The Main Supported Browsers
According to LinkedIn’s own recommendations, the company officially supports the latest versions of the following web browsers:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Apple Safari
As long as you are using the most up-to-date version of one of these browsers, you should have a seamless experience using all areas of LinkedIn without compatibility issues. LinkedIn designs and develops their platform with these browsers in mind.
Why These Browsers?
There are a few key reasons why LinkedIn focuses its support on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari:
- They have the largest market share among web browsers globally, so supporting them covers the vast majority of LinkedIn’s user base.
- They are evergreen browsers that auto-update themselves regularly, meaning users are typically running the latest version.
- They comply with modern web standards and provide robust security protections.
- Their rendering engines can handle LinkedIn’s complex user interface and features.
- Their developer tools help LinkedIn troubleshoot issues.
Essentially, dedicating support resources to these major browsers allows LinkedIn to ensure an optimal experience for most of its users.
What About Internet Explorer?
One former browser mainstay is noticeably absent from LinkedIn’s supported list: Microsoft Internet Explorer. In the past, IE dominated browser usage, but its usage has dropped off significantly in recent years. LinkedIn discontinued support for IE in 2020, as the browser was holding back development and innovation on the platform due to its lack of modern standards support.
Internet Explorer 11 is the last IE version still receiving security updates from Microsoft. However, on LinkedIn, IE11 has substantial feature and performance issues that degrade the user experience. For this reason, LinkedIn made the decision to move on from IE support. Users on IE will be prompted to switch to a supported browser when visiting LinkedIn.
What About Other Niche Browsers?
Beyond the four major supported browsers, what about more niche or specialized web browsers? Here is the compatibility breakdown for some other options:
Opera
The Opera browser is based on the same underlying Chromium engine as Google Chrome and shares much of the same code. However, Opera has a small overall market share. LinkedIn does not officially support or test Opera, so there could be sporadic issues.
Brave
Brave is another niche Chromium-based browser gaining some popularity for its focus on privacy. LinkedIn does not claim compatibility with Brave, but users generally report a good experience due to the shared Chrome underpinnings.
Vivaldi
Vivaldi is a lesser-known Chromium derivative targeted at power users. LinkedIn does not specifically support it, but like Brave, it should work fine in most areas due to being built on Chrome.
Yandex, QQ, Baidu, etc.
Many regionally popular browsers from specific companies or countries, such as Yandex in Russia, QQ in China, and Baidu globally, are typically chromium-based as well. Support will likely be on par with Chrome itself, despite lack of official compatibility.
Mobile Browser Support
On mobile devices, LinkedIn’s app provides the best experience, but the mobile site works well in the latest versions of most mobile and tablet browsers. This includes:
- Mobile Safari on iOS
- Chrome on Android
- Samsung Internet on Samsung devices
- Firefox mobile browser
Note that LinkedIn does not support the native Android browser, recommending Chrome for Android instead. Third-party mobile browsers based on WebKit (the engine behind Safari) will generally work fine, while support for those based on older Android builds is spotty.
What If You Use an Unsupported Browser?
If you are using a web browser not officially supported by LinkedIn, the site may still load and function properly in many areas. However, you are more likely to encounter page layout issues, broken functionality for some features, frequent reCAPTCHAS, or overall degraded performance.
To get the best LinkedIn experience, your options are:
- Upgrade to the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.
- Continue using your current browser, but expect occasional issues.
- Access LinkedIn via the mobile app rather than the website if on an unsupported mobile browser.
Even if your current browser generally works fine, upgrading to a fully supported option is recommended to stay on top of security updates and prevent potential problems down the road as LinkedIn makes changes to the platform.
The Best and Most Supported Browsers
Let’s recap the web browsers that offer the most seamless LinkedIn experience:
Browser | Full Support Status |
---|---|
Google Chrome | Fully supported |
Mozilla Firefox | Fully supported |
Microsoft Edge | Fully supported |
Apple Safari | Fully supported |
Sticking with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari will ensure the best compatibility with LinkedIn and all its features. You’ll avoid most issues that sometimes crop up with niche or outdated browsers.
The Bottom Line
LinkedIn aims to offer robust support for the most popular desktop and mobile browsers used by the majority of its members. To guarantee the best experience, use a fully supported browser like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari in its latest version. Avoid outdated browsers like IE. While not every browser is officially supported, many chromium-based options tend to work fine as well.
Following LinkedIn’s browser recommendations allows you to tap into all of LinkedIn’s capabilities and prevent potential problems caused by lack of compatibility. With the right browser, you can seamlessly manage your professional identity and presence on the world’s top business networking platform.