LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform used by millions of people around the world. One of LinkedIn’s key features is its messaging system, which allows you to communicate directly with other members of the network.
When you receive a new message on LinkedIn, it will show up in your main inbox. However, you may have also noticed a separate section called “Other” on the inbox page. This contains messages that LinkedIn’s algorithm has filtered out of your main inbox. So what types of messages end up in the “Other” section, and is it useful to check them?
Why LinkedIn Has an “Other” Inbox
LinkedIn introduced the “Other” inbox in 2017 as a way to cut down on some of the messaging noise that users were dealing with. Without it, your main inbox could quickly become overwhelmed with:
- Messages from people you don’t know requesting to connect
- Invitations to join groups or events
- InMail messages from those outside your network
- Sales pitches and promotions
- Recruitment messages
While some of these messages may be useful, many people considered them annoying and distracting. So LinkedIn decided to filter them out of the main inbox automatically to help highlight more relevant conversations.
What Types of Messages Go in the Other Inbox?
LinkedIn has not provided an exhaustive list of what gets filtered into the Other section. Based on user reports, some key types of messages that often appear in Other include:
- Connection Requests: Requests to connect from people outside your network, especially those you may not know or remember.
- Group Invitations: Invites to join LinkedIn Groups that are sent via message rather than notifications.
- Event Invitations: Messages inviting you to virtual or in-person professional events.
- Promotional Messages: Marketing and promotional messages from brands/companies/recruiters.
- Surveys: Requests to take surveys or provide feedback sent via InMail.
- Bulk Messages: Identical InMail messages sent to a batch of people rather than personalized notes.
Essentially, the Other section tends to collect less useful, unsolicited, or unintended messages. By filtering them separately, your main inbox can stay focused on active conversations and messages from your connections.
Should You Check the Other Inbox?
The Other inbox can seem like an afterthought, but there are times when it’s worth monitoring:
- Stay on top of connection requests: It’s easy to miss requests in Other if you ignore the section entirely. But giving prompts responses helps grow your network.
- Don’t miss out on opportunities: Sometimes useful invitations or messages get incorrectly filtered. Checking periodically means you don’t overlook them.
- Give beneficial messages priority: If you see an invitation or request that seems worthwhile, you can move it to your main inbox.
- Manage communications: You can unsubscribe from unwanted mailing lists or report spam senders.
Here are some best practices for managing the Other inbox effectively:
- Check it weekly or every few days to stay on top of requests
- Scan subject lines for anything important that may have been misfiled
- Move desired messages back to your primary inbox or archive useful items
- Quickly delete or mark as spam to train filters over time
- Adjust account settings if you’re receiving too many irrelevant messages
How to Access and Adjust Settings for Other Inbox
Here are instructions to view your Other inbox and customize related settings:
- Go to the LinkedIn messaging page on desktop or mobile app
- Select “Other” next to “Primary” at top of left sidebar (on mobile, tap icon to switch inboxes)
- Review connection requests, invitations, and filtered messages
- To move a message to primary inbox, select dropdown menu icon and choose “Move to Primary”
- To adjust filters, go to account Privacy & Settings > Communications > Message filtering
- You can customize which requests are automatically filtered here
Checking and adjusting these settings periodically helps ensure you see all relevant messages while keeping your main inbox focused.
Pros and Cons of the Other Inbox
Filtering some communications into a separate Other section has both advantages and drawbacks:
Potential Pros
- Reduces inbox clutter and noise
- Highlights priority conversations
- Lets you easily scan filtered messages
- Customizable to your preferences
- Good for removing spam and unwanted pitches
Potential Cons
- Useful messages can sometimes be misfiled
- Creates an extra inbox to check
- You may miss out on opportunities if you ignore it
- Harder to keep up with connection requests
- Filters not always accurate
Tips for Using the Other Inbox Effectively
Here are some tips to get the most out of LinkedIn’s Other inbox:
- Check Other regularly so messages don’t go unanswered for too long
- Scan thoroughly for any misfiled messages and move them to Primary
- Make use of custom filters if you get too much unwanted content
- Reply promptly to worthwhile connection requests
- Unsubscribe from sources sending too many messages
- Periodically re-check filtered conversations for hidden opportunities
Conclusion
While the Other inbox may seem like an afterthought, actively managing it helps optimize your LinkedIn messaging experience. By keeping unwanted messages separate while promptly responding to worthwhile ones, you can expand your network while maintaining inbox sanity. Just be sure to periodically check for any improperly filtered gems. With the right approach, the Other section can help streamline your LinkedIn communications.