Being unable to receive messages on LinkedIn can be frustrating, as messaging is an important way to communicate and connect with other members of the professional network. There are a few potential reasons why a LinkedIn member may be unable to receive messages.
Account Restrictions
One of the most common reasons for being unable to receive LinkedIn messages is that the account has certain restrictions enabled. LinkedIn allows members to control who can send them messages. This is done through the account’s messaging settings.
There are three main messaging settings that can prevent a member from receiving messages:
- Only allowing messages from people in your network – This setting only allows 1st degree connections to message you. Anyone not already connected will be unable to message you.
- Only allowing messages from people who share a paid LinkedIn subscription – This restricts messages to other LinkedIn Premium subscribers only.
- Turning off messaging completely – This blocks messages from everyone on LinkedIn.
If one of these settings is enabled, it will cause the “unable to receive messages” notification to appear when someone tries to message the member. The settings can be adjusted in the account’s Preferences section under Communications.
How to Fix
To fix the “unable to receive messages” error caused by account restrictions, the member needs to update their messaging settings. They can do this by:
- Going to their account Preferences
- Selecting Communications in the left menu
- Updating the messaging restrictions to allow wider messaging abilities
- Saving the changes
Once the settings are updated, the member should be able to receive messages from more LinkedIn members based on the new settings.
Inactive Account
Another potential reason for the “unable to receive messages” notification is that the LinkedIn account is inactive. If someone has not logged into their LinkedIn account for an extended period of time, certain account features may be temporarily restricted.
According to LinkedIn’s inactive account policy:
If you don’t sign in to your account for at least 12 months, your account may be restricted or put into an inactive state. This means some profile data, including profile photo, work experience, and contact information, may no longer be viewable on LinkedIn.
While LinkedIn states that messages may still be received by an inactive account, the “unable to receive messages” error suggests that messaging capabilities are limited if the account has been inactive for too long.
How to Fix
To restore full account capabilities, including receiving messages, the member needs to login and reactivate their inactive LinkedIn account. They can do this by:
- Going to LinkedIn.com and logging into their account
- LinkedIn will detect the inactive account and prompt the member to reactive it
- Following the on-screen instructions to restore the account
- Messaging abilities should be restored after reactivation
Logging in even once after a long period of inactivity should be enough to regain access to messaging and other account features.
Bug or Technical Issue
In some cases, the “unable to receive messages” error may be caused by a bug or technical issue on LinkedIn’s end rather than the member’s account settings. Some potential technical issues that could prevent receiving messages include:
- Server outages – Downtime for LinkedIn’s servers would affect messaging abilities.
- Performance issues – Slow loading times or lag can disrupt notifications and message delivery.
- Software bugs – Bugs in LinkedIn’s code could be preventing messages from going through.
- Mobile app issues – Problems with the LinkedIn mobile app can affect messaging.
Technical problems are usually temporary, though some may persist longer than others depending on the severity. Many users will experience the same issues during major outages or software bugs.
How to Fix
There is not much a user can do to resolve technical issues on LinkedIn’s end. However, some things they could try include:
- Checking LinkedIn’s status page for any known outages
- Updating to the latest version of the mobile app
- Trying to access LinkedIn from a different device or network
- Contacting LinkedIn customer support for assistance
Usually, waiting a short time will allow any transient bugs or performance issues to resolve. Outages may take longer to address. But the “unable to receive messages” error should disappear once the technical problem is fixed.
Blocked by the Sender
In rare cases, the “unable to receive messages” error may indicate the recipient has actually been blocked by the sender. LinkedIn allows members to block other members from viewing their profile and contacting them.
If a member has blocked someone, that person will see the “unable to receive messages” notification if they try to message the blocker. This lets the sender know they have been blocked while keeping the blocker’s privacy intact.
How to Fix
Unfortunately, if a member has been blocked by another LinkedIn user, there is no way to fix or reverse this. Being blocked prevents any messaging abilities.
The blocked member would need to try contacting the blocker through another means to request removing the block. But without a connection, the blocker is unlikely to do this.
In most cases, it is better to respect the block and discontinue contact attempts going forward.
Account Deleted
The final potential reason for the “unable to receive messages” error is that the LinkedIn account has been deleted or closed. When an account is closed, messaging capabilities immediately cease.
Some reasons an account may be deleted include:
- The user elected to delete their own account
- LinkedIn deactivated the account due to inactivity or policy violations
- The account was hacked or reported for security reasons
When trying to message a deleted account, LinkedIn’s standard “unable to receive messages” message will appear, as sending messages is no longer possible.
How to Fix
If an account has been deleted, either by the user or by LinkedIn, there is unfortunately no way to restore messaging abilities. The account (and any associated data) is permanently removed from LinkedIn’s system.
Accounts can only be restored within a short grace period after deletion. But once fully erased, messaging cannot be recovered.
The only option would be for the former account holder to create a new LinkedIn account. Messaging could then resume via the new profile.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some general tips for troubleshooting and resolving the “unable to receive messages” error:
- Check account settings – Make sure messaging settings allow receiving messages
- Log into account – Triggers reactivation if inactive for too long
- Update mobile app – Bug fixes can resolve technical issues
- Try another device/network – Isolates wider outages vs local problems
- Check LinkedIn’s status page – Confirms known technical issues
- Contact customer support – Can look into account-specific problems
- Wait a short time – Transient bugs often resolve on their own
With the right troubleshooting, the “unable to receive messages” error can typically be fixed. But in some cases, like being blocked or deleted, receiving messages may not be possible going forward.
Conclusion
The “unable to receive messages” notification on LinkedIn has several potential causes:
- Account restrictions blocking incoming messages
- An inactive account that needs reactivating
- Technical bugs or glitches on LinkedIn’s side
- The account holder blocking the sender
- Deleted or closed account profiles
Troubleshooting the error involves checking settings, logging in, updating software, and contacting support. But in instances of being blocked or deleted, receiving messages may no longer be possible.
With over 850 million members, LinkedIn is full of valuable connections. But messaging limitations can prevent making those connections. Understanding the “unable to receive messages” error provides clarity and options for resolving issues sending and receiving messages through the professional network.