What to do when someone will not stop messaging you

You do not have to keep replying to someone who ignores your wish to stop. If you are safe enough to do so, preserve the relevant messages and account details, then block and report. Tell someone who can support you. If there is immediate danger, getting to safety comes before collecting a complete record.

Do you need to respond one last time?

A final message is optional. If you want to send one and feel safe, keep it direct: “Do not contact me again.” Avoid adding a question that invites another exchange. You are stating a limit, not asking the other person to agree that your reason is good enough.

You can also leave without sending anything. This may be the better fit when the messages contain threats, repeated insults or attempts to pull you into an argument. You do not need to answer every claim made about you before closing the thread.

For example, someone from a gaming group sends repeated messages after you decline a late-night call. You already said you were unavailable. Their demand that you explain again does not create a new obligation. The guide to saying no in a chat offers short wording if you want it.

What evidence is useful to keep?

Keep material that explains the behavior and identifies the account involved. That may include the relevant messages, a profile link or identifier, and the date and time. Save enough surrounding context to make the exchange understandable. Do not alter the original record to remove your own responses.

Apple's guidance on documenting harmful activity explains capturing concerning screen content. Consider where those images will be saved and whether anyone else can access that location. Evidence is personal information too, especially when a screenshot includes other conversations or account details.

In the gaming-group example, a useful note might say: “After I declined a call, the account sent repeated demands between these times.” Include the messages that show that sequence. A description such as “They are terrible” conveys how you feel, but does not give a reviewer the same concrete record.

What if saving messages would make things less safe?

Your safety comes first. You can block or leave immediately if remaining in the conversation puts you at risk. A missing screenshot is not a reason to keep exposing yourself to more messages. Tell a support person what you remember and what material, if any, remains available.

Some services may notify people about certain capture actions, and someone else might have access to your device or photo library. If you are unsure about those conditions, avoid experimenting during a threatening exchange. You can use our explanation of capture notifications later, when it is safe to review the service's limits.

EFF's security planning guide emphasizes choosing protections for your particular risks and identifying allies. A person you trust might help you think through where records can be kept. That support should fit your situation rather than force a single order of actions.

What is the difference between blocking and reporting?

Blocking is a contact control. Reporting sends information for a service to review under its rules. The exact effect of each control varies between platforms, so read the confirmation text. Do not assume that deleting a thread also reports the sender, or that submitting a report automatically blocks contact.

Before confirming an action, check whether it will remove access to the messages you want to preserve. Some services combine several choices in one dialog. Take the option that suits your immediate need, and use the official help page if the wording is unclear. You do not have to keep the account unblocked while waiting for a review.

A report cannot promise a quick ban or removal. The service may ask for context, take time to assess the material or decide that it cannot act on the information provided. Keep any case reference and use the available follow-up route for new evidence, rather than repeatedly submitting the same report unchanged.

How do you write a clear report?

Describe observable events in order. For the gaming-group example: “I declined a call. This account sent repeated demands after I asked for contact to stop. A second account then continued the same request.” Include the relevant dates and identifiers, while distinguishing what you know from what you suspect.

If you do not know whether two accounts belong to the same person, say so. You can explain that the wording or timing appears connected without presenting ownership as fact. A clear uncertainty is more useful than a confident guess that a reviewer cannot verify.

Avoid posting the evidence publicly to recruit people against the sender. Public screenshots can spread private details and bring more people into the exchange. Share the relevant material with the platform or an appropriate support service through its official reporting route.

What can you try right now?

Pick the first action that is safe in your situation. If you have already blocked the account, you have not done the steps in the wrong order. Work with whatever information and controls remain available.

1. Stop the exchange. If you choose to respond, you could say: “Do not message me again.” Otherwise, leave the thread without another reply.
2. Save useful context when safe. Keep the relevant messages, account identifier and time. Avoid capturing unrelated private conversations in the same image.
3. Use block and report deliberately. Read the controls and confirmation text. Check whether both actions were completed rather than assuming one includes the other.
4. Tell one support person. You could say: “Someone keeps contacting me. Can you stay with me while I submit the report?” Ask for a concrete task, not a judgment about the whole relationship.
5. Review the next contact route. Check who can message you or find your profile. If another account appears, preserve the new facts when safe and avoid reopening the argument.

What if they know your password or other personal details?

Account access requires a separate response from unwanted messages. EFF's password guidance recommends unique passwords and additional authentication. If someone may have your credentials, secure the affected account through its official recovery and security controls, using a device you trust.

If the problem is a visible address or workplace, changing a password will not remove that information. Note what has been exposed and request removal through the relevant service. The guide to privacy limits in anonymous chat helps distinguish personal disclosure from account access.

You can also ask friends not to pass along messages or confirm your whereabouts. “Please don't reply on my behalf or tell them where I am” is a useful limit. Read setting boundaries with someone new online for other ways to keep control of the contact you accept.

When should you bring in more support?

Seek practical help when threats escalate, personal details are published or contact continues across accounts. A local victim-support service, trusted colleague or someone close to you can help with reporting and a plan for the next contact. You do not need a legal label for the behavior before asking.

If you fear immediate physical harm, contact local emergency services and move toward a safer place. If the messages are affecting sleep or daily life, a counsellor or local support line can help you carry the emotional part too. Our privacy and online safety hub gathers further steps without requiring you to handle everything at once.