Yes, when a message is deleted on LinkedIn, it is removed from both the sender’s and recipient’s inboxes. The message is no longer visible or accessible to either party.
How Message Deletion Works on LinkedIn
On LinkedIn, any user can delete a message they have sent or received in their inbox. When a message is deleted, it is permanently removed from the inbox of both the sender and recipient. The message thread disappears from the conversations list as well. Neither person will be able to see or recover that message again.
This is different from some other messaging platforms like email, where deleting a message only removes it from your own inbox but not the recipient’s. On LinkedIn, deletion is synchronized. Some key points about message deletion on LinkedIn:
- Deleting a sent or received message removes it from both sides instantly.
- The message is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered by either party.
- All traces of the message thread vanish from the inbox and conversations list.
- Neither the sender nor recipient can see or access the message again.
- There is no undo option available after deleting a message.
In essence, when any user deletes a message, it ceases to exist for both the sender and recipient going forward. This is LinkedIn’s approach to simplify message management and privacy for its users.
Why Does LinkedIn Delete Messages on Both Sides?
LinkedIn’s approach of deleting messages from both sides instead of just one inbox has some key advantages:
- Privacy – By removing messages entirely, personal or sensitive information cannot be accessed by someone indefinitely if the other person doesn’t delete it.
- Reduced clutter – It prevents old message threads from accumulating if only one person deletes it.
- Control – Either person can delete a message thread and know it will vanish entirely.
- Simplicity – Having a unified deletion system is simpler than maintaining different rules for senders and recipients.
LinkedIn prioritizes enabling users to remove messages they no longer want to persist. By deleting chats from both sides, they can ensure better privacy, security, and clarity for their members.
What Kind of Messages Can Be Deleted on LinkedIn?
Any messages that you have sent or received on LinkedIn can be deleted from your inbox. This includes:
- Direct messages with connections
- Group conversations in common LinkedIn groups
- Messages from LinkedIn itself, such as notifications
- InMail messages with non-connections
- Any other messages exchanged via LinkedIn’s messaging platform
The option to delete a message is available for all types of messages. Deletion removes the message entirely and immediately from both sides.
How to Delete Messages on LinkedIn
Deleting a message on LinkedIn is straightforward:
- Open the LinkedIn message thread you want to delete from your inbox.
- Click on the three vertical dots icon next to the message.
- Select ‘Delete’ from the drop-down menu.
- Confirm deletion in the pop-up prompt.
The message thread will instantly disappear from the inboxes and message lists of both you and the recipient. On mobile, you can swipe left on a message and press the trash icon to delete it.
Alternatively, you can delete an entire conversation thread from your inbox by selecting it and choosing the ‘Delete conversation’ option. This removes all messages exchanged in that thread at once.
When deleting messages, make sure you intend to delete that specific thread, as the action cannot be undone. LinkedIn does not have an archive option for messages.
Does Deleting LinkedIn Messages Also Remove Notifications?
When you delete a LinkedIn message thread, it removes the messages themselves from both sides. However, any notifications associated with that message will not be deleted automatically.
For example, if you got an email or in-app notification about receiving a new message, and then deleted that message, the notification itself would still exist even though the message no longer does.
To fully erase traces of a message thread, you will have to manually clear or dismiss any notifications related to that message as well after deleting it. Deleting only removes the message from the messaging platform itself.
Can You Recover a Deleted LinkedIn Message?
Unfortunately, no. When a message is deleted on LinkedIn, it is permanently erased and cannot be recovered by either the sender or recipient.
LinkedIn does not have a trash or archive for messages, so the message is gone for good once you confirm deletion. There is no undo option available.
Some ways you may be able to recover a deleted LinkedIn message are:
- If you have email notifications enabled, check your email as it may contain the message text.
- If you use another app to manage LinkedIn messages, the message may be retained there.
- On a computer, deleted messages may be present in backups or system restore points.
But within LinkedIn itself, there is no native way to retrieve a deleted message between two users. The ability to permanently remove messages is by design for privacy.
Does the Sender Get Notified When You Delete Their Message?
No, LinkedIn does not notify or indicate to a user if a message they sent has been deleted.
When you delete a message from your inbox, the sender will have no indication that their message has been removed from your side. The message will simply disappear from their outbox as well.
Senders whose messages were deleted are not notified by LinkedIn about the deletion through an email, in-app alert, or any other means. The message thread is simply erased from view.
So you can delete messages without the other person knowing about it. This prevents potential offense if someone deletes a message you sent them.
Can You Delete Messages Sent by Someone Else?
Generally, you can only delete messages from your own inbox on LinkedIn. You cannot directly delete a message from someone else’s inbox or outbox.
But when you delete a message you received, it does get removed from the sender’s outbox as well indirectly. So in that sense, reciprocally deleting a message you were sent will make it disappear from their side too.
Features like recall or deletion of a sent message from the recipient’s inbox are not available. As long as you delete a received message, it will be gone from both ends.
Limits and Restrictions on Message Deletion
LinkedIn doesn’t impose major restrictions on when you can delete messages, but some limitations exist:
- Messages can only be deleted one at a time – bulk deletion is not possible.
- Deleted messages cannot be recovered on LinkedIn itself.
- You cannot directly delete a message from someone else’s inbox.
- There is no time limit to when a message can be deleted.
As long as you have access to the message thread in your inbox, you can delete it at any time, and it will remove the messages from both sides instantly and permanently.
Best Practices for Deleting LinkedIn Messages
To manage your LinkedIn messages and deletions effectively, keep these best practices in mind:
- Review conversations periodically and delete any unnecessary threads to declutter your inbox.
- Be prudent about which messages you choose to delete permanently.
- Delete older messages that have lost relevance but may contain sensitive information.
- Don’t count on being able to recover deleted messages from LinkedIn itself.
- Disable email notifications for unimportant messages you intend to delete.
- If needed, use a third-party app to back up important messages externally.
- Remember deletions are final – so confirm before deleting message threads.
Conclusion
On LinkedIn’s messaging platform, any message deleted by either the sender or recipient is removed from both inboxes instantly and permanently. This approach simplifies privacy and communication management for LinkedIn members.
When deleting messages, be thoughtful about which threads you remove, as they cannot be recovered natively on LinkedIn itself. Follow best practices to handle your inbox efficiently.
