This Is How You Block Someone On Tinder

In an ideal world, strangers on the Internet would all be nice, friendly, and respectful. But obviously (and unfortunately), online harassment is all too real — and pretty common on dating apps. So if the need arises, can you block someone on Tinder? Yes, and it's actually pretty simple. Though there's no button that physically says 'block,' their 'unmatch' feature is, for all intents and purposes, the same thing.

If someone is rubbing you the wrong way, here's how unmatching him or her works. First, enter the messages thread with the person you want to get rid of. Then click the '...' in the top right, where you'll see options to mute the convo, unmatch them, report them, and view their profile. Click unmatch, then if you'd like, you can select your reason for unmatching them: inappropriate messages or photos, bad offline behavior (if you meet up and they're a jerk IRL), spammy-ness, or simply 'other'.

There's also the option to report the user for bad behavior, if you so choose. The options for reporting people are the same as for unmatching, but reporting is an extra step that will help ensure the moderators of the app take a look at him or her and see if they should be banned from the app. I highly recommend this if someone is being verbally abusive, sexually aggressive, or otherwise giving off major creep vibes. Ideally, they'll be reported by enough people that they'll be banned and no one else will be subjected to their awful messages.

The number one lesson I've learned from using dating apps is this: Never feel guilty about blocking someone who's being inappropriate, making you uncomfortable, or even if you're just not feeling it. You don't owe anyone anything; just because you swiped right 10 minutes ago doesn't mean you can't change your mind about a person, particularly if their behavior is rude or off-putting. Here are some occasions when you should consider unmatching someone on Tinder.

1. They're Being Verbally Aggressive

Calling you a bitch for ignoring them? Nope, see ya later. Don't put up with Bye Felipe-style insults or derogatory language. As soon as someone exhibits disrespect like that or makes you feel uncomfortable, block them, and never look back.

2. They Won't Take No For An Answer

There was one guy I matched with on Tinder who would repeatedly message me after our initial conversation, asking me to hang out (and being pretty rude about it, too). I understand that we had a conversation *once*, but if I stop responding, that should be a clue that I'm not really interested in meeting IRL. Needless to say, I decided it would be kinder to just unmatch him so there was no confusion about my lack of interest.

3. They're From Another City

As someone who lives in NYC, there are tons of people visiting from other parts of the U.S., and even other countries. While there's nothing wrong with a casual hookup with a hottie tourist, I've often found that it's useful to unmatch them after they leave the city, or else you'll end up using tons of your phone storage on convos with people you'll never see again. If you want to keep chatting even after they leave, that's totally your call, though.

4. They're Being Sexually Explicit

Hey, if you're into sexting, more power to you. But if someone instantly starts trying to make the conversation X-rated and you're not about it, don't hesitate to block him or her. Thankfully, you can't send pictures within the app itself, so you won't receive any unsolicited dick (or boob) pics, but that doesn't mean people on Tinder can't find more creative ways to be uncomfortably forward.

Images: Fotolia; Laken Howard/Bustle