What does message blocking is active mean and how to resolve it?
Communication is an integral part of life as humans are social beings. One form of communication is sending and receiving text messages. Texting is not only easy and convenient, but it is also cost-effective. Sometimes when texting, you may get an error that "message blocking is active." Here is what it means when the error appears and how to resolve it.
Source: UGC
To some people, sending and receiving texts is an efficient way to communicate compared to making a phone call. However, it can be frustrating when you try to text someone, and it doesn't go through. Instead, you get an error stating that "message blocking is active." When this happens, you need to get to the root of the problem to be able to solve it.
What does "message blocking is active" mean?
Most people prefer sending texts over calls because it's simple and cost-effective. However, sometimes sending a text is not always straightforward, which can cause problems. This happens when you could get an error that your "message blocking is active" when you are sending a message. This means that you cannot send a text message to a particular number. A message can be blocked for various reasons, and below are some of these reasons.
1. Blocked contact
One cause of the text error is because that particular contact you are sending the text to is on your block list. This is the most common reason for getting unable to send a message; message blocking is an active error message that is a blocked contact. It could be you blocked the number and forgot or backlisted it by mistake. Check on your block list to find out if that contact is blocked.
2. Phone plan
There are various phone plans you can get on, and depending on the plan, you could get unable to receive messages; message blocking is an active error. For example, if you are on a data-only plan, the error will pop up whenever you don't have an internet connection. It means you can't receive messages from all the contacts on your phone. This may also occur when you need more airtime.
3. Incorrect date and time on your phone
Your "message blocking is active" could result from having the wrong time and date on your phone. Check the setting to ensure that they are correct, and if not, this could be the reason you are not able to send or receive texts.
4. Service issue
You could see a pop up unable to receive message, "message blocking is active" as a result of service or carrier issues. This means that your service may be experiencing problems such as loss of signal or service being out. To check if this error is due to a service outage or network loss, check the network bar on your phone.
5. Short code issue
Short codes could have an issue which may be the cause of the SMS being a blocked error. This could be caused by short codes being set on the block.
6. Premium Message Access
Another reason for a blocked text error is if you have set your phone not to send or receive Premium Messages. Every time you want to send such a text, an error will pop up, which means you cannot receive such texts.
7. Faulty SIM card
If your SIM card is not working for some reason, you could get this error. The SIM card may be blocked, meaning you cannot send or receive texts or calls. Make sure you check out whether your SIM card is working correctly once you get the error.
8. Storage issues
When your phone storage is full, you cannot receive SMSs. Ensure you check your storage often to eliminate this problem.
How to fix message blocking is active error
Source: UGC
Once you identify the cause of the error, fixing it becomes easy. Below are the various ways of solving the message-blocking error.
1. Recheck the number
The first thing you do when you get the error is to confirm the recipient's number. Confirm all the digits are correct. You could have missed one digit or mistyped the number.
2. Retype the message again
Sometimes, the error pops up due to a mistake while typing. Delete, close the app and restart the messaging app and try again. This will help solve cache issues you may have.
3. Swap sim card
If a faulty SIM card is the cause of the error, changing the card will solve the problem. Most people often have multiple SIM cards, so swap your faulty SIM card with another one and see if it will work.
4. Check your network
If you get the error code, check the bar code on the top left corner of your screen for the network. You can tell if there is no service and determine if that is the problem. Contact your service provider and tell them you don't have a network or your phone service is nonexistent. Usually, this is a temporary problem, and the service provider can fix it as soon as possible.
5. Change your phone plan
The error could be a result of your phone plan. Check your plan and ensure you switch to the appropriate one. If you need data, recharge or consider changing to a different plan. This can be done by calling your service provider's customer care, who will help you change the plan. Also, confirm that your plan is not expired, and if it is, recharge it with airtime or data, depending on the plan.
6. Solve storage problems
When you get unable to receive a message, "message blocking is active" error, the problem could be you don't have enough storage. Check whether it's full, and delete texts and other stuff you no longer need. This will help you free up space for more texts to come in.
7. Adjust the incorrect date and time on your device
Various problems on your phone may be caused by incorrect date and time settings. To fix this, you can enable the automatic. You can fix that by enabling automatic time and date options on your mobile device. Here are the simple steps for changing the date and time setting on Android and iPhone devices.
On an Android device
- Go to Settings on your Android phone.
- Go down and open System.
- Pick the appropriate date & time.
Enable Use network-provided time and Use network-provided time zone on the options.
On an iPhone device
- Open Settings on your iPhone device.
- Tap on General
- Go to Date & Time.
- Choose the Set Automatically option and Turn it on.
8. Enable the Premium Message Access
Source: UGC
If your message blocking error is due to Premium Message Access blocking, ensure you activate the service. This will ensure you can access these types of texts on your phone. Here is a step-by-step process on how to go about it.
- Scroll down the "Notification" panel from the top of your device.
- Open the "Setting" icon on the top-right side of the phone.
- Tap on "Apps."
- Tap the 3-dot menu and choose !Special Access."
- Click "Premium SMS Access."
- Click "Message" and the "Ask" options.
Message blocking is active on Android
If you are an Android user and you get this error, follow this easy process to unblock the number.
- Go to the Phone app on your mobile.
- Tap the three dots on the top-right corner and click on "Settings."
- Click on "Blocked numbers" to see the block list.
- Tap X next to the contact you want to unblock.
- Select "Unblock."
- Go to "Messages" and resend your text message.
Message blocking is active on iPhone
As mentioned above, a blocked number cannot receive messages, so it's essential to check whether the contact you are sending a text to isn't blocked. Below is a simple guide for iPhone users to unblock a contact from the block list.
- Go to "Settings" on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on "Phone."
- Click "Call Blocking & Identification" to see your blocked numbers.
- Select "Edit" in the top-right corner and click the minus sign next to the contact you want to unblock.
- Choose "Unblock" and then click "Done."
- Go to "Messages" and try to resend your message.
What does it mean when it says message blocking is active?
When you see "message blocking is active" pop up when you are trying to send or receive a text, it means you cannot send or receive the text. Many reasons, such as blocked contact, full storage, no network service etc., can cause this problem.
Most mobile users use text messages to communicate. It is convenient and cost-effective compared to calling and other voice services. It can, therefore, be frustrating when one cannot send or receive a text. The above post explains that "message blocking is active" error, the reasons for its occurrence, and solutions for the error.
Legit.ng published a guide on resolving the issue of your "IP has been temporarily blocked" on your device. Every internet user has a unique IP address depending on their location, which sometimes gets blocked due to various reasons.
Blocking an IP address can interfere with your work process, making your work difficult online. The guide outlines the reasons for the problem and how to solve it easily at home. Check out the article for more!
Source: Legit.ng
