Having control over who can see when you’ve read their messages is an important part of maintaining privacy on social media platforms like LinkedIn. Read receipts allow the sender to see when you have opened and read their messages, which some users prefer to keep private. Fortunately, turning off read receipts in the LinkedIn app only takes a few quick steps.
What are read receipts?
Read receipts, also known as read notifications or read status, are features found in many messaging apps and social media platforms that allow the sender to see when the recipient has read their message. On LinkedIn, if read receipts are enabled, the sender will be able to see when you have opened and read their message in the chat window. An “Seen by” note will display below the message along with the date and time.
Read receipts are enabled by default for LinkedIn messaging. This means anyone you are chatting with on LinkedIn can automatically see when you’ve read their messages. If having this level of visibility into your LinkedIn activity makes you uncomfortable, the read receipts setting can be disabled.
Why turn off read receipts?
There are a few reasons why users may want to disable read receipts on LinkedIn and other platforms:
- Privacy – To prevent contacts from being able to monitor your online activity or presence.
- Reducing pressure – The pressure to respond immediately once someone knows you’ve read their message can be removed.
- Managing communications – Read receipts can make it difficult to prioritize responses on your own schedule.
- Avoiding misunderstandings – Situations where messages are read but not responded to can sometimes lead to confusion or offense.
Ultimately, it’s a personal preference. If you are comfortable with contacts knowing when you read their messages, keep read receipts on. If you want to limit that visibility or just prefer not to share that information, disabling read receipts is simple to do.
How to turn off read receipts on the LinkedIn app
The process for turning off read receipts is the same whether you use LinkedIn on an iOS or Android device. Here are the steps:
- Open the LinkedIn app and tap on your profile picture in the top left corner. This will open the menu.
- Scroll down and select “Settings”.
- Go to “Communications”.
- Under “Messages”, toggle the switch next to “Read receipts” off.
And that’s it! The read receipts setting is now disabled. You can still read messages as normal but the senders will no longer get notifications about when you have viewed their messages. The setting can be turned back on at any time by following the same steps and toggling it on again.
Turning off read receipts on desktop
The process works similarly on the desktop LinkedIn site:
- Click on your profile picture at the top right and select “Settings & Privacy”.
- Choose “Communications” from the left sidebar.
- Under “Messages”, uncheck the box next to “Allow others to see when you’ve read their messages”.
- Save the changes by clicking “Save settings” at the bottom of the page.
This will remove the read receipt ability for messages you receive through LinkedIn on desktop as well. The setting is account-wide, so will apply across mobile and desktop.
Other LinkedIn messaging options
In addition to read receipts, LinkedIn also gives you control over a few other messaging settings:
- Who can message you – Options include receiving messages from anyone, only people who follow you, or nobody.
- InMail suggestions – Automatically suggests relevant people when composing InMail messages.
- Message translations – Automatically translates incoming messages not in your language.
These settings can be accessed in the Communications section of Settings alongside the read receipts option. Tweaking them allows you to further customize your messaging experience on the platform.
Read receipt alternatives
Completely disabling read receipts may be excessive for some LinkedIn users. There are a couple alternative options that provide a middle ground:
- Manual read receipts – Instead of automatic receipts, manually send a receipt only when you want the sender to know the message was read.
- Delayed read receipts – Have receipts be sent on a delay rather than immediately upon reading, giving more response time.
Unfortunately, LinkedIn doesn’t currently support either of these options natively. The all or nothing toggle is the only control over read receipts. Hopefully additional customization will be added in the future.
The pros and cons of read receipts on LinkedIn
Before deciding whether to disable read receipts or not, consider the potential upsides and downsides:
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
– Lets you know when important messages have been received and read | – Can feel intrusive or like you’re being watched |
– Creates accountability to respond to messages | – Generates pressure to respond immediately |
– Confirms your messages aren’t getting lost | – Removes ability to triage responses on your schedule |
– Reduces ambiguity around whether a message was seen | – Lacks nuance for explaining delayed responses |
Overall, it’s about aligning with your personal communication preferences. There are benefits in both directions.
Managing LinkedIn notifications
In addition to read receipts, you can manage other LinkedIn notifications that may interrupt productivity or overwhelm your inbox:
- Email notifications – Reduce email frequency or unsubscribe from certain notifications.
- Feed notifications – Turn off notifications for likes, comments, shares, etc in your feed.
- Group notifications – Adjust notifications for discussions and mentions within groups.
- Relationship notifications – Manage notifications when you gain new followers or lose followers.
Most notification settings are available in the Communications section of Settings. Email and in-app notifications can also be configured by clicking the notification bell icon at the top of your LinkedIn page and selecting “Manage notifications”.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions around LinkedIn read receipts and message settings:
Can I see who has read my messages?
Yes, as long as the recipient has read receipts enabled, you will be able to see when they have read your message. The “Seen by” note will display under the sent message.
Do read receipts work for group messages?
For group conversations, you can only see read receipts from other individuals who have enabled the setting. If some participants have disabled read receipts, you won’t see status for them.
Can I tell if someone screenshots my message?
No, LinkedIn does not notify you if another user takes a screenshot of your messages in the app. Read receipts only track opening and reading.
Do read receipts drain my battery?
There is negligible battery drain from keeping read receipts enabled as it doesn’t require any additional processes running in the background.
Can I see who views my LinkedIn profile?
LinkedIn does not have view receipts for profiles – there is no way to know who has viewed your profile at this time.
Conclusion
Read receipts on LinkedIn provide transparency into when your messages are seen, but can also feel intrusive. Turning off read receipts in LinkedIn app settings is simple and gives you more control over your messaging experience. Consider your personal preferences and communication needs to decide if disabling read receipts is right for you.
With the proper notification settings, you can shape LinkedIn’s messaging tools to align with your needs for privacy and productivity. Just a few quick adjustments can make communication on the platform more focused and efficient.