LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform used by millions of people around the world. Connecting with other professionals can open up opportunities for career growth. However, sometimes you may wish to unblock a connection on LinkedIn that you had previously blocked.
Why Would You Want to Unblock Someone on LinkedIn?
There are a few common reasons you may want to unblock someone on LinkedIn:
- They sent you a connection request again after you blocked them
- You blocked them by accident or in haste
- You now realize blocking them was too harsh
- You want to give them a second chance
- Significant time has passed since the blocking
- You have a new job opportunity they could assist with
Whatever the reason, unblocking a connection on LinkedIn is easy to do through the LinkedIn mobile app on your smartphone.
How to Unblock Someone on the LinkedIn Mobile App
Here are the steps to unblock a connection on LinkedIn using the mobile app:
- Open the LinkedIn app on your smartphone.
- Tap on the “My Network” icon at the bottom.
- Tap on “Manage my network” at the top of the screen.
- Tap on “Blocked Members” near the bottom.
- This shows you a list of all members you have blocked.
- Find the name of the member you want to unblock.
- Tap on the “More” icon (3 dots) next to their name.
- Select “Unblock” from the menu.
- Confirm you want to unblock the member.
That’s it! Those nine steps will unblock anyone you had previously blocked on the LinkedIn mobile app. It’s a fairly straightforward process.
Unblocking Someone You Blocked on Desktop
If you originally blocked the LinkedIn member on the desktop website, you can also unblock them through the desktop. Here’s how:
- Go to LinkedIn.com and log into your account.
- Click on the “My Network” icon at the top.
- Click on “Manage my network.”
- Under the “Blocked Members” tab, you will see a list of blocked members.
- Locate the name of the person you want to unblock.
- Click on the “More” icon (3 dots) next to their name and select “Unblock.”
- Confirm that you want to unblock the member.
The member will now be unblocked from your LinkedIn network.
What Happens When You Unblock Someone on LinkedIn?
Here’s what happens after you unblock another member on LinkedIn:
- They will reappear in your network and contacts.
- Any shared contacts or groups will be visible again.
- You will be visible in their network again.
- They can send you connection requests and messages again.
- Your profile will no longer say “Blocked” to them.
- It’s like the blocking never happened.
Essentially, unblocking restores the relationship to how it was before the blocking occurred. Keep in mind they will now have access to interacting with you again on LinkedIn.
Can They Tell if You Unblocked Them?
No, the person will not receive any notification if you unblock them on LinkedIn. It will seem seamless on their end. One day they will be blocked, the next day they will be able to access your profile as normal.
However, if the person tries to look at your profile frequently, they may notice the change from blocked to unblocked. But LinkedIn does not actually notify members when they are unblocked.
Is it Possible to Re-block Someone Later?
Yes, if things don’t work out after unblocking, you can always re-block the person again using the same blocking steps:
- Go to your blocked list on LinkedIn app or desktop site.
- Find the person’s name you want to block.
- Choose option to block them again.
You are not limited to blocking someone only once. You can go back and forth as needed depending on the situation.
Pro Tips for Unblocking on LinkedIn
Here are some useful professional tips to keep in mind when unblocking LinkedIn connections:
- Think carefully before unblocking – don’t do it in haste.
- Consider sending them a message explaining the unblock.
- Monitor their engagement after unblocking.
- Use privacy settings to control interactions.
- Don’t feel pressured to keep them unblocked.
- Focus on positive relationships in your network.
Exercising caution when giving someone access to you again is wise. But unblocking can also open doors when done thoughtfully.
Can You Unblock Without Them Noticing?
There is no built-in way to secretly unblock someone on LinkedIn without them potentially noticing. As soon as you unblock them, they will have access to view your profile and interact with you again.
Some ways they may notice you unblocked them include:
- Your profile will no longer say “Blocked” to them.
- You will show up in their searches again.
- They can now send you connection requests.
- Any shared groups or contacts will be visible to them.
- Notifications may appear about your activity.
While they won’t get an official alert, the changed access can tip them off. If you wish to unblock someone without drawing attention, you could:
- Do it quietly without messaging them.
- Adjust privacy settings to limit their engagement.
- Unfollow them to avoid notifications.
- Monitor their activity for signs they noticed.
But ultimately, fully unblocking someone while avoiding their detection is very difficult on LinkedIn. Proceed with that in mind.
Can You See Who Views Your LinkedIn After Unblocking?
LinkedIn has privacy settings that allow you to see who has viewed your profile recently. When you unblock someone, it is possible to use these settings to monitor if they have visited your profile.
Here’s how to see who views your LinkedIn profile:
- Go to your LinkedIn Profile.
- Click “See all” under the “Who’s viewed your profile” section.
- This will show you the list of those who have recently viewed you.
- Look for the name of the unblocked person.
You can also change the privacy setting to get notified by email whenever someone views your profile.
Enabling profile viewing insights can let you see if the unblocked connection visits your profile. This allows you to observe their engagement.
Does an Unblocked Contact Get Notified?
No, LinkedIn does not notify or alert a contact if you unblock them. The process happens silently in the background. They will simply regain access to your profile and interactions.
Some ways an unblocked connection might realize they were unblocked include:
- Seeing your profile is no longer blocked.
- Noticing you in their search results.
