If you are not seeing messages in your LinkedIn app that you received on the website or other devices, there are a few things you can try to resolve this. The most common reasons LinkedIn messages may not be showing up in the app are needing to sync your account, having notifications turned off, or needing to update the app. Checking these few quick troubleshooting tips should get your messages appearing properly again.
Check Account Syncing
LinkedIn does not automatically sync message data across all platforms and devices in real time. You may see new messages on the website or desktop app that have not come through on mobile yet. LinkedIn’s servers sync account data on a timed cycle, so it can sometimes take 15-30 minutes for new messages to appear everywhere. If you know you got a new message on desktop but don’t see it on mobile, wait a bit and check again later. Sync delays are the most common reason messages are missing.
Enable Notifications
The LinkedIn mobile app needs permissions and notifications enabled to properly receive new messages in real time. Open the LinkedIn app and go to Settings. Make sure “Notifications” are switched on. Then go to System Settings on your device, find LinkedIn in the apps list, and enable notifications. New messages should now come through as they are received. If notifications are disabled, you will only see messages when the account data syncs, which could cause delays.
Update to Latest Version
Having an outdated version of the LinkedIn app can also prevent messages from showing properly. LinkedIn is frequently updating the mobile apps with bug fixes and new features. Go to your device’s app store, search for LinkedIn, and check that you have the latest version installed. If an update is available, install it. The update may resolve any bugs that were preventing messages from displaying.
Log Out and Back In
As a simple troubleshooting step, try fully logging out of the LinkedIn app, closing it, and logging back in. This will force a full refresh of your account data and messages. Upon logging back in, navigate to your messages section. If you still do not see new messages arriving, move on to some of the other solutions on this list.
Check Third-Party Apps
Some third-party apps like services that manage LinkedIn messages for you can sometimes interfere with messages syncing properly in the main app. If you use any third-party services connected to your LinkedIn account, check that their permissions, authorizations, and logs are correct. Revoke access and reconnect them if needed. Also try disabling the third-party services for a short time to see if messages appear normally in the main LinkedIn app.
Enable Read Receipts
In LinkedIn’s notification settings, there is an option to enable read receipts for messages. Turning this on can help messages show up more reliably across devices. When read receipts are on, LinkedIn has to more actively track message status across platforms which forces better syncing. Try toggling read receipts on and then check the app again in a few minutes.
Uninstall and Reinstall the App
If you have tried the other basic troubleshooting tips but LinkedIn messages still do not appear reliably in the app, try fully uninstalling and reinstalling the app. This will clear out any corrupt cached data or weird settings issues that may be occurring. Delete the app from your device, power cycle the device, redownload the LinkedIn app, and log back in. Messages should now sync and appear properly in the mobile app.
Contact LinkedIn Support
If messages are still not showing up properly in the LinkedIn app after trying all troubleshooting steps, you likely have an account-specific syncing issue that will require contacting LinkedIn support. Reach out to LinkedIn’s customer service through their help site and explain the problem you are experiencing. Include details like when the issue started, what troubleshooting you have tried, and any error messages. The LinkedIn support team can investigate further and work to resolve the messages not syncing properly.
Prevent Future Issues
Once you have gotten messages appearing properly in LinkedIn again, you can take some preventative steps to avoid further issues:
- Keep the LinkedIn app updated to the latest version
- Enable notifications and read receipts in settings
- Don’t use unsupported third-party apps related to LinkedIn messaging
- If messages stop showing up, log out and back into the app
- Periodically check LinkedIn app settings and account connections
Following these best practices will minimize the chances of LinkedIn messages not reliably showing up in the mobile app going forward.
Why LinkedIn Messages May Not Appear
There are a few common reasons LinkedIn messages may fail to show up in the mobile app properly:
- Account data has not synced recently – LinkedIn does not sync all data in real time
- Notifications are disabled in the app settings or device system settings
- Using an outdated version of the LinkedIn app with bugs
- Third-party apps interfering with LinkedIn’s syncing and messaging
- Corrupt cached data or weird app issues needing a reinstall
- Rare account-specific syncing problems
Checking each of these potential issues and running through the troubleshooting steps will help identify and resolve the problem.
Summary
LinkedIn messages not appearing in the mobile app is usually caused by sync delays, disabled notifications, an outdated app version, or interference from third-party services. Try waiting for data to sync, enabling notifications, updating the app, logging out and back in, disconnecting third-party apps, contacting support, and ultimately uninstalling and reinstalling the LinkedIn app if needed. Following troubleshooting basics and best practices can keep LinkedIn messages showing up reliably across all your devices.
