When you go to send a message you may be presented with a notification that “message blocking is active” and the message won’t be sent. So what does this mean?
“Message blocking is active” means that the person may have blocked you or you blocked them. The number you’re texting may be an international or premium number which is not supported by your plan. You could be out of phone credit, have a data only plan or there’s an outage.
Let’s look at why this message comes up, common causes of it and also solutions whether you’re on Metro PCS or Lyca Mobile.
What Does It Mean When Metro Says “Message Blocking Is Active”?
“Message blocking is active” means your carrier cannot deliver your messages, generally SMS, to the person you’re sending to.
This occurs due to either the sender or the recipient being blocked by the other.
You can try calling the person to confirm whether the block was intentional or not, however be prepared that this could be an awkward conversation or they may not even pick up.
A common cause of this is when your cell plan doesn’t support international texting, so if you’re residing in the United States but text a Canadian number, you may need to upgrade your plan to an international one or one that supports international texting.
Another reason may be that you don’t have enough credit on your plan to send text messages, so check your account status to consider whether you need to add credit.
There is a less likely cause of this issue that Metro PCS’ services are down, so you can check their social media channels or their support links to see if they have any reported outages.
It may also be that the person you’re sending to is actually a premium message service, which is blocked by your cell phone plan. It is sometimes possible to allow premium messaging for a specific number but that will depend on the plan you are on.
A similar issue can exist if you’re on a data only plan, as that means you won’t have access to the SMS network, prompting the message blocking notification. Of course, you can use the data plan to send a message via a different service like WhatsApp or Messenger.
What Does It Mean When Lyca Mobile Says “Message Blocking Is Active”?
Lycamobile can display this same error message for all the same reasons that Metro PCS can.
This includes the sender or recipient having blocked each other, it’s an international number, the network is down, you’re trying to contact a premium message service not supported by your plan, or you have a data only plan.
How to Turn Off Message Blocking on Metro PCS?
Firstly, go through your contacts and see if you have them blocked on your device. Unblock them and then try again to see if you get the same error.
You should also try messaging other people to narrow down whether you’re dealing with a wider network issue or there is some error with your device or configuration.
Consider whether you are messaging someone who is located in a different country to you, as this will likely kick it over into an international message. You can confirm your plan details online to see whether international texts are included, and add it in if you need to text often.
Again, it would be worth texting other people who you know are in the same country as you are to test this theory of international texts being blocked.
How to Turn Off Message Blocking on Lyca Mobile?
Lyca Mobile has no additional special tips or tricks to get around the message blocking. So you’ll want to check the same aspects as Metro PCS including international numbers, lack of credit, or you or the other person having blocked the number.
A less likely cause of it could be a carrier outage but there is not much you can do on your end regarding this. It is also worth confirming whether you’re sending to a premium service, and if so, you’ll need to upgrade your plan to allow texts to these numbers.
This can be done on Lyca Mobile’s website or via their sales or accounts number.
