Can you delete an InMail you sent?

As a LinkedIn user, you may find yourself wanting to delete an InMail message that you’ve already sent to another member. InMail is LinkedIn’s internal messaging system that allows you to directly contact other members, even if you’re not connected to them.

There are a few reasons why you might want to delete an InMail after sending it:

• You made a mistake in the message, such as typos or incorrect information
• You decided after sending that you no longer want to contact that person
• You want to retract an InMail that may have come across as unprofessional or inappropriate

The ability to delete sent messages can be useful. However, on LinkedIn, once you send an InMail, there is no way to delete it.

Why You Can’t Delete Sent InMails

LinkedIn does not allow users to delete InMails after sending for a few key reasons:

• Recipient’s right to see messages sent to them – Once you send a message to another user, LinkedIn considers that message their property and gives them full access to it. Deleting it would take away the recipient’s right to view messages sent to them.
• Record of communications – LinkedIn wants to maintain a record of all communications that occur through InMail for posterity. Deleting messages would compromise the integrity of this record.
• Prevention of harassment or abuse – Not allowing deletions reduces the risk of users utilizing InMail to harass others and then deleting evidence of their actions.

While the inability to delete sent messages may be inconvenient in some cases, LinkedIn considers it necessary to protect their members’ rights and maintain the integrity of communications on the platform.

What Happens When You Try to Delete a Sent InMail?

If you attempt to delete an already sent InMail, here is what will happen:

• On mobile, the delete option will simply not be available once you have sent the message.
• On desktop, you may see a Delete Message option still visible, but it will be grayed out and unclickable.
• If you try to access delete options through account settings, you’ll receive an error message that you cannot delete sent messages.

Essentially, LinkedIn disables all delete functionality for sent InMails. The options may still be visible in some places, but will not actually work if clicked.

What to Do if You Want to Delete a Sent Message

If you realize after sending that you want to retract an InMail, here are some recommended steps:

• If the recipient has not yet read it, quickly send another InMail apologizing and asking them to disregard the previous message.
• If they have read it, you can send a follow up apologizing for the content and explaining yourself.
• You can proactively block the recipient from contacting you further if you are concerned about them replying.
• Review your sent InMails regularly going forward to ensure you do not make similar mistakes again.

While not ideal, sending a follow up message is the only way to try to amend a sent InMail. And in most cases, recipients will understand if you make a polite request to disregard a previous message.

Best Practices for Avoiding Sent Message Regrets

To avoid wanting to delete an InMail after sending it, follow these best practices:

• Carefully proofread before sending – Look for typos, incorrect info, unclear phrasing, etc.
• Consider if it conveys your desired tone – Is it too casual, too formal, or unprofessional?
• Ask yourself if you really need to send it – Determine if reaching out is necessary or prudent.
• Let it sit before sending – Give yourself time to rethink a message rather than sending impulsively.
• Treat others how you wish to be treated – Keep all InMail correspondence professional and kind.

Putting a little extra thought into the messages you send can go a long way in avoiding regrets down the line. But should you need to, don’t hesitate to follow up.

InMail Deletion Policies of Other Platforms

For comparison, here is a look at the policies of some other major messaging platforms when it comes to deleting sent messages:

As we can see, the majority of platforms do allow users to delete sent messages, at least for a limited window of time. Slack and LinkedIn are outliers in their policy of not allowing any deletions of sent messages. This highlights how LinkedIn has prioritized an unalterable record of communications over convenience and flexibility for their users.

The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, once you hit send on an InMail, it cannot be deleted from LinkedIn. This permanent nature of InMails is by design to protect recipients, maintain integrity, and prevent harassment.

If you regret sending an InMail, the only option is to follow up with another message apologizing or retracting. To avoid wanting to delete messages, be cautious and thoughtful whenever you compose an InMail.

While some may want the flexibility to delete sent InMails, LinkedIn has clearly prioritized a complete history of communication. The best approach is learning how to use InMail responsibly rather than relying on the ability to delete messages.

In summary:

• LinkedIn does not allow users to delete sent InMail messages.
• This is to protect recipients’ rights, maintain records, and prevent harassment.
• Attempting to delete only results in error messages.
• To retract an InMail, you can only send a follow up message.
• Be cautious when composing InMails to avoid regrets.
• Other platforms have different policies, some allowing deletions.
• Focus on using InMail responsibly knowing deletions aren’t possible.