The short answer is yes, you can take screenshots of LinkedIn messages and conversations. However, there are some important factors to consider before capturing and sharing screenshots of private LinkedIn messages.
Why do people want to screenshot LinkedIn messages?
There are a few common reasons why LinkedIn users may want to take screenshots of conversations on the platform:
- To save or record important information exchanged via messaging for future reference
- To share a particular message or conversation with others, either informally or as part of a formal process
- To provide evidence of harassment, bullying, or other concerning behavior taking place via LinkedIn messaging
- To demonstrate communication with a contact as part of a business process or recruiting workflow
In many cases, people wish to keep copies of specific messages for legitimate personal or professional purposes. However, there are also risks associated with capturing and sharing screenshots that users should keep in mind.
LinkedIn’s policy on screenshotting messages
LinkedIn’s user agreement prohibits sharing screenshots or recordings of private conversations on the platform without permission from all parties involved. Their reasoning is that messages on LinkedIn are intended to be private communication between connections.
So technically, according to LinkedIn’s terms, users should not screenshot or share messages without getting consent first. However, LinkedIn does not seem to monitor or enforce this rule proactively. Users are unlikely to get caught or face consequences for occasional screenshots as long as they are being shared responsibly.
Ethical and legal risks of screenshotting
There are a few risks to keep in mind when it comes to capturing screenshots of LinkedIn messages:
- Privacy violations – Sharing screenshots without permission exposes the other person’s private communication and may violate their expectation of privacy.
- Harassment – Screenshots can be misused to share private information out of context, potentially harassing or embarrassing the other party.
- Legal issues – Using screenshots as evidence in court or otherwise may run into legal problems depending on jurisdiction and situation.
While screenshots can serve legitimate purposes, misusing them can violate privacy, damage relationships, and even expose the user to legal liability in some cases.
Best practices for screenshotting LinkedIn messages
If you do need to take a screenshot of a LinkedIn conversation, here are some best practices to follow:
- Obtain consent first – Ask the other party if they are comfortable with you taking a screenshot.
- Screenshot responsibly – Only capture the minimum necessary parts of the conversation that are relevant to your purpose.
- Obscure identifying details – Edit out profile pictures, names, employers if sharing publicly.
- Share securely – Do not post screenshots openly online or share more widely than needed.
- Delete screenshots – Once no longer needed for the original purpose, delete the screenshots.
Following these practices helps maintain privacy and respect all parties involved when screenshotting becomes necessary in a specific situation.
What does LinkedIn show when you screenshot a message?
LinkedIn itself does not actively notify users if someone takes a screenshot of their messages or conversations on the platform. There is no built-in feature that alerts you when a screenshot has been taken.
Some third-party apps and browser extensions can detect screenshotting activity on web pages. However, these would not work directly within the LinkedIn messaging interface. They may only tell the user if someone screenshots their entire LinkedIn tab or browser window, not specific messages.
The only way you can directly tell if someone has screenshotted your LinkedIn messages is if you see the screenshot shared elsewhere online or offline. There are no proactive notifications from LinkedIn when it happens.
Could LinkedIn add screenshot notifications in the future?
While LinkedIn currently does not have any native screenshot notification capabilities, they theoretically could add this feature in the future to better enforce their terms against unauthorized sharing.
Some messaging platforms like Snapchat actively notify users when the recipient takes a screenshot. So the technology certainly exists. However, implementing it specifically for LinkedIn messages would likely require an extensive reworking of their messaging infrastructure.
For now, the best option on LinkedIn is to ask the other party not to screenshot or share your private communication if you are concerned. But there is no guarantee they will comply or that you will find out if they do screenshot.
What to do if someone misuses your message screenshots
If you find out that someone has shared LinkedIn message screenshots involving you without your consent, here are some steps to take:
- Ask them to remove or stop sharing the screenshots if possible
- Report the incident to LinkedIn if harassment or abuse is involved
- Consult a lawyer if reputational harm or other damages resulted
- Strengthen your own privacy settings and be cautious when messaging connections you do not know well
While LinkedIn itself may not get involved, there are still steps you can take to protect yourself from misuse of your private conversations on the platform if needed.
