Turning on read receipts in LinkedIn allows you to see when someone has opened and read your messages. This can be useful to know if important messages have been seen by the recipient. Here’s how to enable read receipts in LinkedIn:
On Desktop
1. Go to the LinkedIn website and log into your account.
2. Click on the “Me” icon at the top right and select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
3. On the left sidebar, click on “Communications.”
4. Under “Messages,” toggle “Read receipts” to the ON position.
5. Scroll down and click “Save Changes.”
Once enabled, you’ll see small text under messages you send saying “Seen by [name]” when the recipient opens and reads your message. You can also click on a sent message and view more detailed read receipts at the bottom.
On Mobile
1. Open the LinkedIn app on your device.
2. Tap on your profile icon in the top left corner.
3. Select “Settings.”
4. Tap on “Preferences.”
5. Under “Messages,” toggle on “Read receipts.”
6. Tap “Done” to save the settings.
Now when you send a message in the LinkedIn app, you’ll see when it’s been read right below the message. Recipients can also see when you’ve read their messages after enabling read receipts.
Turning Off Read Receipts
If you want to disable read receipts in the future, follow the same steps above and toggle the “Read receipts” setting to the OFF position. This will prevent you and recipients from seeing read status on messages.
Limitations
There are a few limitations to be aware of with LinkedIn read receipts:
- They only work between mutual connections. You can’t see read receipts from people you aren’t connected to.
- Read receipts won’t display if the recipient has disabled them in their settings.
- On desktop, receipts show when a message is opened – but not if it’s actually read. On mobile, a receipt means the message was specifically read.
- Sometimes read receipts can be delayed or not show immediately after a message is read.
So while read receipts can give you a good indication that an important message was received, keep in mind they aren’t guaranteed to be 100% accurate or timely.
Read Receipt Ethics
There are some ethical considerations around enabling read receipts:
- Don’t aggressively follow up or make assumptions if someone hasn’t read your message yet. They may simply be busy or occupied at the moment.
- Respect the recipient’s privacy – don’t call them out publicly for not responding right away.
- Give people adequate time to open and respond to your messages based on their schedule and preferences.
- Remember that read receipts only show when a message is opened, not if it’s actually thoroughly read and absorbed.
In summary, use read receipts judiciously with patience and respect for the recipient. Don’t barrage someone with messages just because you can see they opened your previous one.
Troubleshooting Read Receipts
If you’ve enabled read receipts but they don’t seem to be working correctly, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you’ve saved your settings after toggling on read receipts.
- Check that you have a current mutual connection with the recipient.
- The recipient may have disabled read receipts in their settings.
- Log out and log back into LinkedIn on all devices to refresh the settings.
- If on mobile, check that you have the latest version of the app.
- On desktop, try different web browsers in case of a browser-specific issue.
- Try sending a test message to a connection who has read receipts enabled to confirm they’re working.
If you’ve tried the above and are still having issues, you may need to contact LinkedIn Customer Service for troubleshooting assistance.
FAQs
Can I turn off read receipts for individual messages?
No, read receipts are an account-level setting that applies to all your messages. You can’t selectively turn them off for some messages only.
Do read receipts work in LinkedIn group messages?
No, read receipts only work for 1:1 messages between connections. They won’t show for group conversations.
Can I see if someone screenshots my message?
No, LinkedIn read receipts only track when a message is opened, not any actions after that like taking a screenshot.
Do read receipts work on Sales Navigator messages?
If you have a Sales Navigator account connected to your LinkedIn profile, read receipts should work on messages sent through Sales Navigator as well.
Can recipients tell I have read receipts turned on?
Yes, when you enable read receipts recipients will be able to see when you’ve read their messages as well.