LinkedIn’s ghost mode allows you to view profiles anonymously without leaving a trace that you visited them. When ghost mode is enabled, your name and photo will not show up in other users’ “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section. Ghost mode can be useful if you want to research people and companies without signaling your interest to them.
What is LinkedIn ghost mode?
LinkedIn’s ghost mode, also known as private mode, allows you to view LinkedIn profiles anonymously. When ghost mode is turned on, your name and profile photo will not appear to other users in the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section after you view their profile. This allows you to browse LinkedIn profiles discreetly without leaving a digital footprint.
Ghost mode essentially makes your browsing invisible. You can research people and companies privately without indicating to them that you have viewed their profiles. This is useful if you want to learn more about prospective employers, business contacts, partners, clients, and other connections without drawing attention to yourself.
Why use LinkedIn ghost mode?
Here are some common reasons people use LinkedIn’s ghost mode:
- Research prospective employers or employees anonymously – View company profiles and employee profiles without signaling your interest to them.
- View the profiles of clients or business partners privately – Check out a client’s company and employees without leaving a trace.
- Catch up on connections’ profiles discreetly – You can see what your connections have been up to recently without them knowing you looked.
- Avoid attracting solicitors – Keep solicitous salespeople from knowing you visited their company profile and contacting you.
- Privately check out the competition – Research competitor companies and teams to understand their offerings, clients, partnerships, etc.
Essentially, ghost mode allows you to fly under the radar so you can learn about people and companies on LinkedIn without revealing your interest to them.
How to turn on ghost mode on desktop
Turning on ghost mode on the LinkedIn desktop site is simple:
- Click on the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage and select View profile.
- From your profile page, click on the More button in the top right and choose Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu.
- In the left sidebar menu, click on Privacy to open your privacy settings.
- Under the Profile viewing options section, toggle Private mode to the On position.
Once you enable the private mode switch, ghost mode will be turned on for your account. The setting is immediate – you do not need to save changes or confirm anything.
How to turn on ghost mode on mobile
Enabling ghost mode via the LinkedIn mobile app is also quick and easy:
- Launch the LinkedIn app on your device and tap on your profile picture at the top of the screen.
- On your profile page, tap the gear icon to access settings.
- Tap Privacy on the settings menu.
- Under Profile viewing options, toggle the switch next to Private mode to the on position.
That’s all there is to it! Ghost mode will now be activated on your account. The setting takes effect right away so you can instantly start browsing LinkedIn anonymously.
Things to know about LinkedIn ghost mode
Here are some key points to keep in mind when using LinkedIn’s private browsing feature:
- Ghost mode only works on LinkedIn – It does not hide your profile views on other sites or apps.
- Anyone you are connected to will still see you viewed their profile – Your 1st degree connections will be notified you viewed them regardless of ghost mode.
- You can see who viewed your profile while in ghost mode – You’ll just be invisible to others.
- Ghost mode works across all devices – Turn it on via desktop or mobile and it applies everywhere.
- Pages and Groups you follow or like will still see your activity – Ghost mode only hides profile views, not your engagement.
In summary, ghost mode only obscures your identity when viewing other profiles. It does not hide your activity everywhere on LinkedIn. Use it when you want to maintain your privacy while researching people and companies.
Turning off LinkedIn ghost mode
When you want to disable ghost mode, follow the same steps to reach the Privacy settings:
- Go to your Profile > Settings & Privacy > Privacy.
- Locate the Private mode toggle under Profile viewing options.
- Switch the toggle to the Off position to disable ghost mode.
Once deactivated, your profile views will once again be visible to others in their “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section. The setting is turned off right away.
Ghost mode alternatives
If you want to browse LinkedIn anonymously without using the built-in ghost mode, here are a couple alternatives:
- Use a private/incognito browsing window – Your activity won’t be saved in your browser history.
- View profiles while logged out of your LinkedIn account – You’ll browse anonymously as a guest.
While these options achieve a similar effect, LinkedIn’s ghost mode is simpler and does not require you to alter your browsing behavior significantly.
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s ghost mode offers an easy way to check out LinkedIn profiles more privately. Just a few quick settings toggles and you can research people and companies without leaving a profile view footprint. Keep in mind ghost mode’s limitations – it only hides your identity when viewing profiles.
Use ghost mode when you want to maintain your privacy and anonymity while browsing LinkedIn profiles. Turn it off when you are ready for your profile viewing activity to be visible again. With the ability to toggle ghost mode on and off at any time, you have full control over your LinkedIn browsing experience.