Users could verify whether someone had blocked them on WhatsApp, just by checking the encryption verification in their contact info. WhatsApp has now closed that loophole. The check now passes even in those chats where users have actually been blocked.
| Key Points | Details |
|---|---|
| Story about: | Encryption verification to detect a block |
| Status: | Fixed |
| Availability: | The fix is available to everyone on WhatsApp for Android and iOS. |
| Previous news: | WhatsApp is rolling out the Liquid Glass interface for the iPad app! |
WhatsApp's encryption verification used to reveal if you were blocked
Last week, we shared a guide that explains how users can verify whether someone blocked them on WhatsApp. The method required users to open the contact info screen and check whether the automatic encryption verification completed successfully. If it failed and asked you to manually verify the encryption instead, that was a strong sign the other person had blocked you. It wasn't an official feature, but it worked consistently enough that many users made it their main method.
WhatsApp has now closed that loophole
Today, we tested this method again and we discovered that it no longer works. The automatic verification now works even in those chats where you've actually been blocked. When you verify end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp no longer displays any error or prompt when the contact blocked you. This means that users can no longer confirm a block by verifying encryption. WhatsApp has not shared any public announcement about this change.
This was a bug in encryption verification
As we mentioned in our previous post, a block never broke or removed encryption from those chats. Since the manual verification code was always available, encryption still worked in case the contact unblocked you and you wanted to verify the chat again. The real problem was with the automatic verification feature. It simply failed whenever a contact blocked you. Today, we can confirm that WhatsApp just fixed that specific issue. However, WhatsApp didn't change how messages are encrypted.
WhatsApp fixed automatic encryption verification on the server side, not through an app update
There is no new update on Google Play or the App Store related to this fix. In fact, we tested the exact same app version we used when encryption verification failed with blocked contacts, and it now works. Since nothing changed on the app, this means that WhatsApp launched a server-side update to address the issue. The new update is already available to everyone, regardless of which version of WhatsApp they are using.
WhatsApp moved fast on fixing the automatic encryption verification bug
We announced this trick last week, and the fix was already available by the time we checked again. That's a pretty quick turnaround for something that was never officially confirmed in the first place. It also says a lot about how seriously WhatsApp takes small inconsistencies like this one. WhatsApp clearly didn't want a bug like this to stick around for long, especially one that let people peek into something they technically shouldn't see.
We had already predicted this might happen
We already noted that WhatsApp could eventually fix this behavior and that the trick might stop working at some point. That's exactly what happened, even if we don't know the specific reason WhatsApp decided to act now. WhatsApp probably never intended to offer a way to instantly confirm a block, beyond the usual signs people have relied on for years. This is a reminder that an unofficial side effect can stop working at any time, no matter what method someone builds around it. WhatsApp never confirmed this trick worked in the first place, so it never owed anyone an explanation for fixing it either.
Other signs of a block still work the same way
Even without this method, there are still other ways to spot a block. A single gray check mark that never turns blue is still one of the more reliable signs, especially if it's been like that for days. Calls that fail to connect instead of ringing are another pattern that hasn't changed. If you also can't see their profile photo and your messages aren't going through, the chances of a block go up even more. These signs are not perfect on their own, but if you put a few of them together, you can still guess whether someone blocked you.
This fix is available to everyone on iOS and Android
Since the change happened on WhatsApp's servers, there's no beta version or specific update to wait for here. Anyone who is testing the encryption verification trick today should see it succeed, even in those chats where they've been blocked. It's another example of how quickly these unofficial methods can disappear. For now, this particular method to detect a block is no longer something we can recommend.
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