You may find yourself wanting to look at someone’s LinkedIn profile to learn more about them, their work history, skills, connections etc. However, you don’t want them to know you’ve viewed their profile. There are a few ways to do this discreetly.
View LinkedIn profiles anonymously
The easiest way to view a LinkedIn profile without the person knowing is to do it anonymously. LinkedIn allows you to look at public profiles anonymously if you are signed out of your account. Here’s how:
- Sign out of your LinkedIn account if you are currently signed in.
- Go to the LinkedIn homepage and type the person’s name into the search bar.
- Click on their public profile from the search results.
- You can now view their full public profile without them being notified or your name appearing in their “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section.
This method works for viewing public profiles only. If the profile you want to look at is set to private, you won’t be able to see much while signed out.
Use LinkedIn’s anonymous browsing setting
If you want to browse LinkedIn while signed into your account but don’t want people to know you’ve viewed their profile, you can use LinkedIn’s anonymous browsing setting:
- Go to your LinkedIn account settings.
- Under the Privacy tab, toggle “Anonymous Profile Viewing” to the “On” position.
- When this setting is on, people will not be notified when you view their profile and your name will not show up in their “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” list.
With anonymous browsing enabled, you can discreetly view both public and private profiles while signed in. The tradeoff is the people you view also won’t show up in your “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” list.
Use LinkedIn’s private mode
LinkedIn’s private mode allows you to browse LinkedIn signed in without others being notified:
- Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of LinkedIn.
- Select “Private mode”.
When private mode is turned on, your name won’t appear to others as having viewed their profile. The downside is you also won’t be able to see who has viewed your profile.
Private mode stays on for one hour. After an hour, it will automatically disable itself.
View profiles using a secondary account
Another option is to use a secondary LinkedIn account to view profiles discreetly. Here’s how to do it:
- Create a second LinkedIn account using a different email address.
- Don’t connect anyone you know to this secondary account.
- Use the secondary account to search for and view people’s profiles anonymously.
The advantage here is you can view private profiles while signed in and remain anonymous. Just don’t connect this viewing account to your real account or have any connections in common.
Adjust your LinkedIn notification settings
By default, LinkedIn sends email notifications whenever someone views your profile. You can disable these notifications:
- Go to the LinkedIn website and click on your profile picture.
- Select “Settings & Privacy”.
- Go to the “Communications” tab.
- Under “Email preferences”, uncheck the box next to “Someone views your profile”.
- Click “Save changes”.
With notifications disabled, even if the person does find out you viewed their profile, they won’t get an email alerting them about it.
Use an incognito or private browser window
Your normal browser saves cookies and browsing history which LinkedIn can use to link views back to your account. Using an incognito or private window prevents this.
To use a private window:
- Open your browser (Chrome, Firefox etc.)
- Click on the menu (the 3 dots or 3 lines icon)
- Select the “New incognito window” or “New private window” option
- LinkedIn will not be able to associate your viewing with your account
The limitation is you will have to sign in to LinkedIn each time instead of staying permanently signed in. But it adds a layer of separation between your main account and the private browsing.
Use the LinkedIn mobile app
When viewing LinkedIn profiles using the mobile app, your name does not show up in the “Who’s viewed your profile” section. You can discreetly view profiles from your phone without revealing your account.
Block the person from seeing your profile
An extreme option is to block the person you want to view from seeing your profile. To do this:
- Go to their profile
- Click the “More” icon (3 dots)
- Select “Block or report”.
Once blocked, that person will no longer be able to view your profile or posts. The downside is you will also no longer see their profile updates. Revoke the block if you still want to connect later on.
Use a LinkedIn Sales Navigator account
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a paid service that allows discreet viewing of LinkedIn profiles. With a Sales Navigator account you can:
- See who has viewed your LinkedIn profile with anonymous profile viewing enabled.
- View up to 200 LinkedIn profiles per month anonymously.
- Save profiles to view later without revealing you accessed them.
It is a paid subscription service but allows discreet profile viewing without others being notified.
Conclusion
Viewing LinkedIn profiles discreetly is possible using various settings, tools and techniques:
- View public profiles while logged out of your account
- Turn on LinkedIn’s anonymous browsing setting
- Use private mode or a secondary account
- Disable profile view notifications
- Use a private/incognito browser window
- View profiles using the mobile app
Balancing your privacy with making professional connections is tricky. Use ethical discretion in viewing others discreetly online.
Summary
Here are 5 key tips for discreetly viewing LinkedIn profiles:
- View public profiles anonymously while logged out of your account.
- Enable LinkedIn’s anonymous browsing setting to privately browse while signed in.
- Use an incognito/private browser window to prevent tracking.
- View profiles on the LinkedIn mobile app to avoid detection.
- Get a LinkedIn Sales Navigator paid account for anonymous premium browsing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it unethical to view someone’s LinkedIn profile without them knowing?
Viewing someone’s public LinkedIn profile discreetly is generally not considered unethical, as that information is publicly accessible. It would only be unethical to use that information for harassment, discrimination or other harmful purposes. Casually viewing someone’s profile to learn more about their background is typically fine.
