When sending messages on LinkedIn, you may notice that the recipient is referred to as “LinkedIn Member” rather than their name. There are a few reasons why this occurs:
Privacy Settings
The primary reason LinkedIn displays “LinkedIn Member” is due to the recipient’s privacy settings. On LinkedIn, users can control who can see their full name and profile information. If the recipient has their profile visibility limited to their direct connections only, or to a more restrictive setting, their full name will not be displayed to non-connections.
Displaying “LinkedIn Member” rather than the person’s name allows messaging without revealing their identity to someone they haven’t connected with. It maintains their privacy while still allowing communication through the platform.
Pending Connection Request
If you have sent a connection request to someone that is still pending approval, their name may show up as “LinkedIn Member” in messages as well. This prevents revealing the full name of someone who has not yet accepted your connection request.
Once the connection is approved, their actual name should display in the messages instead of the generic “LinkedIn Member” label.
Blocked Profile
Similarly, if the recipient has blocked you on LinkedIn, their name will appear as “LinkedIn Member” in messages. This prevents someone who has been blocked from seeing the full name of the person who blocked them.
So in this case, the generic label allows messaging to occur while protecting the identity of the person who initiated the block.
Removed Connection
Even after being connected with someone, if either you remove the connection, or they remove the connection, the name will revert back to “LinkedIn Member” in messages. Removing a connection essentially puts you back to the same permissions level as sending them an initial message without being connected.
Restricted Access
Some users and companies limit messaging to only people in their organization or with a paid LinkedIn subscription. When attempting to message one of these accounts without the proper access, you will just see “LinkedIn Member” instead of their name.
This allows messaging while restricting full profile access to qualified individuals that were granted permission.
How to See Their Name
If you want to see the actual name of the “LinkedIn Member” you are messaging, there are a couple options:
- Send a connection request and wait for them to accept it.
- If you already sent a request, wait for them to accept it.
- Ask them to adjust their privacy settings to make their name visible.
- Gain access through the same company or by getting a paid LinkedIn subscription.
However, keep in mind they may have set their profile to “private” intentionally for security or professional reasons. Respect their privacy settings if they decline these requests.
Why Does LinkedIn Do This?
Displaying “LinkedIn Member” instead of someone’s name in certain situations allows communication to occur smoothly while respecting privacy boundaries and settings. Some key reasons LinkedIn takes this approach:
- Lets people limit profile visibility to trusted connections.
- Avoids revealing names of people who haven’t accepted connection requests.
- Prevents blocked users from seeing your name in messages.
- Maintains privacy when removing a previously accepted connection.
- Honors access restrictions to names and profiles.
Overall, referring to users as “LinkedIn Member” when appropriate gives them control over their identity and information sharing. It aims to strike a balance between enabling messages while also protecting privacy within the platform’s communication tools.
Is This Permanent?
In most cases, seeing “LinkedIn Member” instead of someone’s name in messages is a temporary situation. Once privacy settings are adjusted, connection requests accepted, or block reversed, their actual name should appear.
However, some users may intentionally keep tight limits on their profile visibility and name sharing with non-connections. Respect their decision if they choose to maintain that privacy boundary on an ongoing basis.
Conclusion
Seeing “LinkedIn Member” in your messages instead of a name is LinkedIn’s way of upholding user privacy preferences and settings. It allows communication to occur while preventing identity and information disclosure when appropriate. With the right connections and permissions, you can see their real name, but also respect it if they wish to keep their profile details private.
