The short answer is yes, LinkedIn messages can disappear in certain situations. LinkedIn provides messaging functionality to facilitate communication between members. However, these messages are not permanent and can be removed under specific conditions.
When LinkedIn messages disappear
There are a few scenarios in which LinkedIn messages may disappear from your inbox or sent folder:
- The recipient deletes the message – If the person you sent the message to deletes it from their inbox, it will disappear from your sent folder as well.
- You delete the message – If you delete a message you’ve received or sent, it will obviously no longer be in your inbox or sent folder.
- The sender deletes their account – If the person who sent you a message deletes their LinkedIn account entirely, their messages to you will also be removed.
- You block the sender – Blocking another member on LinkedIn will delete any messages they’ve sent you previously.
- The message expires – LinkedIn messages expire and disappear after 90 days automatically if there has been no engagement.
- LinkedIn removes the message – In some cases, LinkedIn may remove messages that violate their policies.
So in summary, LinkedIn messages can disappear due to actions from the sender, recipient, or LinkedIn itself. They are not stored permanently like email.
Do disappeared LinkedIn messages go to archive or trash folder?
No, LinkedIn does not have an archive or trash folder for messages. So when a LinkedIn message disappears, it is gone for good and cannot be recovered or accessed again.
This is different from email services like Gmail that keep deleted messages in a trash or archive folder for a period of time before permanent removal. But LinkedIn messages are simply deleted from your inbox or sent folder with no archiving.
Recovering deleted LinkedIn messages
Unfortunately, there is no way to recover a LinkedIn message that has disappeared or been deleted. This applies whether you or the recipient deleted the message, or it expired after 90 days.
LinkedIn does not store or backup copies of deleted messages. So once a message is removed from your inbox or sent folder, it is erased from LinkedIn’s servers permanently.
Some third-party LinkedIn messaging apps may cache messages temporarily before syncing them with LinkedIn’s servers. But there is no recovering deleted messages directly through LinkedIn itself.
Preserving important LinkedIn conversations
Since LinkedIn messages can disappear without warning, it’s a good idea to preserve important conversations outside of LinkedIn.
Here are some tips to ensure you have a record of key LinkedIn messages:
- Take screenshots – For critical messages, take a screenshot for your records before deleting or archiving the conversation.
- Export conversations – Use LinkedIn’s data export tool to download a copy of your messages.
- Forward to email – Forward important LinkedIn messages to yourself via email to retain a copy.
- Sync to third-party apps – Use apps like RelateIQ to automatically sync LinkedIn messages for archiving.
Doing this provides a backup of valuable LinkedIn conversations that would otherwise disappear. It takes a bit of extra effort but can be worthwhile for messaging threads you may need to refer back to.
Do LinkedIn messages disappear on premium accounts?
Having a premium LinkedIn account does not prevent messages from disappearing. LinkedIn messages can still expire or be deleted even with a premium account.
The only exception is InMail messages sent directly to someone’s inbox. These will remain unless the recipient or sender deletes them manually. But regular LinkedIn messages sent via the platform’s messaging tool work the same way for all members and can disappear.
Disappearing LinkedIn messages vs. email
A key difference between LinkedIn and email is that emails are typically archived and recoverable even after deletion, while LinkedIn messages are not.
For example, if you permanently delete an email you sent 2 years ago from your Gmail inbox, you could still search and find it in your Gmail trash folder. But a 2 year old LinkedIn message would be gone forever as soon as you or the recipient deleted it.
Emails are also kept by the email service provider and recipient’s email server. But LinkedIn messages live only within LinkedIn’s platform. So if a message disappears from LinkedIn, there are no other copies preserved.
This ephemeral, non-recoverable nature of LinkedIn messaging makes it unsuitable for important long-term communications. Email is a better option if you need to permanently store and reference old conversations.
Third-party tools to manage LinkedIn messages
A limitation of LinkedIn’s built-in messaging is the inability to archive, organize, and manage conversations. This is where third-party tools can help.
Apps like RelateIQ, SalesLoft Cadence, and HubSpot integrate with LinkedIn to sync messages for advanced tracking, analytics, and archiving capabilities. They provide better organization and permanence for your LinkedIn communications.
The trade-off is that you have to route LinkedIn messages through these external tools instead of LinkedIn’s native messaging. But for many professionals, the benefits are worth it for important prospect and customer conversations.
Key takeaways
- LinkedIn messages can disappear from your inbox and sent folder due to actions from the sender, recipient, or LinkedIn.
- Deleted LinkedIn messages cannot be recovered or accessed again – there is no archive or trash folder.
- Important conversations should be preserved externally via screenshots, exports, email forwarding, or third-party apps.
- Premium LinkedIn accounts still have disappearing message functionality.
- Email provides much more permanence, recoverability, and archiving compared to LinkedIn messaging.
In summary, the ephemeral nature of LinkedIn messages means you should not rely on them for important long-term communications. Back up key conversations externally and use email if you need permanent records.
