LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform used by millions of people around the world. One of LinkedIn’s key features is the ability to see who has viewed your profile. However, standard LinkedIn members are limited in what profile viewing data they can access, which leads many to wonder – can LinkedIn Premium members see who viewed their profile while in private/incognito mode?
What data can regular LinkedIn members see?
Regular, non-paying LinkedIn members can see limited information about who has viewed their profile. Specifically, you can see the following:
- The total number of views your profile has received in the last 90 days.
- A list of the top viewers of your profile in the last 90 days, by industry and location. The list does not contain names or other identifying information.
- A graph showing how many views your profile received each week over the last 90 days.
So in summary, regular LinkedIn members can see some high-level data about their profile views, but they cannot see the identity of each individual viewer.
What additional data can LinkedIn Premium members see?
LinkedIn Premium subscriptions unlock additional profile viewing insights, including:
- See the names of everyone who has viewed your profile in the last 90 days, regardless of their settings.
- Filter your list of profile viewers by criteria like industry, seniority, and location.
- See how often each viewer has looked at your profile.
- See what updates, content, or sections viewers looked at while on your profile.
So Premium members can identify and analyze their profile viewers much more extensively than regular members. But there is an important caveat…
Does private/incognito viewing prevent identification?
Many LinkedIn users browse in “private” or “incognito” mode, which does not save browsing history or activity. Viewing someone’s profile in this mode essentially makes the viewing anonymous and undisclosed to the profile owner.
Importantly, LinkedIn has officially stated that members (both free and premium) cannot see who viewed their profile in private/incognito mode. Any profile views done in private browsing will not show up in the list of viewers for that profile.
LinkedIn has confirmed this on their official help pages. For example:
Views of your profile while in private browsing mode will not be included in your list of profile viewers. Similarly, if you view others’ profiles in private browsing mode, they will not see you as having viewed their profile.
They reiterated this in a more recent statement:
LinkedIn cannot identify members who have viewed profiles while signed out or in private browsing mode.
So regardless of a LinkedIn member’s account type, the platform cannot see or reveal private/incognito profile views. This type of anonymous viewing is hidden from profile owners.
What are the limitations of LinkedIn profile view data?
While Premium gives more insight into profile viewers, there are some general limitations to keep in mind:
- The data only shows the last 90 days of viewing activity.
- Private/incognito views are not included, as mentioned above.
- Some views may be excluded from the data for privacy or technical reasons.
- The data is not 100% comprehensive and may have gaps.
- Viewers you share common connections with may be hidden.
So while Premium provides valuable viewing insights, the data has gaps and does not capture every single profile view. Private browsing allows people to visit profiles without detection.
Tips for private browsing on LinkedIn
Here are some tips for using LinkedIn’s private browsing mode:
- On desktop, enable private browsing or incognito mode in your browser settings before visiting LinkedIn. This prevents tracking of your browsing session.
- On mobile, use the private browsing options built into iOS Safari or Android Chrome. Tap the “Private” label to enable it.
- Log out of LinkedIn before starting a private session for full anonymity. Otherwise your activity can still be associated with your account.
- Avoid interacting with profiles (liking, commenting, etc) during private browsing, as that ties the activity to you.
- Use private browsing if you want to discreetly research people you have connections with.
Pros and cons of LinkedIn private browsing
Here are some key pros and cons to keep in mind when using LinkedIn privately:
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Conclusion
In summary, neither standard nor premium LinkedIn members can detect who has viewed profiles in private/incognito mode. This type of anonymous browsing prevents your activity from being tracked or shown to others. So if you want to maintain your privacy while browsing LinkedIn profiles, enabling private mode is an effective approach.
However, there are some limitations in the insights LinkedIn provides into profile views, even for Premium members. Factors like private browsing, technical restrictions, and LinkedIn’s data practices can result in incomplete information. So while Premium unlocks more advanced analytics, the data available provides helpful but not absolute visibility into your audience and connections.
Understanding how LinkedIn collects and exposes profile viewing data enables you to use the platform’s privacy controls more effectively. Private browsing gives flexibility if you want to research people discreetly but also has tradeoffs like reduced personalization. Ultimately, being aware of these options allows you to balance your personal privacy, professional transparency, and networking goals on the platform.
LinkedIn remains an invaluable tool for building connections and showcasing your capabilities. But like any social network, it comes with considerations around visibility and privacy. By understanding what account types can and can’t see, you can better navigate LinkedIn while maintaining control over your own data.
Some key takeaways:
- Standard LinkedIn members can see limited, anonymous data on who viewed their profile.
- Premium unlocks more insights into profile viewers, but not those done in private modes.
- Private browsing prevents your profile viewing from being tracked or shown.
- There are gaps and limitations in the profile viewer data available to both free and paid members.
- Think carefully about your privacy, transparency, and networking goals when browsing LinkedIn.
This article covers the key things to know about LinkedIn profile viewing data for standard and premium accounts. Let us know if you have any other questions!
