How can I block someone in Google Chat/Gtalk?

I have a stalker. Some weird guy seems to have nothing better to do in his life than pay attention to when I log in to Google Gmail and then instantly hit me up for a chat. If I don't respond, he keeps sending messages. It's creepy. I don't like him. How can I block him from bugging me?

Dave's Answer:

Ah yes, one of the greatest liabilities of the digital hyper-connected world we're in is that not everyone out there wants to be friends with you in the same way you want to be friends with them. Not so good. Sometimes it's annoying, and other times it can be far worse - or creepier - than that. It sounds like you're in the latter situation, and it's not good.

The trick is that it sounds like you want to remain available to your friends rather than just shut everything down completely. If you did want to just become invisible, there's a setting in Gmail itself that lets you permanently cloak your presence. I'll show you that first, but then I'll show you a better way where you can pick that individual and simply block them from chatting with you.

First things first. Log in to Google Gmail and then look on the lower left side of the page. You should see something like this:

Click on the little "+" icon and it'll open up, showing you whom of your Gmail contacts are online and available to chat:

If you'd like to become invisible to everyone, see where it has your own status and adjacent to it a little downward-pointing triangle? (my status here is "available for text ch" [short for "chat"]) Click on it and you'll get a pop-up:

Choose "Invisible" and you'll forevermore be invisible to people who are on Gmail and no-one will be able to chat with you because they won't see you.

Let's presume, however, that you don't want to stop your real friends from saying hello, just block the creepy guy. To do that, find them on your chat list and move the cursor over their name. After a second or two, a bunch of options will pop up:

google gmail chat contact list user entry

Click on "Video & more" and it will show you a list of additional options:

google gmail chat contact list user entry block

That's it. They're blocked. Now, when they see you on their contact list, it won't give "chat" as an option, as I see when Ed (who has blocked me!) appears on my own list:

If you have a change of heart, you can type in their email address into the contact box and it'll give you the option of unblocking them:

google gmail chat contact list user entry unblock

That should do the trick for you. Good luck with the situation.

Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics (Article 9110, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: gchat, gmail, google mail, gtalk, online safety, stalkers
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Comments

the way I see it, after blocking the stalker, he/she can still send offline chat messages? So he /she can still bug you in a more annoying way then sending mails

but it is a great way to discourage him/her

greats

Posted by: faber at October 8, 2009 5:15 AM

I was wondering about that too, faber, but I believe that offline chats come in as email so you should be able to set up a Gmail filter to permanently auto-delete any mail from that user. I know you can do that for specific matching email, effectively eliminating any way for that person to communicate with you short of using a different address.

Posted by: Dave Taylor at October 8, 2009 7:35 AM

Is it possible to remove yourself from someone's gmail chatlist completely? I know I can block the person, but what if I want to be completely removed from their list? Is it possible?

Posted by: Caitlin at November 21, 2009 8:19 AM

Please can you tell me how the list of "most popular" contacts running down the left hand side of my page is made up. It is by no means comprehensive or my most popular. Also I had a chat contact there who seems to have disappeared. why would that be?

Posted by: Peter at May 4, 2010 1:03 AM

This is so pathetic that to block a person from my chat list first i need to add that person to my chat list... why can't I just block a person without adding him/her...There is a person irritating me by inviting me for chat, I dont have any of his mails so that i can filter them, and there is no option to block unless I accept his invitation or invite him from my side... Its badly annoying !!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Sols at September 8, 2010 11:47 PM

Good information, Thanks, Keep it up.

Posted by: Bollywood Actor at September 11, 2010 12:29 PM

MSN allows you to block everybody as a default, and then ADD the people you wish to allow seeing your status.
This is what I'm looking for. Can that be done on GTalk?

I have a business partner who stopped using GTalk as he gets too many interruptions. We'd like to set his GTalk to only allow me in, while blocking EVERYBODY else. How can that be done, without having to add and then block every single person he ever corresponded with?!

Posted by: Michal Jacovi at September 21, 2010 3:45 AM

I just wanted to say thanks for posting this. I have one of those creepy ex's that must be stalking me out on Gmail chat and always pesters me.... but not anymore! Thank you!!

Posted by: Katie at October 10, 2010 5:26 AM

Ummm....dumb question. Have you tried simply telling the "stalker" when you don't feel like talking? Some people are just socially inept / bad at picking up cues. Now, if he didn't listen, that would be pure stalkerishness.

Posted by: Amirali at November 24, 2010 12:48 PM

Does anyone know if after I block an individual from chat, would that individual still be able to see when I am logged in/online?
Or will I look as if I selected the "Invisible" option?

Posted by: Lee at June 20, 2011 2:35 PM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!