How to Delete a LinkedIn Account Permanently

If you no longer need your LinkedIn account, you can either deactivate or delete it. This article will guide you on permanently deleting a LinkedIn account and downloading your account data before closing it.

LinkedIn, unlike other social media platforms, does not retain your information when you delete your account. You have the option to download your data, request additional data types, or delete specific data types. We will provide a detailed discussion in this article. Let’s get started.

Things You Should Know Before Deleting LinkedIn Account

Before deleting your LinkedIn account, there are a few important things to know. If you decide to close your account, you have a 14-day grace period to recover it, but during this time:

– You will lose access to your connections and networks.

– Your account will be removed from the LinkedIn website and search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo.

– You will no longer have your LinkedIn Premium membership or ownership of any groups.

Non-Recoverable Data

The aforementioned points can be revived once you reactivate your LinkedIn account. However, there are certain aspects that cannot be recovered if you close your account, including endorsements, recommendations, pending invitations, and group memberships.

If these aspects concern you, you have the option to put your account in hibernation. To understand the difference between closing and hibernating, continue reading.

There is a difference between hibernating and closing a LinkedIn account. When you hibernate or deactivate your account, your data will remain on the LinkedIn server, but it will not be visible to other users. LinkedIn will tag you as ‘A LinkedIn member’ and your name, profile picture, posts, comments, etc. will not be displayed. Your account will also not appear in search results.

When you close or permanently delete your LinkedIn account, all data will be permanently deleted after a 14-day grace period. If you want to delete your LinkedIn account for good, you should download your data first.

How to Download LinkedIn Data Before Deleting Your Account

It is ideal to download your data before permanently deleting your account. Note that this data will not include details like ‘People you may know’ or ‘Who’s viewed your profile.’ Additionally, if a connection has a private email address, you won’t be able to see it in your downloaded data. Now, let’s move on to the steps:

Step 1: Go to LinkedIn and log in.

Step 2: Click on your profile icon (Me) at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.

Step 3: From the drop-down, select ‘Settings & Privacy.’

Step 5: In the right pane, click on ‘Get a copy of your data’ under ‘How LinkedIn uses your data’. Step 6: Select either option:

– The first option lets you download all the details LinkedIn has collected about your profile and activity.

– The second option allows you to choose the data files you want. Check the boxes to receive the desired information.

Step 7: Once you have selected the data you wish to export, click on Request archive.

LinkedIn will email you within 10 minutes to two days, depending on the requested data. The email will include a download link for the information you’ve asked for. The data will be available for download for 72 hours.

How to Delete LinkedIn Account Using a Browser

It’s time to delete your LinkedIn account. The steps involved in this method are straightforward. Let’s begin.

Step 1: Go to LinkedIn and log in. Step 2: Click on your profile picture at the top right corner and select ‘Settings & Privacy.’

Step 3: Scroll down to Account Management and click Close account.

Note : By default, when you click ‘Settings & Privacy,’ you will land in the Account Management section. If you didn’t, click Account Management before moving to Step 3.

Step 4: You will be shown what you will lose when you delete your LinkedIn account. Click Continue.

Step 5: Select the reason for closing your account and click Next.

Step 6: Finally, enter your password to verify your account, check ‘Unsubscribe me from LinkedIn email communications, including invitations’ box, and click Done.

And that’s it. Your LinkedIn account will be deleted. Now, what if you want to delete your LinkedIn account from your mobile device using the LinkedIn app? Keep reading.

The steps for deleting a LinkedIn account from the web are similar. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the LinkedIn app on Android/iOS and tap the profile icon at the top left corner.

Step 2: Go to Settings.

Step 3: Choose Account preferences.

Step 4: Scroll down to Account management and tap Close account.

Step 5: You will be shown what you will lose when you close your LinkedIn account. Tap Continue.

Review the following text and eliminate any redundant words or phrases:

“Step 6: Select the reason for closing your account and tap Next.

Step 7: Finally, type in your password to verify your account, check the ‘Unsubscribe me from LinkedIn email communications, including invitations’ box, and tap Done.”

Revised:

“Step 6: Select reason for closing your account, then tap Next.

Step 7: Finally, enter your password to verify your account and check ‘Unsubscribe me from LinkedIn email communications, including invitations’ box, then tap Done.”

And there you go! You are out of LinkedIn. It is possible to make decisions quickly and realize the consequences later. If you find yourself in that situation and want to regain access to your LinkedIn account, follow the steps in the next section.

When you delete your LinkedIn account, it goes into the deletion queue for 14 days before being permanently deleted. To restore your account within that timeframe, follow these steps:

Step 1: Check your registered email for a LinkedIn email titled ‘We’re sorry to see you go’. Inside, you will find a reactivation link. Click on it.

Note: The email may take some time to arrive, so be patient.

Step 2: Once you click on the reactivation link, you will be taken to a page. Simply click ‘Yes, Reactivate’.

After this, you will receive another email saying that your account has been reactivated. Now, go to the LinkedIn website or app and log in with your credentials. That’s it, you’re back on LinkedIn. However, note that you must complete these steps within 14 days of your deletion request. Otherwise, your LinkedIn account will be permanently deleted, with no option to recover it. If you don’t want to restore your LinkedIn account, you can request LinkedIn to delete your account data from their servers to protect your information. Follow the steps below to learn how.

To delete your data on LinkedIn, close or hibernate your LinkedIn account. Deleting your data is not a shortcut, as it requires manually deleting articles, certifications, email addresses, messages, etc. Follow these steps to delete your data:

– Step 1: Go to the LinkedIn help page.

– Step 2: Choose the data type to delete (e.g., Groups).

– Step 3: Follow the step-by-step instructions.

– Step 4: If the desired data type is not found, fill out the LinkedIn Data Deletion Form and click Submit.

That’s it. Your requested data type will be deleted from the LinkedIn servers.

1. Yes, you can delete your LinkedIn account and create a new one.

2. If your LinkedIn profile has been deleted, they will see that a LinkedIn member has viewed it, but they won’t know who.

3. To hide your LinkedIn profile, go to ‘Settings & Privacy’, click on Visibility, select ‘Profile viewing options’, and choose your preference.

4. Yes, you can allow someone else to manage your LinkedIn profile by sharing your account password and username. However, we advise against this unless you completely trust the person.

Deleting or closing a LinkedIn account is not as simple as it may sound. When it comes to a professional network like LinkedIn, there are several factors to consider before permanently deleting an account. If you’re unsure about whether to delete or just hibernate your account, it’s recommended to choose hibernation. However, if closing your LinkedIn account is your only option, following the above steps will be of assistance.

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Atish Rajasekharan is a tech enthusiast with a Computer Science engineering degree. He entered the blogging world in 2015. Since then, he has written over 2000 articles that have been featured on sites like Gizbot, Firstpost, PhoneArena, GSMArena, and IBTimes. At GT, he specializes in providing how-tos, tips, troubleshooting guides, and ethical tech advice.