Having your LinkedIn account suddenly become inaccessible can be incredibly frustrating. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform and is used by millions to connect with colleagues, find job opportunities, and grow their careers. Locking yourself out of your account cuts you off from this valuable resource.
The good news is that in most cases, you can regain access to your LinkedIn account fairly easily if you follow the right steps. Here are some quick answers to common questions about getting back into a LinkedIn account you’ve lost access to:
What should I do if I forgot my LinkedIn password?
If you can’t remember your LinkedIn password, go to the LinkedIn login page and click “Forgot password?”. You’ll be prompted to enter your email address or phone number associated with your account. LinkedIn will send you an email or text with instructions to reset your password. Follow the instructions to create a new password and regain access to your account.
What if I don’t have access to the email or phone number on my LinkedIn account?
If you no longer have access to the email address or phone number associated with your LinkedIn account, you can contact LinkedIn customer service for help recovering your account. Be prepared to verify your identity by providing information only you would know, such as your full name, company, connections, etc. LinkedIn can use this info to confirm you are the account owner and help you regain access.
What should I do if I think my LinkedIn account was hacked?
If you believe your LinkedIn account has been compromised, contact LinkedIn customer service right away. They can walk you through the steps to secure your account, including resetting your password, reviewing recent activity for anything suspicious, and enabling two-factor authentication for added security. Acting quickly can help minimize damage from hacking.
How can I get back into a LinkedIn account if I was banned?
If your account was banned by LinkedIn, you’ll need to appeal the ban to regain access. Contact LinkedIn and explain the circumstances – bans can sometimes happen accidentally. Provide any evidence you may have to show you did not violate LinkedIn’s terms of service. If it was an honest mistake, LinkedIn may lift the ban, but repeated or intentional violations will likely result in permanent loss of access.
What should I do if LinkedIn disabled my account?
If LinkedIn disabled your account, it’s likely due to prolonged inactivity – access will be restored if you log in. If you can’t log in, contact LinkedIn. Explain that you need access to your disabled account and be ready to verify your identity. In most cases, LinkedIn will work with you to reinstate a disabled account. However, accounts disabled due to violations may not be recoverable.
Verifying Your Identity to LinkedIn
In many situations where you’ve lost access to your LinkedIn account, LinkedIn will ask you to verify your identity before they can help you regain access. This protects against fraudulent attempts to gain control of accounts that don’t belong to the requestor.
Here are some tips for verifying your identity:
Provide Personal Details
When contacting LinkedIn for account access help, be prepared to answer questions only the true account owner would know, such as:
– Your full name
– Email(s) associated with the account
– Location, industry, companies worked for (on your profile)
– Connections in your network
– Last posts/articles you shared or commented on
– Groups you belong to
The more accurate personal details you can provide, the better. This helps LinkedIn confirm you are who you say you are.
Answer Security Questions
If set up, LinkedIn may prompt you to answer your account’s security questions, like “What’s your mother’s maiden name?”. Answer these questions correctly to verify identity.
Provide Documents
In some cases, LinkedIn may ask you to provide scanned copies of official ID documents, like a driver’s license, passport, or utility bill to confirm your identity and residence. Be willing to provide these via email if requested.
Video Verification
Rarely, LinkedIn may ask to complete a video call where you’ll be asked to show ID to the camera to prove your identity visually. This is typically only for high-profile accounts.
As long as you cooperate fully to prove you are the legitimate account owner, LinkedIn will work with you to restore access in most scenarios.
Preventing Future Lockouts
Once you regain access to your LinkedIn account, take steps to prevent future lockouts:
Strengthen Your Password
Create a long, complex password that others can’t easily guess. Use a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols. Don’t use names, dates, or common words/phrases. Enable two-factor authentication.
Keep Email/Phone Updated
Make sure the email and phone number associated with your LinkedIn account are current. These are used if you forget your password or need identity verification.
Check Activity Frequently
Routinely review your LinkedIn activity for any suspicious posts, messages, or connections – this can indicate hacking. Also confirm your login locations look accurate.
Secure Other Logins
If you use the same password on multiple accounts, change them all after resetting your LinkedIn password. Never reuse passwords.
Be Cautious of Scams
Beware phishing attempts trying to trick you into revealing your LinkedIn login credentials via fake emails or websites. LinkedIn will never ask for your password.
