LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 740 million members. It allows users to connect with other professionals, find jobs, network, and build their personal brand. One of the key features of LinkedIn is messaging – it enables users to directly communicate with their connections. However, sometimes LinkedIn messages may not show up or go through due to various reasons. In this comprehensive article, we will explore the top reasons why your LinkedIn messages are not showing and provide troubleshooting tips to resolve the issues.
Why are my sent LinkedIn messages not showing up?
Here are some common reasons why your sent LinkedIn messages are not visible to the recipient:
You are not connected
On LinkedIn, you can only directly message someone if you are connected. If you try to message someone you are not connected with, the message will not be delivered. LinkedIn does this to prevent spam and unsolicited messages. Ensure you are connected to the recipient before messaging them. If not, send them a connection request first.
Your message is stuck in the queue
Sometimes if the recipient is getting a lot of messages, LinkedIn will queue your message before delivering it. The message could get stuck in the queue and not surface right away. Wait for some time and check if your message eventually gets delivered. If it’s been over 24 hours, try resending the message.
You’ve been restricted by the recipient
LinkedIn allows users to restrict who can send them messages. If you have been restricted by the recipient, your messages will not go through. The only option is to directly contact the person and request them to unrestrict you. There is no workaround to send a message if you have been restricted.
Recipient’s inbox is full
LinkedIn inboxes have size limits. If the recipient’s inbox is full, your message will bounce and not get delivered. Ask the recipient to clear some space in their inbox for your message to go through. Alternatively, try contacting them through an alternate medium like email.
LinkedIn’s servers are down
Like any technology platform, LinkedIn also faces occasional server outages. If their messaging servers are down, your messages will fail to send. Check LinkedIn’s status page to see if they are having an outage. If yes, wait for them to resolve it before retrying to send your message.
Why are messages I received on LinkedIn now missing?
There could be a few reasons why messages you had received earlier on LinkedIn are no longer visible:
The sender deleted the message
If the sender deletes a message they had sent you, it will disappear from your inbox as well. There is no way to retrieve deleted messages on LinkedIn.
Your account was restricted
LinkedIn may restrict accounts that violate their terms of service. If your account gets restricted, your messages may temporarily become inaccessible. Try appealing the restriction or contacting LinkedIn support.
You archived the conversation
LinkedIn allows archiving conversations to clear up your inbox. Archived messages will no longer be visible in your main inbox. Check your archived messages to see if you had archived a conversation containing the missing messages.
You blocked the sender
When you block someone on LinkedIn, all your past conversations with them also get deleted. Unblock the sender to see if the missing messages reappear.
A glitch or bug
Occasionally bugs can also cause LinkedIn messages to disappear. Try logging out and back in to see if that fixes it. If not, report the issue to LinkedIn.
Troubleshooting tips
Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try if your LinkedIn messages are not showing:
Check your LinkedIn notifications
Notifications alert you when you receive a new message. If you got a notification but can’t see the message, it indicates a delivery issue.
Look in spam and archived folders
Messages sometimes get misclassified as spam or archived by accident. Carefully go through your spam and archived messages.
Try sending from a different device
Determine if the problem is isolated to one device or widespread across devices. Try sending messages from your phone, tablet, or computer to test.
Reinstall the LinkedIn app
If on mobile, uninstalling and reinstalling the LinkedIn app can fix bugs that may be causing messages to not show up.
Check LinkedIn service status
See if LinkedIn is having an outage by visiting their status page at https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin. This could prevent messages from sending.
Contact LinkedIn support
If all else fails, reach out to LinkedIn’s customer support. They may be able to look into why your messages aren’t getting delivered and fix any account issues.
How to prevent LinkedIn messages from disappearing
Here are some tips to ensure your LinkedIn messages don’t vanish:
Don’t delete conversations
Avoid deleting full conversations as it also removes the messages from the recipient’s inbox. Only delete your side of the conversation if needed.
Export important conversations
You can export LinkedIn conversations as PDF files. Do this for important message threads you want to retain a backup of.
Turn off message archiving
Archived messages are hidden away in a separate folder. Disable auto-archiving conversations under LinkedIn’s messaging settings.
Ask senders not to delete messages
Request connections to avoid deleting messages they have sent you on LinkedIn so they remain visible.
Don’t block connections arbitrarily
Only block contacts if absolutely necessary. Blocking deletes past conversations which can’t be recovered.
Conclusion
Missing LinkedIn messages can be frustrating but are often caused by minor technical issues. Confirm you are connected to the recipient, check their inbox size, and see if messages ended up in spam/archive folders. Outages can also disrupt message delivery temporarily. Persistent issues may require contacting LinkedIn support or trying alternate messaging platforms. Avoid arbitrarily deleting or archiving conversations and connections to prevent losing access to important messages. With some diligent troubleshooting, you should be able to recover and send messages smoothly on LinkedIn.
Reason | Solution |
---|---|
Not connected to recipient | Send connection request first |
Message stuck in queue | Wait or resend message |
Restricted by recipient | Contact recipient to unrestrict |
Recipient inbox full | Ask recipient to clear space |
LinkedIn server outage | Wait for outage resolution |
Troubleshooting Tip | Details |
---|---|
Check notifications | Notification without message indicates delivery issue |
Check spam and archives | Messages sometimes get incorrectly classified |
Try different device | Determines if issue is device specific |
Reinstall app | Can fix mobile app bugs |
Check service status | Outages disrupt message delivery |
Contact support | They can investigate and fix account issues |
Prevention Tip | Details |
---|---|
Avoid deleting conversations | Also deletes from recipient’s inbox |
Export important threads | Retain backup of crucial conversations |
Disable auto-archive | Prevents messages being hidden away |
Ask senders not to delete | Ensures messages remain visible |
Only block if absolutely needed | Blocks delete all past conversations |