talk to again. If somebody was abusive, leave the block in place, and if you feel threatened, report it to the platform and, if you're in danger, contact the police.
If you're tidying your channel at the same time, my guide to blocking a YouTube channel you no longer want to see covers the opposite job for viewers, and my explainer on whether creators can see who watched their videos is useful when you're deciding how much to worry about who's viewing. If your account has been restricted by age checks, see my guide to verifying your age on YouTube.
Frequently asked questions
How do I unblock someone on YouTube?
Open the blocklist page in your Google Account, find the person and click or tap the remove icon beside their name. On Android you can also go to Settings, Privacy, Blocked contacts.
Does YouTube tell someone when you unblock them?
YouTube's help says people aren't notified when you block them from messaging. It doesn't describe a notification for unblocking, so I can't promise either way.
What's the difference between blocking and hiding a user on YouTube?
Hiding limits what a user's activity shows on your channel. Blocking stops a user from sharing videos with you and messaging you, according to YouTube's help article.
Can I unblock someone from a YouTube conversation?
Yes. YouTube's help says you can open the conversation, tap More in the top right corner and choose Unblock.
Where is the hidden users list on YouTube?
In YouTube Studio, go to Settings, then Community moderation, then User management, and look for the Hidden users box.