Can you screenshot a LinkedIn post?
Yes, you can freely take screenshots of public LinkedIn posts and share them without any consent required from the author.
LinkedIn posts made through the publishing platform are intended for public sharing and discussion. Images, comments, and other information posted publicly can be screenshotted and shared without violating LinkedIn’s terms.
The exception would be if the post contains copyrighted material like brand logos or visuals you do not have rights to reuse. But any original content published openly on LinkedIn profiles or pages can be screenshotted at will.
Is screenshotting LinkedIn profiles okay?
In general, users can safely screenshot and share parts of LinkedIn profiles that are visible to them, such as profile photos, cover images, and public information in the About and Experience sections.
However, it would be improper to screenshot or share private sections of a LinkedIn profile that you have privileged access to, such as contact info or recommendations marked visible only to connections.
As a best practice, you should obscure last names, employers, locations, and other details if publically sharing profile screenshots online or offline to respect privacy. But there is no rule against screenshotting public profile content.
Can you screenshot on LinkedIn’s mobile app?
Yes, you can take screenshots directly within LinkedIn’s mobile app on iOS and Android devices to capture content including profiles, posts, and messages.
The process for screenshotting on LinkedIn mobile is the same as taking standard screenshots on iPhone or Android phones:
- iPhone – Press the Side Button + Volume Up Button at the same time.
- Android – Press the Power Button + Volume Down Button simultaneously.
Screenshots taken on the LinkedIn mobile app will be saved to your camera roll or gallery like normal screenshots. The same privacy, security and ethical considerations apply for sharing as on the desktop site.
Should recruiters screenshot LinkedIn profiles?
It is common for recruiters and HR professionals to take screenshots of LinkedIn profiles of prospective candidates during the hiring process to attach to applications or share internally.
This is generally acceptable, but best practice is to:
- Only screenshot relevant public profile sections necessary for the hiring purpose
- Obscure last name and photo if sharing screenshots externally
- Delete screenshots after the candidate has been rejected or hired
As long as screenshots are handled professionally and not misused, screenshotting profiles of applicants in moderation is unlikely to cause issues for most recruiters.
Can you screenshot someone’s LinkedIn activity?
No, there is no method currently available on LinkedIn to view or screenshot the private activity of other users, such as their profile views, searches, or people looking at your posts.
The “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section only shows anonymous aggregated data, not info on individual viewers. Similarly, seeing who has liked or commented on posts only displays names publicly, not private activity.
Some third-party tools claim to reveal LinkedIn users who viewed your profile or track your LinkedIn activity. However, LinkedIn expressly prohibits these types of browser extensions and addons due to user privacy concerns.
Is screenshotting LinkedIn profiles useful?
Screenshotting relevant sections of LinkedIn profiles can certainly be useful for recruiters, sales prospects, and others in certain business contexts. A few potential advantages include:
- Saving a snapshot of a profile in the hiring process to review later or share with colleagues involved in decision making
- Maintaining a visual portfolio of prospects’ profiles for sales outreach
- Documenting important profile details, work history, and credentials that might get updated later
However, screenshots should be handled carefully and deleted when no longer needed to avoid misuse or privacy invasion. They are most useful when made and shared responsibly.
What are the risks of screenshotting LinkedIn profiles?
While some limited profile screenshotting may be justifiable, the practice also carries some risks, such as:
- Sharing private information like email addresses or phone numbers obtained from restricted profile sections
- Enabling harassment or cyberstalking by distributing screenshots with identifiable details
- Damaging employment prospects if using screenshots in a discriminatory hiring process
- Violating copyright if sharing logo images or visual assets you do not have rights to
Screenshotting profiles should be done on a limited, as-needed basis rather than capturing in bulk or sharing externally without care. Abusing the practice can hurt relationships, invite legal issues, and violate user privacy.
What tools can you use to capture LinkedIn screenshots?
On desktop, you can use your operating system’s built-in screenshot tool to capture shots of anything on your LinkedIn tab:
- Windows – Snipping Tool, Print Screen
- Mac – Command-Shift-3 or Command-Shift-4 shortcuts
- Chrome – Chrome Screenshot Extension
On mobile, simply use your iPhone or Android’s screenshot feature by pressing the Power and Volume buttons together. No third-party apps are required.
