If you are a LinkedIn member and you are unable to receive messages sent to you, there could be several possible reasons for this issue. Here are some of the most common causes and solutions that may help you fix this problem.
Your Message Settings are Restricted
The most likely reason you are not receiving messages is that your message settings on LinkedIn are too restrictive. LinkedIn allows members to control who can message them and the type of messages they will accept.
To check your message settings, go to your LinkedIn profile and click on the “Me” icon at the top of your homepage. Then choose “Settings & Privacy”. Under the “Communications” section, you will see options for managing your messages.
Make sure “Who can send you messages?” is not set to “Only people I follow”. This setting severely limits who can message you. Consider changing it to “Anyone on LinkedIn” if you want to receive messages from all members.
Also check that you have not unchecked the box for “I want to receive messages from LinkedIn members I don’t know”. This prevents people who are not connections from messaging you, which excludes most LinkedIn members.
The “InMail” section controls whether you accept paid messages from recruiters and sales professionals. Make sure this is enabled if you want to get those types of messages.
Relaxing your messaging restrictions is the best way to ensure you receive all communications sent to you on LinkedIn.
You Have Blocked the Sender
If your message settings allow anyone to send you messages, another possibility is that you have specifically blocked the individual trying to message you. LinkedIn allows you to block members so their messages will not reach you.
To see if you have blocked someone, go to your homepage and click the “Me” icon. Choose “Settings & Privacy” and then go to “Blocked Members”. This will show you a list of all members you have blocked.
If the person trying to message you is in your blocked list, unblock them so their messages can get through. You can also choose to block members after reading a message from them if you want to prevent future communications.
LinkedIn is Misfiiltering Messages as Spam
LinkedIn automatically filters out messages it detects as spam to protect members. However, sometimes LinkedIn’s spam filter is overzealous and blocks legitimate messages it mistakes as spam.
If your message settings allow messages from anyone, and you have not blocked the sender, the next possibility is that LinkedIn’s spam filter has blocked the message before it reached your inbox.
Unfortunately there is no way for members to access blocked messages identified as spam by LinkedIn’s system. Your only option is to ask the sender to resend the message.
The sender can try to reword their message to avoid triggering the spam filter again. Using a more personalized message subject instead of a generic one can also help.
If multiple attempts to send the message fail, the sender should contact LinkedIn customer support for assistance with unblocking their messages from the spam filter.
Your Email Settings are Blocking LinkedIn Messages
LinkedIn members can choose to have messages sent to their LinkedIn inbox forwarded to their external email address as well. So issues with your email account could prevent LinkedIn messages from reaching you.
Check that you have not enabled email filters that send LinkedIn messages to spam or trash folders in your external email. Messages from LinkedIn domains like @linkedin.com may sometimes be flagged as spam incorrectly.
Also ensure your email account storage is not full, which can cause new messages to bounce. And confirm you have not blocked the LinkedIn email address sending forwarded messages to your inbox.
If you want to only get LinkedIn messages in your LinkedIn inbox and not external email, you can disable email forwarding in your LinkedIn message settings.
LinkedIn is Experiencing Technical Issues
In rare cases, technical problems with LinkedIn’s messaging system itself may prevent message delivery. LinkedIn infrequently has outages where certain services become unavailable.
Check the LinkedIn Help Center and LinkedIn Help Twitter to see if others are reporting messaging problems. Usually LinkedIn will post about any ongoing outages.
If LinkedIn is experiencing technical difficulties with messaging, you will unfortunately have to wait until LinkedIn resolves the problem, which is typically within a few hours.
Your Account is Restricted or Suspended
If your LinkedIn account is restricted or suspended due to violations of LinkedIn’s terms, you can be blocked from sending and receiving messages. Restricted accounts have limited functionality.
Check your account status by going to your profile and clicking the “Me” icon. At the bottom of the menu, you will see an “Account status: Restricted” message if restrictions have been placed.
You can appeal account restrictions by contacting LinkedIn customer support. But restrictions are usually only lifted once violations are resolved and your account is brought back into good standing.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some general troubleshooting tips if you are not receiving messages on LinkedIn:
- Try resending the message – Sometimes messages fail to send properly the first time
- Restart your device and browser – This clears temporary glitches
- Use LinkedIn on a different device and browser – Narrows down where an issue may be occurring
- Update your browser and LinkedIn app – Runs latest software versions
- Check LinkedIn Help Center – Look for messaging support guides
- Contact LinkedIn Customer Service – They can further investigate and assist
Preventing Message Problems
You can take the following steps to avoid LinkedIn messaging problems in the future:
- Set message settings to “Anyone on LinkedIn” – Allows all messages to reach you
- Only block members selectively – Don’t preemptively block those you want to hear from
- Keep your account in good standing – Follow LinkedIn’s terms of service
- Setup email forwarding cautiously – Some email filters block forwarded messages
- Report spam accurately – Helps train LinkedIn’s spam filters
- Provide feedback to LinkedIn – On any messaging issues you experience
Conclusion
With the right troubleshooting and optimized message settings, you can successfully receive all LinkedIn communications. Check for account restrictions, blocked senders, and overactive spam filters that could be stopping messages from coming through.
LinkedIn messaging is an important tool for building connections and communicating with other members. By proactively managing your settings and reporting any problems, you can keep your inbox open for the messages that matter.