Staying vigilant about account security makes it much less likely you’ll need to go through account recovery again!
Common LinkedIn Account Lockout Scenarios
Here are some of the most common situations that can cause someone to lose access to their LinkedIn account, along with the best ways to get back in:
Forgotten Password
- Reset password via “forgot password” option
- Reset through email account or phone number if still accessible
- Verify identity to LinkedIn Customer Service to reset password
Hacked Account
- Reset password immediately
- Contact LinkedIn to lock account and investigate activity
- Provide proof of identity to regain access
- Enable two-factor authentication
Suspended Account
- Appeal suspension by contacting LinkedIn
- Clarify it was accidental violation of terms
- If banned intentionally, unlikely to regain access
Disabled Due to Inactivity
- Logging in with credentials should reactivate
- If can’t log in, contact LinkedIn for help
- Verify identity and request reactivation
No Access to Recovery Email/Phone
- Contact LinkedIn, explain situation
- Provide extensive proof of identity
- LinkedIn can remove old email/phone so you can add new ones
Security Questions Changed
- Contact LinkedIn to verify identity
- LinkedIn can reset questions so you can regain access
- May need to provide documentation to confirm identity
The key is acting quickly when locked out and cooperating fully with LinkedIn to prove you are the legitimate account owner. With some patience and diligence, you can regain access in most scenarios.
Contacting LinkedIn for Account Assistance
If you’ve exhausted all self-service options for getting back into your LinkedIn account, it’s time to contact LinkedIn directly for assistance:
Via LinkedIn Website
The easiest way is through LinkedIn’s website:
- Go to LinkedIn.com and click “Help”
- Search for “account access” and choose option for help with access
- Complete form describing problem and submit
Via Email
You can also reach LinkedIn customer service via email:
- Email customer service at [email protected]
- Clearly describe problem accessing account in detail
- Include name on account and any other identifying info
By Phone
For urgent account access issues, you can call LinkedIn:
- LinkedIn US: 1-866-579-0902
- LinkedIn UK: 0800 043 4666
- Have account info ready to verify identity
A customer service agent can provide personalized help to investigate what happened and restore your access. Be patient as this process sometimes takes days or weeks, depending on complexity.
How Long Does It Take to Regain Access to LinkedIn?
The time it takes to regain access to a locked-out LinkedIn account can vary dramatically based on the situation:
- Password reset via email: 1 minute
- Reset via customer service: 1-3 days
- Disabled account reactivation: 3-5 days
- Hacked account recovery: 1-2 weeks
- Appealing an account ban: Weeks to months, if successful
The more complex the situation, like a hacked or banned account, the longer it will likely take LinkedIn to thoroughly investigate and restore access.
Have your account information ready and be responsive to any requests from LinkedIn to speed up the process. With diligence and patience, access can usually be regained.
What to Do While Waiting for LinkedIn Access
While you wait for LinkedIn to help regain access to your account, here are some productive things you can do:
Contact Key Connections
Let your closest LinkedIn connections know you temporarily lost access but are working to resolve it. Ask them to send you any important notifications.
Update Other Profiles
Spend time enhancing your profiles on other networks like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Github. Keep your professional presence strong.
Organize Account Info
Gather emails, notes, screenshots or anything that can help prove you are the account owner to help LinkedIn confirm your identity.
Search for Jobs
Use other resources like company websites and job boards to search for opportunities while you don’t have LinkedIn access.
Work on Hard Skills
Enroll in online courses to expand your hard skills in areas like data analysis, programming languages, marketing tools, etc.
Read Industry Articles
Stay on top of news and trends in your industry by reading relevant articles, blogs, and publications. This will help you hit the ground running once your LinkedIn access is restored.
While any amount of time without access to an important professional resource like LinkedIn can be frustrating, try to make productive use of that time where you can. The tips above can help minimize the disruption to your career while you work through the access recovery process.
Conclusion
Losing access to your LinkedIn account can certainly be a stressful experience, but in many cases, it can be resolved in a matter of days or weeks. The key is staying calm, gathering account info, verifying your identity, and working diligently with LinkedIn support.
With the right approach, patience, and persistence, you can get back to enjoying the networking power of LinkedIn before you know it. Just follow the step-by-step advice provided in this article to regain access in the most efficient way possible.