You can also use online screenshot software to capture full webpage screenshots including all scrollable content on a LinkedIn profile or post page if needed.
Should you screenshot LinkedIn job listings?
Job seekers will often want to screenshot interesting job listings discovered on LinkedIn to review later or share with family and friends seeking input.
This is perfectly acceptable, as LinkedIn job listings are posted publicly and intended to be seen and applied to by any interested candidates.
Screenshotting or printing job descriptions helps job seekers have all the details handy for a listing of interest. Just be sure not to overshare sensitive details if posting online.
Is screenshotting a LinkedIn profile illegal?
In most cases, occasionally screenshotting public portions of LinkedIn profiles is not illegal as long as it is done in a non-harassing manner and for a legitimate purpose like recruiting or sales prospecting.
However, the legality can get more questionable if someone:
- Shares private profile sections that are not visible to all LinkedIn members
- Uses profile screenshots to enable stalking, harassment, or threats
- Captures and uses logo images or other visuals without proper rights
- Violates LinkedIn’s terms by screenshotting messages or conversations without consent
In rare cases of clear abuse, inappropriate screenshotting could potentially be illegal. But standard public profile screenshots are very unlikely to cause legal issues.
Can LinkedIn tell if you screenshot?
No, LinkedIn’s platform does not have any native capabilities to detect or flag when users take screenshots, either on desktop or their mobile app.
Platforms like Snapchat notify users when recipients screenshot ephemeral chats. However, LinkedIn’s communication tools do not currently have any comparable functionality.
The only way LinkedIn would know if you take screenshots is if you openly share them elsewhere online or offline. The act of screenshotting itself goes undetected by their systems.
Third-party browser extensions may have screenshot detection capabilities, but this does not integrate with LinkedIn’s own services. Screenshotting LinkedIn itself is essentially invisible to their systems.
Can you get banned from LinkedIn for screenshotting?
Getting banned from LinkedIn purely for occasional, harmless screenshots is very unlikely. The platform does not monitor or flag standard public profile screenshotting as rule breaking.
However, you could get banned for misusing screenshots taken on LinkedIn, such as:
- Sharing private message or conversation screenshots without consent
- Posting identifying screenshots to enable harassment or stalking
- Bulk scraping data or images on profiles for external usage
So responsible screenshotting in moderation is not a problem, but malicious or bulk unauthorized uses could potentially prompt account suspension or termination in severe cases of abuse.
Is LinkedIn screenshotting legal for recruiters?
Yes, recruiters and HR professionals can legally take screenshots of LinkedIn profiles of prospective candidates as part of the standard talent sourcing and hiring workflow.
As long as screenshotting follows lawful, non-discriminatory hiring practices and respects user privacy, occasional public profile screenshots are fully acceptable and will not get recruiters in legal trouble.
Some best practices include obscuring last names and photos before broader sharing, only capturing relevant sections, and deleting screenshots after the hiring decision. Following such precautions keeps recruiters on firm legal ground.
Should LinkedIn ban screenshotting?
While excessive, unauthorized screenshotting can cause issues in some cases, banning the practice outright would likely be excessive and difficult to enforce.
Occasional public profile screenshots are reasonably useful and harmless if handled carefully. An outright ban could negatively impact legitimate personal and professional uses.
A better approach may be to have LinkedIn implement selective restrictions, such as:
- Blocking tools that allow bulk profile scraping
- Detecting screenshotting of private messages and conversations
- Limiting third-party apps’ data access and collection
More targeted technical measures combined with clear guidelines would help balance usability and privacy. But an outright ban on any screenshotting functionality could undermine LinkedIn’s value without meaningfully improving issues.
Conclusion
Screenshotting public profiles and posts on LinkedIn is generally acceptable in moderation, but sharing private messages or conversations requires consent. Be cautious of privacy, harassment, and misrepresentation risks when taking and distributing screenshots. Apply ethical practices and follow platform guidelines to avoid issues.