Can you retract a message on LinkedIn?

Yes, it is possible to retract a message on LinkedIn, but the process depends on whether the message is a normal message or an InMail. For normal messages, there is no direct “retract” feature, but you can delete the message from your sent items. For InMails, you can retract the message as long as the recipient has not opened it.

Retracting Normal Messages

If you send a normal message to a connection through LinkedIn messaging, there is no option to “retract” it. However, you can effectively retract the message by deleting it from your sent items folder:

1. Click the “Me” icon in the top right and select “View profile.”
2. In the left sidebar, click “Messages.”
3. Go to the “Sent” tab to see your sent messages.
4. Click the More icon (3 dots) next to the message and select “Delete.”
5. Confirm you want to delete the message.

This will remove the message from your sent items and your connection will no longer be able to see it in their inbox. However, if your connection already read the message before you deleted it, the retraction will not make the message disappear from their inbox.

What Happens When You Delete a Message

When you delete a sent message on LinkedIn:

• The message is removed from your sent items folder.
• The recipient will no longer see the message in their inbox.
• If the recipient already read the message, it will still be visible in their inbox.
• There is no “message retracted” notice for the recipient.

So in effect, deleting a sent message prevents the recipient from seeing it if they have not already read it. But it does not remove or alter the message for recipients who already saw it.

Alternatives to Retracting Messages

If the recipient already read the sent message you want to retract, deleting it will not remove it from their inbox. Some alternatives in that case are:

• Send a follow-up message apologizing for the earlier message and asking them to disregard it.
• Edit the original message to say you sent it in error (the recipient will see the updated content).
• Block the recipient from seeing your profile and future messages.

While you cannot force LinkedIn to retract a message the recipient already read, you can send a clarification and apologize.

Retracting InMails

With InMails, LinkedIn’s premium messaging service, you can retract a message as long as the recipient has not opened it yet:

1. Click the “Me” icon and select “Manage my network.”
2. Go to the “InMail” tab.
3. Locate the InMail you want to retract.
4. Click the More button (3 dots) and select “Retract InMail.”
5. Confirm you want to retract the InMail.

This will prevent the recipient from ever seeing the message and free up your InMail credit to use on another message.

InMail Retraction Rules

The key rules for retracting InMail are:

• You can only retract InMails that have not been opened yet.
• Once the recipient opens the InMail, the retract option disappears.
• Retracting prevents the recipient from ever seeing the message.
• It refunds the InMail credit back to your account.

So if you accidentally sent an InMail or changed your mind shortly after, retracting can effectively erase the message. But this only works before the recipient opens the InMail.

Alternatives If InMail Already Opened

If your InMail recipient already opened your message, you cannot retract it. Some options in that case are:

• Send a follow-up InMail apologizing and clarifying your message.
• Edit the original InMail to say you sent in error (recipient will see update).
• Block the recipient from contacting you again.

Although retracting is not possible after opening, you can send an explanatory InMail to clarify your intent after accidentally sending.

Does Retracting LinkedIn Messages Delete Them?

Retracting a LinkedIn message does not completely delete or remove it from existence. Rather, it prevents the recipient from seeing it. Here is what happens when you retract messages:

• Normal messages: Retracting by deleting removes the message from your sent folder and the recipient’s inbox, unless they already read it.
• InMails: Retracting before opened prevents the recipient from ever seeing the message. But LinkedIn still has a record of the retracted InMail.

So retracting does not erase or undo a message completely. It just stops the recipient from seeing it. LinkedIn still keeps internal records of retracted messages. And recipients may still see messages they opened prior to retraction.

Can Recipients See Deleted Messages?

If a recipient opens a normal LinkedIn message before you delete it, they will still be able to see it in their inbox after deletion. But if they did not open it prior to deletion, the message will disappear from their inbox.

Does LinkedIn Keep Records of Retracted InMails?

Yes, LinkedIn keeps internal records of all sent InMails, even if retracted. Retracting an InMail simply prevents the recipient from seeing it and refunds the InMail credit to your account. But LinkedIn still has metadata records of the retracted message in their systems.

Third-Party Backups of Messages

In some cases, recipients may have backups of your LinkedIn messages outside of LinkedIn’s systems. For example, through email syncing or browser extensions. If so, deleting a message will not remove it from those third-party backups.

Pro Tips for Retracting LinkedIn Messages

Here are some tips when retracting messages on LinkedIn:

• Act quickly – Your window to retract messages is small, especially for InMails. Try to retract within a few minutes.
• Follow up politely – If you cannot retract an opened message, send a follow-up clarifying your intent.
• Proofread before sending – Cut down on retractions by carefully proofreading messages before sending.
• Expect records to remain – Understand LinkedIn still keeps internal records of retracted messages.

The ability to retract messages can help fix mistakes. But it’s still best to avoid mishaps by carefully reviewing messages before sending.

Retracting Messages on Other Platforms

The ability to retract sent messages varies across social media platforms:

• Facebook: Cannot retract, but you can delete a message from your inbox after sending.
• Twitter: Cannot retract tweets, but you can delete tweets from your profile after posting.
• Instagram: Cannot retract DMs, but you can unsend DMs for a quick period after sending.
• WhatsApp: Can “delete for everyone” to retract messages for a limited time after sending.

So the options to retract messages on LinkedIn are similar to other platforms – limited but available with some limitations.

Key Takeaways

• You cannot directly retract normal LinkedIn messages, but you can delete sent messages from your inbox to remove them from a recipient’s inbox.
• InMails can be retracted as long as the recipient has not opened the message yet.
• Retracting does not completely erase or undo a message – it just prevents the recipient from seeing it.
• Always proofread LinkedIn messages carefully before sending to avoid mistakes.
• If you cannot retract an opened message, politely send a clarification or apology via a new message.