Can I get caught looking at someone’s LinkedIn profile?
You can get caught if you view their profile while logged into your LinkedIn account. Your name will appear in their “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section. However, using the right settings and tools outlined above allows you to view LinkedIn profiles anonymously without detection.
Does the order of who has viewed my LinkedIn profile matter?
The order that names appear in your “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section is determined algorithmically based on a variety of factors, including recency, relevance, profile similarity etc. It is not simply chronological. So you cannot assume the top name viewed you most recently.
What happens if I block someone on LinkedIn?
Blocking someone on LinkedIn prevents them from viewing your profile or posts. You will also no longer see their profile updates. Blocking is not anonymous – they are notified they have been blocked. Use blocking sparingly for extreme cases of harassment or inappropriate behavior.
Can I tell if someone is using an anonymous LinkedIn account?
Anonymous LinkedIn accounts typically have no photo, no connections, no shared networks and sparse profile information. If you suspect an account is anonymous, look for these signs. However, it is difficult to prove an account is deliberately anonymous.
Scenarios
Here are examples of discreetly viewing LinkedIn profiles in specific scenarios:
Job candidate scenario
You are interviewing candidates for an open position at your company. You want to learn more about one candidate by viewing their LinkedIn but don’t want them to know you checked out their profile.
Enable anonymous browsing in your LinkedIn settings before viewing their profile. Turn it off again afterwards. Use an incognito browser window as an extra precaution.
Business networking scenario
You meet someone interesting at a business networking event. You connect with them on LinkedIn but also want to learn more about their work history and connections.
View their profile using the LinkedIn mobile app rather than on your desktop. The mobile app allows anonymous viewing in most cases.
Recruiting scenario
You work in recruiting and need to research potential candidates online. You want to browse LinkedIn profiles discreetly as part of this research.
Use a premium LinkedIn Recruiter account. These allow anonymous profile views as a core part of their service. You can take notes on profiles and save them for later without the other person ever knowing.
Suspicious activity scenario
Someone has been viewing your LinkedIn profile on multiple occasions but you don’t know who it is. You want to find out who is looking at your profile discreetly.
Upgrade to a LinkedIn premium account. The paid “Premium Insights” will show you anonymous profile visitors from the last 90 days, allowing you to identify them.
Career change scenario
You are thinking about changing careers but don’t want your current employer or network to know. You decide to browse LinkedIn profiles of people working in your desired new field discreetly.
Make your profile invisible to others first. Then create a new LinkedIn account using a personal email address not associated with your work. Use this account to anonymously research people and companies in your desired new career.
Data
LinkedIn usage statistics
| Statistic | 2022 Data |
|---|---|
| Total number of LinkedIn users | 840 million |
| Percentage of users who are senior level influencers | 40% |
| Number of companies with LinkedIn business pages | 58 million |
| Percentage of users who have engaged with content on LinkedIn | 75% |
Key facts:
- LinkedIn continues to grow, topping 800 million users in 2022
- Nearly half of users are in senior, director or executive roles
- The majority of users actively engage with content on the platform
Top reasons for viewing LinkedIn profiles
| Reason | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Researching a potential business contact | 64% |
| Viewing someone you met socially or professionally | 53% |
| Researching competitor employees | 51% |
| Connecting with old colleagues | 48% |
| Viewing job candidates | 45% |
Key facts:
- Researching contacts and networking are the top reasons for viewing profiles
- Many also use LinkedIn for candidate screening and keeping up with past colleagues
- Competitive research is also a major factor driving profile views
Tools
Here are some tools that can help you view LinkedIn profiles discreetly:
Anonymous browsers
Web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. all have “private browsing” modes that allow anonymous surfing. Open a private window before viewing profiles.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
A VPN masks your IP address and browsing activity, preventing LinkedIn from linking views to your account and location.
LinkedIn privacy settings
Adjust your LinkedIn account settings like disabling notifications and turning on anonymous profile viewing for private browsing.
LinkedIn Premium
LinkedIn Premium reveals anonymous profile visitors from the last 90 days for monitoring who is viewing your account.
Multiple LinkedIn accounts
Having a separate anonymous LinkedIn account prevents views being linked back to your real identity.
Third party LinkedIn apps
Apps like LinkedIn ProFinder show limited profile info without indicating a view. Useful for discreet research.
Expert Perspective
Here is some insight on discreetly viewing LinkedIn profiles from LinkedIn expert Jennifer Brown:
Viewing someone’s public LinkedIn profile information without them knowing is generally acceptable if done occasionally and non-excessively. It enters an unethical area if you use that data to discriminate, harass, or make hiring decisions based on protected class information like age, race, or gender. Take care to honor someone’s privacy and use data ethically. Tools that hide your activity are fine for occasional professional research but should not be abused as a cloak to hide inappropriate behavior.
Conclusion
Discreetly viewing LinkedIn profiles can be done ethically using various settings and tools available. But it requires balancing your own privacy desires with respecting the privacy of others – don’t abuse settings meant to give users more control. With more conscious intentions and considerations around personal data, discreet browsing avoids misuse while enabling professional networking and research.
