Can You Delete LinkedIn Messages From Both Sides?

The short answer is yes, you can delete LinkedIn messages from both the sender’s and recipient’s inboxes. Here’s how it works:

Deleting messages you sent

If you want to delete a message you sent to someone else on LinkedIn, you can easily do so from your sent folder:

1. Go to the LinkedIn messaging page and click on “Sent”
2. Find the message you want to delete and click on the 3 dots icon next to it
3. Select “Delete” to remove the message

This will immediately delete the message from both your sent folder and the recipient’s inbox. So you don’t have to ask the recipient to delete it from their side.

Deleting messages you received

To delete a message you received from someone else:

1. Go to the LinkedIn messaging page and open your inbox
2. Find the message and click on the 3 dots icon next to it
3. Select “Delete” to remove the message

This deletes the message from your inbox. However, it will still be present in the sender’s sent folder.

So if you want the message to be deleted from both sides, you will have to politely ask the sender to also delete it from their sent folder. Most users are happy to oblige if you request them to do so.

Why can’t you directly delete from both sides?

The reason LinkedIn doesn’t let you directly delete a message from both sides is likely for security and privacy reasons.

Imagine if anyone could delete messages from your inbox without your consent. It could lead to potential harassment or loss of important communication.

So requiring both parties to manually delete the message ensures that no one’s messages can be deleted without their approval.

What happens when you delete a LinkedIn message?

Here’s exactly what happens when you delete a LinkedIn message:

• The message is removed from your inbox or sent folder instantly
• The message body text is deleted from LinkedIn’s servers
• The name of the sender/recipient and time stamp remains in your inbox or sent folder history
• If the other person has not deleted it, the message remains in their inbox/sent folder

So essentially, deleting removes the content of the message but leaves a history that a message was sent/received.

How to delete LinkedIn messages permanently

Since the message history remains even after deleting, here are two ways to permanently delete LinkedIn messages:

1. Ask the sender to also delete the message from their sent folder. This will erase it from LinkedIn’s servers.
2. Delete the full conversation – this removes the entire messaging history between you and the other person.

However, keep in mind the other person can still delete the conversation from their side to permanently erase the messages.

Does the other person get notified when you delete a message?

No, LinkedIn does not send a notification when you delete a message you sent or received. The message will simply disappear from the relevant inbox/sent folder.

So if you want the other person to know you deleted the message, you have to manually tell them you did so.

Can you recover a deleted LinkedIn message?

Unfortunately, once a LinkedIn message is deleted, there is no way to recover it either for you or for the recipient.

LinkedIn does not have a trash or backup folder where deleted messages are stored. The content of the message is erased from their servers.

So be certain you want to permanently delete a message before clicking that delete button!

Mistakenly deleted an important message?

If you accidentally deleted a crucial message, your only option is to directly contact the sender and request them to send it again if they still have access to it.

You can try searching for the message text in your email inbox in case LinkedIn sent you an email notification when the message arrived.

But beyond that, there is unfortunately no way to retrieve deleted LinkedIn messages.

Limits on deleting LinkedIn messages

LinkedIn does not seem to impose any limits on how many messages you can delete from your inbox or sent folder.

You should be able to delete individual messages or entire conversations without hitting any limits.

However, if you notice any restrictions on deleting messages, it likely means LinkedIn has flagged your account for suspicious activity.

Best practices when deleting messages

Here are some tips to follow when deleting LinkedIn messages:

• Let the sender know if you are deleting a message they sent you
• Only delete entire conversations if required to protect privacy
• Don’t repeatedly delete messages to avoid LinkedIn restrictions
• Remember deleted messages can’t be recovered
• Fake or spam messages are okay to mass delete

As long as you are transparent about deleting messages and don’t overdo it, you shouldn’t face any issues deleting LinkedIn messages.

Deleting messages on LinkedIn’s mobile app

The process for deleting LinkedIn messages is the same on LinkedIn’s mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Simply swipe left on a message and tap on the trash icon to delete it. This will remove it from your inbox and the sender’s sent folder.

You can also delete entire conversations by going to your messages list and swiping left on a conversation. Tap on the trash icon to delete the whole thing.

Summary

LinkedIn allows users to delete messages they have sent or received. But the message will only be removed from the side performing the delete action.

For a message to be deleted from both inboxes, the sender and recipient have to manually delete it. This is done for privacy and security reasons.

Once a LinkedIn message is deleted, it cannot be recovered. So be certain before permanently erasing any important communication.

With a transparent approach, users should be able to manage their LinkedIn messaging and deletion without any limitations.