LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for networking and making professional connections. With over 700 million members worldwide, LinkedIn is the largest professional network on the internet. As such, many professionals rely on LinkedIn to maintain their online presence, connect with colleagues, find jobs, and build their careers. However, some users opt to deactivate their LinkedIn accounts for various reasons. So what exactly happens when you deactivate your LinkedIn account?
Why Do People Deactivate LinkedIn?
There are a few common reasons why someone may choose to deactivate their LinkedIn account:
- Job searching – Some people deactivate when they are not actively looking for job opportunities. LinkedIn can be distracting when you are content in your current role.
- Overwhelmed by notifications – LinkedIn prompts users to stay engaged through notifications. This can feel overwhelming.
- Desire for more privacy – LinkedIn provides a way for anyone to view your employment history and connections. Some prefer more privacy.
- Feed clutter – As more people and companies join LinkedIn, some users feel their feed gets cluttered with irrelevant content.
- To reset their account – Others want to wipe the slate clean and start fresh with a new profile.
Essentially, LinkedIn users who feel the platform is not providing enough value or has become an unnecessary distraction may wish to deactivate their account for a period of time.
What Happens When You Deactivate LinkedIn?
Here are the key things that happen when you deactivate a LinkedIn account:
- Your profile is hidden – No one will be able to view or search for your profile.
- You lose connections – Your connections will remain intact, but you’ll appear disconnected.
- Groups are inaccessible – You will no longer be a member of any LinkedIn groups.
- Messages are disabled – You can no longer send or receive messages.
- Notifications stop – You will stop receiving notifications from LinkedIn.
- Job seeking is paused – You won’t be visible to recruiters and can’t apply to jobs.
In summary, deactivating your account removes your presence on LinkedIn until you choose to reactivate it again.
What Content Remains Visible?
When your profile is deactivated, most of your information and activity on LinkedIn will no longer be publicly accessible. However, some content remains visible:
- Posts you’ve made in LinkedIn Groups will remain.
- Comments you’ve left on other posts and articles stay public.
- Any content you’ve posted on company pages remains visible.
So while your personal profile is hidden, any content you contributed to other areas of LinkedIn will still be there. It’s worth noting that if someone tries to visit your profile, they’ll see a message that the profile is unavailable.
How Do You Deactivate LinkedIn?
It’s a straightforward process to deactivate your LinkedIn account. Here are the steps:
- Log into your LinkedIn account on a desktop.
- In the top right, click on the Me icon (your profile picture).
- Select Settings & Privacy.
- Click Account preferences in the left sidebar.
- Scroll down and click Deactivate your account.
- Select a reason for deactivating from the dropdown menu.
- Choose what LinkedIn should do with your data.
- Enter your password and click Deactivate.
And that’s it! Your account will now show as deactivated. LinkedIn will send a confirmation email when the deactivation is complete.
How Do You Reactivate LinkedIn?
If you choose to return to LinkedIn after deactivating, reactivating your account is simple:
- Go to LinkedIn.com and log in with your username and password.
- You will be prompted to confirm you want to reactivate your account.
- Click Reactivate.
Once you confirm, your profile will be visible again and fully restored. You don’t have to reconnect with your network. Your employment history, profile details, connections and groups will all return as they were.
How Long Does Deactivation Last?
You can reactivate your LinkedIn account at any time. There is no limit on how long deactivation can last before you choose to reactive your profile.
However, if your account remains deactivated for an extended time, LinkedIn will:
- Eventually unlink you from your connections
- Remove you from any LinkedIn groups you belong to
- Delete your posts and comments over time
So while you can stay deactivated for as long as you want, your presence on LinkedIn will gradually disappear the longer your account stays inactive.
Pros of Deactivating LinkedIn
Deactivating your LinkedIn account offers some potential advantages:
- More privacy – Your profile and activity is hidden from public view.
- Fewer distractions – You can avoid notifications and irrelevant content.
- Mental health – Removing social media apps can reduce anxiety for some.
- Career break – Gives you a chance to pause professional networking.
For the right person and situation, deactivating LinkedIn can be beneficial and provide a mental reset.
Cons of Deactivating LinkedIn
There are also some potential drawbacks to be aware of:
- Lose connections – Your network may forget about you while deactivated.
- Miss opportunities – You won’t see jobs, events, and other updates.
- Harder to reconnect – You’ll have to rebuild your presence and profile.
- Out of sight – You lose your professional visibility and online presence.
As LinkedIn is designed to be a platform to continue building your network and opportunities, deactivating prevents you from taking advantage of those benefits.
Alternatives to Deactivating on LinkedIn
If you want to keep your LinkedIn account but make some changes, here are a few alternatives to consider:
- Adjust your notifications and email settings
- Review connections and remove anyone irrelevant
- Leave groups and pages that no longer serve you
- Curate your feed using filters
- Limit your time spent on the app and website
- Update your privacy settings
Tweaking your settings, connections, and content preferences can create a more focused, valuable LinkedIn experience without losing your profile.
Conclusion
Deactivating your LinkedIn account completely removes your profile and pauses your networking activity on the platform. While deactivation provides more privacy and reduces distractions, you also lose access to opportunities and connections.
Typically, people deactivate LinkedIn when they are between jobs or want a break from the constant notifications and engagement. It can be the right choice if you feel LinkedIn has become detrimental to your mental health or professional focus.
But weigh the pros and cons carefully. Maintaining some presence with a clean, updated profile is vital for most professionals. With over 675 million members, disappearing entirely from the largest online career network is rarely advised.
Instead, try customizing your settings and connections to craft a more valuable, enjoyable experience. This allows you to tap into LinkedIn’s potential while protecting your time and privacy.