- Seeing ability to message you again.
- Regaining access to shared groups.
- Seeing your activity in notifications.
But LinkedIn will not directly inform them of the unblock. It will seem like the block was lifted spontaneously on their end.
The only way for them to know for sure they were unblocked is if you manually message them about it. Even then, they could have just assumed the block expired over time.
Can You Tell Who Blocked You on LinkedIn?
There is no way to definitively tell if someone has blocked you on LinkedIn. The platform does not reveal blocking activity to users.
However, there are some signs that may indicate you have been blocked by another member:
- Their profile says “You are not connected” even if you had been before.
- They never like, share, or comment on your posts.
- Your messages to them are never shown as read.
- You can’t find their profile through search.
- You have no shared groups or contacts in common.
If you start noticing one or more of these signs from a particular member, they may have blocked you. But there is no outright notice or confirmation of being blocked on LinkedIn.
Can Someone Tell if You Unblocked Them on LinkedIn?
While LinkedIn doesn’t directly notify a contact that you have unblocked them, there are some signs that may reveal it to an observant user:
- Your profile no longer says “Blocked member.”
- You reappear in their search results.
- They can now message and connect with you.
- Your activity shows up in their notifications.
- Shared contacts and groups are visible again.
If the user tries to view your profile or interact with you frequently, they will probably notice these changes quickly.
However, if it’s been a long time since the block, they may not pick up on the unblock right away. Some connection requests or messages from you could solidify that you have opened access.
But without an official notice, they can’t be 100% certain they were unblocked. It will simply appear access has been restored.
What Happens if You Block Someone You’re Connected To?
On LinkedIn, you can block someone even if you are currently connected to them. Here is what happens when you block a connection:
– Your profiles will no longer be visible to each other.
– You will be removed from each other’s contact lists.
– Any shared groups or contacts will no longer be visible.
– You can no longer message or interact with each other.
– Your profiles will show “Blocked Member” to each other.
– Neither of you will receive notifications about the other’s activity.
– For all intents and purposes, you are disconnected.
The blocking severs the connection between you, despite still being shown as connected on your respective accounts. All aspects of the connection are removed except the formal display.
To reconnect, one of you would need to send a new connection invitation after unblocking. Blocking removes the benefits of connecting without fully deleting the link.
Can You Reconnect with Someone You Blocked?
It is possible to reconnect with someone that you had previously blocked on LinkedIn. Here is the process:
- Unblock them using the steps outlined earlier.
- Send them a new connection invitation.
- If they accept, you will be reconnected.
- The prior blocking will be erased.
- Interactions will be restored.
- Profiles will be visible to each other again.
The offer to reconnect needs to come from the party who did the initial blocking. Some additional tips include:
- Explain why you blocked them originally if needed.
- Highlight why reconnecting now makes sense.
- Remove them again if issues resurface.
- Don’t force a reconnection if unwanted.
With care, blocking can often be a temporary hurdle between connections. But it depends on mutual willingness to rebuild the relationship.
Can You Reverse an Accidental Block on LinkedIn?
It happens to most LinkedIn users at some point – you accidentally block someone you didn’t mean to. Perhaps you fat-fingered the screen or clicked the wrong name. Here is how to reverse an accidental block:
- Go to your blocked member list.
- Locate the name blocked in error.
- Select the option to “Unblock.”
- Consider sending them a message explaining the mistake.
- Continue engaging with them as normal.
The key is moving quickly before the block causes disruption. Some extra tips:
- Double check names before blocking in the future.
- Pay close attention when rapidly tapping or scrolling.
- Avoid blocking during emotionally charged situations.
- Ask them to resend any lost connection requests.
With care, an accidental block can be reversed seamlessly. But it underscores the need for caution when managing your LinkedIn connections.
What Happens if You Block a LinkedIn Connection Request?
When you block someone who has sent you a connection request on LinkedIn, here is what will happen:
– Their request will be deleted and withdrawn.
– They will be unable to send you requests again.
– You will not show up in their search results.
– They will be unable to view your profile or interact with you.
– Your profiles will display as “Blocked” to each other.
– Neither of you will receive notifications about the other.
– Essentially, you sever any potential relationship before it forms.
This can be useful to preemptively block spam or unwelcome connection offers. But use discretion, as it also eliminates any future value the person could have offered. Blocking should be reserved for extreme cases of unsuitable contacts.
What Should You Do if Someone Blocks You on LinkedIn?
Being blocked on LinkedIn can feel disheartening, but avoid taking it personally. Here are some recommended actions if someone blocks you:
– Reflect on if you may have offended them somehow.
– Focus on all your other professional relationships.
– Continue networking and building your reputation.
– Look for alternative contacts at their company.
– Wait and then request to connect again later.
– If needed, explain why you should reconnect.
– Consider apologizing if appropriate.
– Don’t become bitter or retaliate against them.
With maturity and wisdom, many blocking situations can be overcome given time. Have faith you will recover and avoid burning bridges permanently.
Conclusion
Blocking and unblocking are useful tools on LinkedIn for managing your professional connections wisely. While blocking someone can feel final, unblocking them is simple and presents opportunities to rebuild relationships. With care and discretion, the blocking feature can be leveraged to cultivate the optimal network for your career goals.