The little green icon had been grey for three weeks.

The reasons for blocking WhatsApp vary across countries, but common justifications include:

Lena had stared at it so many times that the words felt burned into her retinas. She’d typed and deleted messages in the draft box more times than she could count—apologies, explanations, angry rants, sad little confessions. None of them ever got sent. What was the point? He’d blocked her.

She typed back: “I’d like that.”

Local networks occasionally implement basic blocks by manipulating the Domain Name System (DNS). Changing your default DNS provider can instantly unblock the app.

: These are the most common solution. A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a server in a different country where WhatsApp is available. Trusted providers like NordVPN and Surfshark are often recommended for their ability to bypass strict firewalls.