LinkedIn has become one of the most popular professional networking platforms, with over 810 million members worldwide as of April 2022. With such a large userbase, there are many reasons why someone may want to view another user’s LinkedIn profile picture, whether it’s to identify someone they’ve connected with, learn more about a potential employee or business contact, or simply out of curiosity.
Can you view someones LinkedIn profile picture without being connected?
The short answer is yes, it is possible to view someone’s LinkedIn profile picture without being directly connected to them on the platform. However, the steps to do so depend on the privacy settings of the user’s profile.
LinkedIn has three main profile visibility settings:
- Public – Anyone can view the full profile and profile picture
- Connections only – Only direct connections can view the full profile and profile picture
- Private – Only direct connections can view any part of the profile or profile picture
If the user has a public profile, their profile picture can be viewed by anyone without needing to connect, simply by visiting their profile page. For private or connections only profiles, viewing the profile picture gets a bit more complicated.
Viewing “Connections Only” profile pictures
For profiles set to connections only, there are still a couple ways to view the profile picture without sending a connection request:
- Search on Google Images – LinkedIn profile pictures may show up in Google image search results for the person’s name
- Check social media links – If they have social media links with public profiles like Twitter, you may find their profile photo there as well
- Use LinkedIn anonymous viewing – This allows you to preview the profile as an anonymous user, including the profile photo
Viewing fully private profile pictures
Private profiles are the most locked down in terms of accessing details like the profile photo. Some options include:
- InMail – You can send the user an InMail message, which will reveal their photo next to the message
- Shared connections – Getting a 2nd or 3rd degree connection to provide the photo
- Premium account – Upgrading to a Premium account will enable anonymous viewing of all profiles
In general, the more private a user keeps their profile, the harder it will be to access details like their profile photo without a direct connection. But with the right tools and connections, viewing a LinkedIn profile picture is possible in most cases.
How to view someones LinkedIn profile picture on desktop?
Viewing someone’s LinkedIn profile picture on the desktop website is straightforward for public profiles, but requires a few extra steps for private profiles. Here are the methods:
Public Profiles
- Go to www.linkedin.com and log into your account
- Enter the name of the person whose profile you want to view in the search bar
- Click on their profile from the search results
- Their profile picture will appear at the top right of their profile page
Connections Only Profiles
- Follow steps 1-3 above
- If prompted, view profile anonymously
- The profile picture will now be visible
Private Profiles
- Send the user an InMail message
- Their profile picture will appear next to the message
Using the desktop website offers the advantage of a larger screen to clearly see profile pictures. Just remember that privacy settings may block the picture for some profiles, in which case you’ll need to use anonymous viewing or send an InMail to access it.
How to save someones LinkedIn profile picture on desktop?
Saving a LinkedIn profile picture from the desktop website only takes a couple simple steps:
- After viewing the profile picture as outlined above, right click on the image
- Select “Save image as” from the pop-up menu
- Choose where you want to save the image on your computer
- Change the file name if desired and click Save
Here are some tips for saving LinkedIn profile pictures:
- Save the image as JPG or PNG for best quality
- Create a specific folder to save photos for easier organization
- Add the person’s name or company to the filename for reference
- Check the privacy policy first before saving other’s images
Saving profile photos can be useful for remembering contacts long term and keeping a visual record. Just be sure to only use the images for your own personal reference rather than publicly displaying them without permission.
How to view someones LinkedIn profile picture on mobile?
On mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, you can follow similar steps to view a LinkedIn member’s profile picture:
Public Profiles
- Open the LinkedIn app and log in
- Tap the search bar at the top and enter the person’s name
- Tap their profile to open it
- The profile picture displays in the upper left corner
Connections Only Profiles
- Repeat steps 1-3 above
- Tap the 3 dots in the upper right and select View profile anonymously
- The profile picture will now display
Private Profiles
- Send the user an InMail message
- The profile picture appears next to the message
The LinkedIn app offers the convenience of accessing LinkedIn on the go. The smaller screen makes it harder to see profile pictures in detail, but still allows you to view them. Using anonymous mode or InMail to unlock private profiles is the same process as on desktop.
How to save someones LinkedIn profile picture on mobile?
Saving a profile photo on the LinkedIn mobile app involves a couple extra options:
- After viewing the profile picture, tap and hold it to save
- Or tap the 3 dots and select Save to device
- Go to your camera roll to view and manage the saved image
Here are some tips for saving profile pictures on mobile:
- Allow LinkedIn access to your device’s photos
- Create an album to store saved LinkedIn images
- Edit the filename before saving if needed
- Share images to social media or messaging apps
The smaller screen size of mobile makes saving the full high-res image key. Follow the app prompts to allow full image access. Overall, saving profile photos works similarly across desktop and mobile.
Can you tell if someone views your LinkedIn profile picture?
LinkedIn does not directly notify you when someone views your profile picture like it does for profile views. However, there are still a couple ways to tell if your photo has been viewed:
- Profile view notifications – If someone views your full profile, this alerts you that they likely saw your photo too
- Premium insights – Paid Premium accounts can see expanded profile view analytics
- Recent photo views – Premium accounts show views of the profile photo itself
- Sharing and likes – Others sharing or liking your photo is a signal it’s been viewed
While not guaranteed, if you have a public profile and start seeing an uptick in profile views, shares, and new connections, there’s a good chance your profile photo is being viewed and attracting attention.
Conclusion
Viewing LinkedIn profile photos offers visual insight into professional contacts but can require navigating privacy settings. In summary:
- Public profiles are viewable to anyone logged into LinkedIn
- Connections only requires anonymous viewing or Google search tricks
- Private profiles need InMail messages or premium account access
- Saving photos involves the standard right-click save function
- Increased profile views and engagement signals your photo is being seen
With over 675 million members, viewing a LinkedIn profile picture can provide valuable context. Follow the best practices outlined here with respect to consent and privacy to gain professional insights. Just remember that increased privacy settings limit access for a reason that should be honored.