| Artifact | Path / Key | Value on Unblock | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | settings.db | secure:blocked_numbers_list | Entry removed | | call_log | CALL_BLOCK_REASON | Changed from 1 to 0 (but old log retained) | | logcat (kernel) | Event: 0x12f4c | BLOCKLIST_REMOVE action logged | | telephony.db | carriers/blocked_entries | deleted=1 (soft delete) |
// Delete from telephony provider context.contentResolver.delete(BlockedNumbers.CONTENT_URI, ...) // Also delete from SMS provider context.contentResolver.delete(Uri.parse("content://sms/blocked"), ...) // Force sync via Carrier Messaging Client SmsManager.getDefault().clearBlockedNumberForSubscriber(subId, phoneNumber) Carrier Call Filtering: For RCS (Rich Communication Services) and VoLTE, carriers (T-Mobile, Verizon, Jio) maintain their own block list on the IMS core. When a user unblocks a contact on Android, the OS sends a CarrierConfigManager update via the TelephonyManager . However, if the carrier's network has a stale cache, the number remains blocked at the network level for up to 24 hours . unblock contact android
Between step 3 and step 5, an incoming call can still be rejected because the telephony stack's mBlockedNumbers cache hasn't been invalidated. Typical window: 50-150ms . 5. The "Ghost Block" Phenomenon A persistent issue in Android 12-14 is the Ghost Block — a contact appears unblocked, but SMS/MMS messages still fail to arrive. | Artifact | Path / Key | Value
When you unblock a contact, the system resets the local flags but does reset the SafetyNet score. Consequently, the unblocked contact may still be routed to "Spam & Blocked" folder for 2-7 days until the local spam confidence score decays. Between step 3 and step 5, an incoming
After unblocking, the user must open the Phone app → Settings → Caller ID & Spam → "Delete spam feedback history" for that specific number. 8. Forensic Artifacts of Unblocking For digital forensics, an unblock operation leaves distinct traces:
// 4. Request carrier sync (for RCS/VoLTE carriers) val cm = context.getSystemService(CarrierMessagingService::class.java) cm?.notifyBlockedNumbersChanged(subId, listOf(normalized), false) // false = unblock
// Simplified sequence from BlockedNumberProvider.java public int delete(Uri uri, String selection, String[] selectionArgs) // 1. Validate caller has WRITE_BLOCKED_NUMBERS permission // 2. Acquire a database write lock on blocked_numbers.db // 3. Delete the row matching the normalized phone number (E.164 format) int rowsDeleted = mDb.delete(TABLE_BLOCKED, whereClause, args); // 4. Trigger a ContentObserver notification to TelephonyManager Intent intent = new Intent(TelephonyManager.ACTION_BLOCKED_NUMBER_REMOVED); mContext.sendBroadcast(intent, BLOCKED_NUMBER_PERMISSION);