What happens when you switch to private mode on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn’s private mode allows you to browse LinkedIn without certain actions being visible to your network or changing your profile. When you enable private mode, LinkedIn essentially logs you out and removes identifying information about you while still allowing you to browse content. This can be useful if you want to check out other profiles or search for jobs anonymously without signaling to recruiters or your connections that you are active on the site.

What gets hidden when you use LinkedIn private mode?

Here are some of the key things that get hidden or changed when private mode is enabled:

Your profile views are not shown to others

When you view someone’s profile while in private mode, they will not get a notification that you viewed their profile. This allows you to research people and companies without signalling your interest to them.

Your searches remain private

Any searches you conduct on LinkedIn while in private mode are not stored or used to personalize your experience later. This prevents your future feed or recommendations from being impacted by searches done in a private session.

You appear offline to others

While in private mode, your connections will not be able to see that you are online or active on LinkedIn. You essentially appear offline, preventing them from knowing you are browsing LinkedIn if you do not want them to know.

Your private mode activity is not logged

Unlike when in regular browsing mode, any activity you conduct while in private mode is not logged to your account or used to personalize your LinkedIn experience. This prevents private browsing from impacting the feed, search, and profile recommendations you see later.

Recruiters do not get notified

If you apply to jobs or view job postings from a company while in private mode, recruiters from that company will not get notifications informing them of your interest. This allows you to research jobs anonymously without signalling interest.

What remains visible when private mode is on?

While private mode hides a lot of your browsing activity, some things remain visible and can still impact your experience:

Connections can still see your profile

While you are essentially logged out in private mode, your profile remains visible and accessible to your connections. They can still view and interact with it as normal.

Activity on your own profile remains visible

Any edits you make directly to your profile or content you post will be publicly visible as normal. Private mode only prevents passive browsing from being logged.

Direct messages remain intact

Messages you send or receive in private mode remain visible in your inbox and the other user’s inbox. Private mode does not anonymize direct communication.

You remain in same groups/companies

Although you are essentially logged out, you remain a member of the same groups and companies and continue to appear in member lists. Private mode does not remove group affiliations.

Paid services remain active

If you pay for premium services like LinkedIn Premium, those remain active while in private mode. You maintain access to premium features while browsing privately.

How to enable and disable private mode

Using LinkedIn’s private mode is straightforward to toggle on and off:

Enabling private mode

On desktop:

– Click your profile picture in the top right
– Select “Private mode”

On mobile:

– Tap the “Me” tab
– Scroll down and tap “Turn on private mode”

Disabling private mode

On desktop:

– Click the “Stop private mode” link in top left

On mobile:

– Tap the “Me” tab
– Scroll down and tap “Turn off private mode”

Once disabled, your browsing will once again appear normally tracked to your account.

Limitations of private mode

While private mode provides more anonymity, there are some limitations to what it can obscure:

Your IP and device remain known

Private mode only hides actions tied to your account, not your device or IP address. LinkedIn still sees your physical browsing device and IP.

Synced browsing history reveals activity

If you have web browsing history sync turned on with your Google or Apple account, your LinkedIn activity in private mode will still be visible there.

Some visibility with premium services

Certain premium services may still show information like profile views by premium subscribers even in private mode. Full anonymity is not guaranteed.

Analytics visibility remains

While your individual activity is hidden, any pageviews or interactions still contribute to overall analytics visibility for posts and profiles you visit.

Legal obligations unchanged

LinkedIn still retains legal responsibilities like responding to valid subpoenas even for activity conducted during private mode. Full legal anonymity is not ensured.

Best practices when using private mode

To get the most privacy benefit when browsing LinkedIn privately, here are some best practices:

Disable browsing syncing on devices

Turn off history syncing across any logged-in devices so browsing on one device does not reveal private activity on another.

Avoid interacting with your own content

Refrain from commenting, liking, or resharing your own posts or profile while in private mode since that reveals identity.

Be wary of signing in to other services

If you sign into other integrated services via LinkedIn while in private mode, they may reveal identity back to LinkedIn and associate activities.

Browse in incognito/private windows

Use incognito or private browsing windows which provide added technology isolation from rest of device.

Don’t rely on it exclusively for anonymity

Supplement with other tools like VPNs, proxies, and TOR if aiming for full anonymity rather than just privacy from your network.

Conclusion

LinkedIn private mode provides a useful way to browse more anonymously and keep your passive viewing activity private from your professional network. While not a foolproof cloak of anonymity, it does provide guardrails that prevent your browsing from being tracked back to your account and shared with your connections. By following best practices around device syncing, interacting minimally, and supplementing with other tools you can maximize the privacy benefit private mode offers on LinkedIn.

Enabling Private Mode

Disabling Private Mode