LinkedIn’s private mode allows you to browse LinkedIn without alerting your connections that you’ve viewed their profiles. When private mode is turned on, your name and photo won’t show up in the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section of other members’ profiles. This can be useful if you want to research people or companies without signaling to them that you’re doing so. However, there are also some potential downsides to using private mode extensively. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of private mode so you can decide if turning it off might be better for your needs.
Benefits of Private Mode
Here are some of the main benefits of using LinkedIn’s private mode:
Research without revealing your interest
The main appeal of private mode is that it allows you to look up people and companies on LinkedIn without revealing that you’re doing research. For example, you may want to:
- Research a potential new employer without signaling that you’re on the job hunt.
- Look up a business contact without implying you’re trying to sell to them.
- Check out a potential date without alerting them to your interest.
Keeping your research private can be beneficial as you don’t want to reveal your intentions before you’re ready.
Avoid awkward “You looked at my profile” alerts
Without private mode on, LinkedIn will notify your connections if you look at their profiles. This can create awkward social situations if some connections get alerts that you viewed them but not others. Using private mode avoids selective “You looked at my profile” alerts that could breed hurt feelings or suspicion.
Prevent misinterpretation of your viewing activity
Since LinkedIn doesn’t provide context around profile views, people may misinterpret why you looked at their profile. Perhaps you glanced quickly at someone’s profile photo out of curiosity, but they assume you’re interested in connecting professionally. Private mode prevents these types of misinterpretations by keeping your viewing history private.
Drawbacks of Private Mode
Despite the benefits above, heavily using private mode has some potential disadvantages as well:
Limits social proof and reciprocity
Social proof and reciprocity are key social norms on LinkedIn. When connections see you looked at their profiles, they’re more likely to look at yours in return. Thisreciprocal profile viewing helps drive further engagement. Private mode limits these reciprocity effects by removing the social triggers that you viewed someone’s profile.
Reduces personal branding opportunities
Having influential people know that you viewed their profile can be a tactical personal branding play. It signals your interest and attention towards them without having to explicitly reach out. This can help build your professional brand in their minds. But private mode prevents sending these types of strategic social signals.
Hurts relationship building prospects
Tools like LinkedIn rely heavily on visibility cues to spur relationship building. If not in private mode, you can more easily identify shared connections or companies by seeing profile view notifications. These visible shared interests make it easier to build new professional relationships.
Best Practices for Using Private Mode
Rather than taking an all-or-nothing approach to private mode, here are some best practices for getting the most out of it:
Use private mode selectively for sensitive research
Limit private mode to researching sensitive topics like reviewing a potential new employer. Use public mode for more casual browsing and relationship building opportunities.
Check profiles privately before reaching out
Research people in private mode before connecting to customize your outreach and avoid blank cold messages.
Turn private mode off again after sensitive research
Don’t stay permanently in private mode. Flip it on briefly for private research then disable it again so you don’t miss out on the benefits of public profile viewing.
Let VIPs know you looked at their profiles
Turn private mode off before looking at profiles of important connections. Then reach out afterwards so they know you viewed them.
Weighing the Pros and Cons
Here is a summary of the key pros and cons of private mode on LinkedIn:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Do research without revealing interests | Limits social proof and reciprocity |
| Avoid “You looked at my profile” alerts | Reduces personal branding opportunities |
| Prevents misinterpretations | Hurts relationship building |
The ideal approach is likely taking advantage of private mode in specific situations where privacy is important, but leaving it disabled otherwise so you don’t miss out on the benefits of public profile viewing.
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s private mode can be useful in select situations, like researching sensitive topics or avoiding unintentional profile viewing signals. However, leaving it on permanently means losing out on reciprocal profile viewing and relationship building opportunities. The best practice is to use private mode selectively when privacy is important, but otherwise keep it disabled so you can take advantage of the visibility LinkedIn provides.
Rather than always being in stealth mode, think of private browsing as a situational tool. With the right context-specific usage, private mode can provide valuable privacy without undermining your ability to build relationships and personal brand on LinkedIn.
