Is my phone number visible to everyone on LinkedIn?

Whether your phone number is visible to everyone on LinkedIn depends on your privacy settings. By default, your phone number is only visible to your 1st-degree connections on LinkedIn.

Quick Answer

No, your phone number is not automatically visible to everyone on LinkedIn. Your phone number is only visible to your 1st-degree connections by default. You can control who sees your phone number in your account settings.

In More Detail

Here’s a more detailed look at who can see your phone number on LinkedIn:

• 1st-degree connections – Your phone number is visible to people you are directly connected with on LinkedIn by default.
• 2nd and 3rd-degree connections – Your phone number is not visible to connections of your connections unless you change your settings.
• Public profile visitors – People who view your public profile on LinkedIn cannot see your phone number unless you add it to your public profile.
• Recruiters – Recruiters can see your phone number if you apply for jobs through LinkedIn and choose to provide it.

You have full control over your phone number visibility in your account settings. Here’s how to change who can see your phone number on LinkedIn:

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile and click “View profile” to see what your public profile looks like to others.
2. Click the “More” icon in the top right and choose “Settings & Privacy”.
3. Go to the “Privacy” tab and click “Edit your public profile and visibility settings”.
4. Under “Contact info visibility”, choose who can see your phone number. Options include:
   • Your connections only (default)
   • Anyone on LinkedIn
   • Only you
5. Click “Save changes” at the bottom to apply your new phone number visibility setting.

So in summary, your phone number is not visible to everyone on LinkedIn automatically. Use the steps above to control who can see your phone number to maintain your desired level of privacy.

Reasons to Keep Your Phone Number Private

Here are some common reasons why people choose to keep their phone numbers private on LinkedIn:

• Avoid unsolicited calls – Keeping your number private prevents people you don’t know from calling you directly without your permission.
• Maintain professional boundaries – Your LinkedIn connections are not necessarily personal contacts, so limiting their access to your personal phone number is appropriate.
• Prevent misuse – Keeping your number private prevents people from using it in ways you did not intend, like signing you up for services without your consent.
• Control who can contact you – You may only want to be directly contactable by close professional contacts, not all LinkedIn connections.

By default, LinkedIn has taken the safest approach for members and made your phone number visible only to direct connections. But you can choose to show it to more people or keep it totally private based on your preferences.

When to Make Your Phone Number Public

Here are some examples of when you may want to make your phone number public on your LinkedIn profile:

• Job search – If you are actively looking for job opportunities, sharing your phone number can make it easier for recruiters to contact you.
• Sales – If you use LinkedIn for sales prospecting, displaying your phone number can allow potential customers to easily get in touch.
• Consulting / Services – Freelancers, consultants and other professional services providers often share a phone number to be reachable for inquiries.
• Open to new opportunities – Making your phone number public can signal that you are interested in discussing new jobs, projects, business proposals, etc.

However, even in these cases, you may want to share your phone number selectively rather than making it visible to your entire LinkedIn network. For example, you could include it only on the LinkedIn ProFinder profile for your consulting services, but keep it private on your personal profile.

Pro Tips for Managing Your LinkedIn Phone Number Visibility

Here are some best practices to manage your phone number visibility on LinkedIn effectively:

• Use a virtual phone number – Tools like Google Voice allow you to generate a phone number to display publicly, while keeping your personal number private.
• Selectively showcase it – As mentioned above, you can display your number only on certain LinkedIn profiles tied to jobs, services, etc. where you want to be contacted directly.
• Add it to your LI Profile badge – Even if you keep your main profile number private, anyone you message can see the number listed on your profile badge.
• Turn off profile view notifications – This stops spammy users from trying to identify your number by looking at who viewed your profile.
• Report abuse – If anyone harasses you via your phone number on LinkedIn, report them immediately.

With some thoughtful privacy settings and selective sharing, you can make your phone number available to the right people, without exposing it to spam or abuse.

Conclusion

Your phone number on LinkedIn has privacy protections by default, but you control the visibility based on your preferences. Keep your number fully private to avoid unsolicited calls and contact. Or, share it selectively with the LinkedIn communities or profiles where you want to be reachable directly. Use tools like virtual numbers and profile view notifications to maximize control. With the right settings, you can network effectively on LinkedIn without ever having to make your personal phone number public to everyone.