InMail is LinkedIn’s internal messaging system that allows you to directly contact other members, even if you’re not connected. While InMail can be useful for making professional connections, you may eventually want to delete old messages to keep your inbox organized.
Can you delete InMail messages?
Yes, it is possible to delete InMail messages in your LinkedIn inbox. Here are the steps:
- Go to your LinkedIn inbox and open the message you want to delete.
- Click on the “More” icon (3 dots) at the top right of the message.
- Select “Delete” from the dropdown menu.
- Confirm that you want to delete the message by clicking “Delete” again.
The message will be permanently removed from your inbox. Do note that if you’ve already replied to the message, your reply will still be visible to the sender even if you delete the original message.
Does deleting InMail remove it from the sender’s inbox?
No, deleting an InMail message from your inbox only removes it locally. The original sent message still exists in the sender’s inbox unless they also choose to delete it.
So if you want to remove the message from both sides of the conversation, you would need to ask the sender to also delete the message from their inbox.
Can you delete InMail messages from your sent folder?
Yes, you can also delete InMail messages from your sent folder to permanently remove them. Here are the steps:
- Go to your LinkedIn sent messages folder.
- Open the sent message you want to delete.
- Click the “More” icon and select “Delete” to remove the message.
This will delete the sent message from your outbox. However, it will still exist in the recipient’s inbox unless they also delete it themselves.
Does LinkedIn limit how many InMails you can send?
Yes, LinkedIn does limit the number of InMails you can send in a certain period based on your account type:
- Basic accounts: 0 InMails per month
- Premium Business accounts: 25 or 30 InMails per month
- Sales Navigator accounts: 25 to 100 InMails per month depending on level
- Recruiter accounts: 50 to 150 InMails per month depending on level
If you exceed your monthly InMail allotment, you will need to purchase more credits to continue sending messages.
Can you recover a deleted InMail message?
Unfortunately, once an InMail message is deleted from your inbox, there is no built-in way to recover it through LinkedIn. The message is permanently removed from their servers.
However, if you had connected your LinkedIn account to an external email provider, it’s possible the InMail message could still be available in your email archives. You would need to search for it manually based on the timestamp or sender details.
Some tips to prevent losing important InMail conversations:
- Connect your LinkedIn to email to create a backup
- Turn on chat history in your account settings
- Be careful when deleting messages and double check before confirming
- Export important LinkedIn conversations via the More Actions menu
What happens if you delete your LinkedIn account?
If you delete your LinkedIn account entirely, all InMail conversations associated with the account will also be permanently deleted. This includes:
- All inbox messages
- All sent items
- Any LinkedIn group messages
LinkedIn states that it can take up to 24 hours for your account to be completely deleted. During this time, it may still be possible to recover or export your InMail messages through account settings.
However, once the 24 hour window has passed, all InMail history and data will be permanently removed from LinkedIn’s servers with no recovery option. So be absolutely certain before deleting your account.
Is there a way to delete InMail messages in bulk?
LinkedIn does not provide a built-in way to mass delete InMail messages. The only option is to manually open and delete each message one at a time.
However, there are some Chrome extensions and third-party tools that claim to offer InMail bulk delete features:
- Mixmax InMail Manager – Bulk deletion tool for inbox
- LinkedIn X – Browser extension with inbox cleaning options
- LinkedIn Cleaner – Cleans inbox and deletes in bulk
Do research carefully before using any third-party LinkedIn tools, as some may violate LinkedIn’s terms of service. Use at your own risk.
What are some tips for managing your InMail inbox?
Here are some best practices for keeping your LinkedIn InMail inbox organized:
- Check InMail daily and respond promptly to important messages
- Use search to find conversations quickly
- Create inbox folders and filters to categorize messages
- Unsubscribe from any unwanted conversations
- Delete irrelevant InMails instead of letting them pile up
- Mute conversations once resolved instead of deleting
- Export important InMail conversations to external files
Following these tips will help you maintain a clean and productive InMail inbox.
Conclusion
In summary:
- It is possible to delete individual InMail messages from your inbox and sent folders.
- Deleted messages are permanently removed from your inbox but still exist for the recipient.
- There is no built-in LinkedIn tool to recover or mass delete InMail.
- Deleting your entire LinkedIn account permanently removes all InMail history.
- Use third party tools carefully as they may violate LinkedIn’s policies.
- Maintain your inbox by archiving, muting, and deleting messages regularly.
Managing your InMail properly allows you to keep important conversations while removing clutter. Be proactive about inbox organization for the best LinkedIn messaging experience.