How to Block Someone on Microsoft Teams
Less distractions and more focus with Teams block feature
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Key notes
- Blocking someone in Microsoft Teams is a great way to keep yourself from being distracted by unsolicited messages or notifications.
- The action is not permanent, as you can always unblock these users if need be.
- We found three ways you can block anonymous users or bots so keep reading and find out how to go about it.
Teams was one of the video-conferencing and chat communication tools that stood out during the COVID-19 pandemic with all its feature updates.
This gave some annoying users the leeway to abuse this app and ruin your day by spam calls, sending you unwanted messages, or even sharing inappropriate links. Luckily, you don’t have to put up with them when you activate the block button.
What happens when you block someone on Teams? When you block a user on Teams, they will not be able to send you any messages or tag you on any chat groups. They will also no longer receive notifications from you and vice versa.
It’s important to note that blocking is mostly used for personal accounts. If you don’t see the block option, it is because it may not be activated on work/school-managed accounts because your IT department controls these settings.
How do I block someone in Teams?
1. Block via Chat
- Launch your Microsoft Teams app.
- Select Chat and find the contact you’d like to block.
- Click on the three ellipses, and in the pop-out menu, select Block.
2. Block via Contact
- Launch your Microsoft Teams app and click on the contact you wish to block.
- Click on the three ellipses next to their name and select Block contact.
3. Block via Settings
- Launch your Microsoft Teams app, click on the three ellipses next to your profile picture, and select Settings.
- Navigate to Privacy and select Block calls with no caller ID under Blocked contacts.
How do I mute someone on Teams?
- Launch your Microsoft Teams app.
- Select Chat and find the contact you’d like to mute.
- Click on the three ellipses, and in the pop-out menu, select Mute.
In some cases, blocking is not an option because communication between the two parties is required. It may just be those annoying out-of-office messages stuck on a profile for a while.
You can choose to mute them and only check their messages when you feel the need to or enable the compact feature to hide previews of messages you don’t want to see.
How do I manage my blocked list in Microsoft Teams?
- Launch your Microsoft Teams app, click on the three ellipses next to your profile picture, and select Settings.
- Navigate to Privacy and select Edit blocked contacts to view the complete block list.
- To unblock contacts, hit the Unblock button.
How do you know if someone blocked you in Teams?
- If you can no longer see a person’s profile picture in their chat window, this could be one of the first signs that someone has blocked you.
- You’ll also notice that they no longer appear in your contact list, which is another indicator.
- If the person is a member of a group chat with other people and they disappear from the group chat, then that’s another sign.
- You also won’t be able to send them any messages, invites, or reminders.
With these tips, you can successfully block those guest users who pop up from nowhere. And if blocking seems too extreme, you can choose to block out profanities instead to keep your chatspace respectful.
After all, the goal is to create a safe space where you can be productive and minimize distractions. Do you find the block feature in Teams helpful? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.
