Online dating burnout · Unwanted messages
Someone keeps contacting you after you blocked them
Your safety and rest come first
You do not owe a reply. If it is safe, save the messages and profile details before reporting them through the service. Some apps notify people when you take a screenshot, so consider whether a photo from another safe device or help from a trusted person is safer. Blocking may stop one account, but it may not stop every new account. If you feel threatened, seek trusted local support; in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Adult student Imani stopped chatting with a distant match and blocked the account. Later, another profile sends a message that seems to refer to their conversation. Imani feels worn out and wants to delete the app, but also wants to know what happened to the messages. She does not need to establish who created the new profile before choosing support.
Think about safety before collecting evidence
If the messages are threatening, or if the person might have access to your device, ask a trusted person or a local specialist for help deciding what is safe. eSafety notes that collecting evidence can sometimes alert an abusive person and that some apps notify users about screenshots. A trusted device or a photograph of the screen may be an option; do not put yourself at risk to make a perfect record.
If safe, keep the message, account name, date and relevant context together. Store it somewhere the person cannot access. Do not post the screenshots publicly or share a stranger’s details widely.
Report and choose whether to block
Use the dating service’s reporting tools for the messages and profiles you can identify. Explain the contact without claiming certainty about who controls a new account. You may block an account or tighten privacy settings, but a block cannot guarantee that another account will not appear.
If the unwanted contact is part of an abusive relationship, reporting or blocking may change the other person’s behaviour. A support worker can help you make a plan that fits your circumstances.
Tell someone you trust what is happening. If there is a threat or you feel unsafe, contact a suitable local support service or police when safe. In immediate danger, use local emergency services. Australian reporting links in the cited resource apply in Australia; support and reporting routes differ elsewhere.
A break can have more than one step
If Imani wants to leave the app, she can check what happens to messages and reports before deleting her account. If safe, she may save the details she needs and ask the service how to report. Turning off notifications, hiding a profile, deleting an account and cancelling a paid subscription can be separate actions. Check the service’s own instructions.
A break does not mean she must keep monitoring every message. She can ask a trusted person for support and choose when, or whether, to return.
Keep reading
More support for online dating
Sources and what they can tell us
Imani and the profiles are invented. Safety choices depend on the circumstances; seek local specialist help if you feel unsafe.
- Australian eSafety Commissioner: Collecting evidence safely
It discusses safe devices, collecting context and the possibility that an app notifies someone about a screenshot.
Limit: It concerns technology-facilitated abuse and Australian support; it cannot determine who created Imani’s new profile. - Australian eSafety Commissioner: Online dating
It discusses preserving messages, reporting, blocking and planning around abuse.
Limit: Platform features and local reporting routes differ; no step guarantees that contact will stop.
Questions about repeated contact
Do I have to answer to tell them to stop?
No. You can seek support and use available report or block tools without replying.
Will blocking one account prevent all contact?
Not necessarily. Another account or service may still be used; consider a safety plan that fits your situation.
Should I screenshot every message immediately?
Only if safe. Some services notify the sender; ask a trusted person or specialist for help if you are unsure.