How do I hide my LinkedIn profile from someone on LinkedIn?

There are a few different ways to hide your LinkedIn profile from specific people on LinkedIn. The main options are adjusting your privacy settings, blocking someone, or changing the visibility of your name in search. The best approach depends on your specific situation and goals.

Adjust Privacy Settings

One way to hide your profile is to adjust your privacy settings in LinkedIn. Under the Privacy & Settings option, go to the How others see your profile and network information section. Here you can control how much of your profile and network is visible to non-connections.

By default, your profile photo, headline, industry, location, profile statistics, and experiences are visible to everyone on LinkedIn. You can change any of these settings to be visible only to your connections or to no one. For example, you could change your photo, location, industry, and headline to be visible only to connections. This would hide some of your identifiable profile details from non-connections.

However, even with the strictest profile visibility settings, your name and a limited version of your profile will still be visible in LinkedIn search results. So someone you want to hide from could potentially find at least a minimal version of your profile this way. Adjusting privacy settings helps limit exposure but doesn’t completely hide you.

Block Someone

A more targeted approach is to block a specific person from viewing your LinkedIn profile. Here’s how to block someone on LinkedIn:

1. Go to their profile page.

2. Click the More icon (three dots) next to the Message button.

3. Select Block or report.

4. Choose Block and confirm.

Once blocked, the person will no longer be able to view your profile or search for you on LinkedIn. This is the most direct way to hide your profile from a specific person. However, it only works if you know who you want to block.

Change Search Visibility

Another option is to control whether your name appears in LinkedIn search results. Even if someone can’t see your full profile, removing yourself from search makes you harder to find.

To do this:

1. Go to Privacy & Settings.

2. Select Visibility.

3. Edit the Your profile name in search results setting.

You can choose to have your name visible to Everyone, Connections only, or No one. The last option will essentially remove you from LinkedIn search, hiding your name and profile from anyone not already connected.

This works well in combination with adjusting your overall privacy settings. You can limit what non-connections see in your profile, then remove yourself from search to make it harder to be found in the first place.

Use an Alternative Profile

If you want to maintain a LinkedIn presence but completely hide from a specific person, one option is to create a second “alternative” profile. Have one profile visible only to your business connections, and another minimal profile visible to others.

To do this:

– Create a new LinkedIn account with a different email address and minimal details in the profile.

– Adjust the profile settings to be visible in search results.

– Keep your main profile visible only to connections.

The downside is you’ll have to manage two separate LinkedIn profiles. But this lets you essentially show a “blank” profile to someone you want to hide from, while maintaining your full real profile accessible only to approved connections.

Delete or Deactivate Account

Of course, the nuclear option is simply deleting your LinkedIn account altogether. Or you can temporarily deactivate your account. Either option ensures someone will no longer be able to view your profile or find you in search.

The downside here is you lose access to LinkedIn entirely. Make sure you download an archive of your account data before deleting. And know a deactivation can be undone if you later choose to reactivate your account.

Deleting or deactivating your account is the only way to fully remove yourself from LinkedIn. But it’s an extreme measure for someone intent on hiding their profile completely.

Things to Consider

Here are some factors to consider when deciding how to hide your LinkedIn profile:

– How determined is the person to find you? Adjusting some privacy settings likely won’t stop a dedicated searcher. Blocking or removing yourself from search is more effective.

– Do you want to limit access or remove your profile entirely? Limiting profile visibility preserves your access while hiding some details. Deleting your profile removes all presence but cuts off access.

– Is your career dependent on LinkedIn? Many professionals rely on LinkedIn for networking and job searching. Leaving the platform may not be practical.

– Are connections and activity also visible? Hiding your profile doesn’t hide your connections or activity in groups and posts. This additional information can give clues to your identity.

– Does the person have another way to view your profile? For example, connecting from a different account? If so, hiding efforts may not matter.

Essentially there are trade offs between hiding yourself and maintaining access to LinkedIn. Think carefully about your specific situation before taking action.

Hiding Your Profile Step-by-Step

Here is a step-by-step guide to hiding your LinkedIn profile from someone:

1. Adjust privacy settings:

– Go to Privacy & Settings > How others see your profile and network information
– Change sections like photo, headline, and location to be visible only to connections

2. Block the person:

– Go to their profile
– Click More > Block or Report
– Select Block and confirm

3. Remove yourself from search results:

– Go to Privacy & Settings > Visibility
– Change Your profile name in search results to Connections only or No one

4. Monitor profile views and connections:

– Check who has viewed your profile recently
– Review connections for any unusual requests or accounts

5. Create an alternative minimal profile:

– Make a new account with different email and limited info
– Have this profile visible in search to connections and non-connections

6. Delete or deactivate your account if needed:

– Download data archive first
– Deleting removes all presence, deactivating lets you reactivate later

Combining steps like blocking, adjusting search visibility, and changing privacy settings can effectively hide you from someone seeking your profile. Just be aware limitations exist if the person is determined.

Pros and Cons of Hiding

Hiding your LinkedIn profile from someone has advantages but also some drawbacks to consider:

Potential Advantages:

– Prevents an unwanted person from viewing your profile and activity
– Limits access to your personal and professional details
– Allows you to avoid or ignore a specific person digitally
– Gives you greater control over your privacy and online presence

Potential Disadvantages:

– Reduces access to networking and professional opportunities
– Isolates you from displaying your professional image and brand
– Can be technically challenging to implement and maintain
– May need to hide from connections or useful contacts as well
– Extensive hiding weakens your LinkedIn presence and utilization

Ultimately there is a trade off between enhancing privacy on the platform and engaging professionally with the LinkedIn community. Determine what priority is most important for your needs.

Conclusion

Hiding your LinkedIn profile from specific people is possible but involves trade offs. The best approach depends on your priorities and level of concern. Adjusting privacy settings and removing your name from search can limit visibility without sacrificing access. Blocking someone prevents them accessing you directly. Or deleting your profile removes you entirely at the cost of cutting professional ties.

Think carefully before hiding your profile, as limiting your LinkedIn presence can minimize its value for networking and career development. But for dealing with unwanted people, hiding yourself may be the right solution. Use a combination of privacy settings, blocking, and search visibility options tailored to your situation.