LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networking platforms, with over 722 million members worldwide as of April 2021. While it offers great opportunities to connect with other professionals, find jobs, and build your brand, many users occasionally encounter issues logging into their LinkedIn accounts.
Common LinkedIn Login Issues
There are several common reasons why LinkedIn may not be letting you log in:
Incorrect Email or Password
The most common issue is simply entering an incorrect email or password. LinkedIn will display an error message indicating the email or password is invalid. To fix this:
- Double check that you are entering the correct email associated with your account
- If you have multiple emails, try each one just in case
- Check that caps lock is not enabled on your device if you are entering a password
- If you have forgotten your password, use the “Forgot password” link to reset it
Two-Step Verification Enabled
If you have enabled LinkedIn’s two-step verification for enhanced security, you will need to enter a code from your mobile device after inputting your password. To fix this:
- Make sure you have access to the mobile device you enabled two-step verification with
- Input the 6-digit code sent to your mobile device after entering your password
- If you no longer have access to this mobile device, use the “Get help signing in” option to recover your account
Web Browser Issues
Sometimes the issue may be your web browser rather than LinkedIn. Try these tips:
- Make sure cookies are enabled in your browser settings
- Try clearing your browser cache and cookies
- Try logging in using a different web browser like Chrome or Firefox
- Ensure your browser is updated to the latest version
LinkedIn Site Outage
Though rare, it’s possible you may be unable to log in due to an outage of LinkedIn’s servers. The site status can be checked on LinkedIn’s Help Center page. If there is an outage, you will have to wait until LinkedIn has resolved the issue on their end.
Other Potential LinkedIn Login Problems
While less common than the issues above, there are a few other potential reasons LinkedIn may deny you access:
Account Deactivated
LinkedIn may deactivate accounts that violate their User Agreement policies. This could happen if your account was reported for spam, impersonation, scraping, or other policy breaches. You would need to appeal the deactivation by contacting LinkedIn customer support.
Too Many Failed Login Attempts
As a security precaution against hackers, LinkedIn will temporarily lock accounts after several failed login attempts. This usually resolves itself after a set waiting period, but you can contact customer support if it has been over 24 hours.
LinkedIn Thinks Your Account is Compromised
If LinkedIn detects a suspicious login attempt that appears to be unauthorized, they may lock the account until you can prove you are the legitimate account owner. This involves confirming your identity by providing information only the real account owner would know.
Automatic Log Out Due to Inactivity
LinkedIn sessions expire after a certain period of inactivity, defaulting to 30 days. This is done to enhance security. You will need to log back in with your credentials if you have not used LinkedIn for an extended period.
Banned IP Address
In rare cases, your IP address may end up blacklisted by LinkedIn if they suspect abusive behavior like scraping or spamming coming from your network. Trying to log in will fail until you contact Support and get your IP address removed from the blocked list (after promising not to misuse their platform).
Third-Party App Revoked
If you granted login access to a third-party LinkedIn app which has since been restricted or banned from LinkedIn, they may revoke that app’s access to your account. You may need to disconnect the app in your LinkedIn settings.
Troubleshooting Tips to Log Into LinkedIn
If you are still unable to log into your LinkedIn account after reviewing the common issues above, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Clear cookies and cache from your browser and attempt to log in again
- Try accessing LinkedIn in an incognito or private browsing window
- Use a different web browser or device to access LinkedIn
- Check LinkedIn Help Center for any service issues
- Verify internet connectivity by loading other sites
- Try resetting your password again if forgotten
- Turn off any VPNs, firewalls, or network filters temporarily
If these basic troubleshooting tips do not resolve the login issue, you will likely need to contact LinkedIn Customer Service for further assistance.
Contacting LinkedIn Customer Service
The LinkedIn Help Center contains forms to contact their customer support team if you cannot resolve login issues on your own:
- From the LinkedIn login page click “Get help signing in”
- Choose options to either reset your password or get account access help
- Complete the form with details on the specific login issue
- Provide additional info like the email on your LinkedIn account
- LinkedIn support will respond with next steps to regain account access
You can also try reaching LinkedIn support via the following methods:
- LinkedIn Help Center direct contact form: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/TSO-RAI
- LinkedIn Help Twitter: @LinkedInHelp
- LinkedIn’s GetHuman customer service contacts: https://gethuman.com/phone-number/LinkedIn
But for issues like account deactivation or compromised account investigation, you will likely need to go through LinkedIn’s official support process.
Best Practices to Avoid LinkedIn Login Problems
While technical glitches happen, you can take proactive measures to avoid running into LinkedIn login and access issues:
- Make your password lengthy, complex, and unique – do not reuse it on other sites.
- Setup two-factor authentication for extra security.
- Log out fully from LinkedIn on shared or public devices.
- Be cautious of third-party apps requesting LinkedIn login access.
- Keep software (browsers, operating systems) fully updated at all times.
- Use up-to-date antivirus and cybersecurity protection.
- Don’t access LinkedIn via public, unsecured WiFi networks.
- Monitor your account’s security settings and notifications regularly.
Following cybersecurity best practices like these will help prevent your account from being compromised, which can often trigger seemingly random login blocks.
Steps to Take if You’re Locked Out of LinkedIn
If you find yourself completely locked out of LinkedIn with no login access, stay calm – your account likely can still be recovered. Follow these steps for getting back into a blocked LinkedIn account:
- Take your account security seriously and try to determine how/why you were locked out if possible.
- Collect any account records or info you still have access to like emails from LinkedIn.
- Contact LinkedIn support through official channels like the Help Center.
- Be patient as regaining access may involve multiple steps for verification.
- Review LinkedIn’s user agreement to ensure you aren’t violating policies.
- Increase your LinkedIn account security after regaining access.
The key is to not panic, be honest and transparent with LinkedIn support about any account access issues, and comply with their recommended steps to authenticate your identity and recover access.
Can a Deactivated LinkedIn Account Be Reactivated?
If your LinkedIn account has been completely deactivated, either voluntarily or by LinkedIn for policy violations, reactivating it is possible in some cases:
- Voluntarily deactivated accounts can be restored within 30 days by logging in with your credentials.
- After 30 days, voluntarily deactivated accounts require contacting support.
- Involuntarily deactivated accounts require submitting an appeal to LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn reviews factors like the severity of the violation leading to deactivation.
- Multiple community policy violations often result in permanent deactivations.
- Minor first-time violations may allow account reactivation after a suspension period.
So while there is a chance of appealing and getting a deactivated LinkedIn account back, the odds depend greatly on the specifics of the deactivation reason and account history. Avoid policy violations to maintain full access.
Conclusion
Trouble logging into LinkedIn can be frustrating, but is often fixable. The most common issues involve incorrect credentials, two-step verification, browser settings, or temporary outages. Less common factors like deactivated accounts or login blocks can be trickier to resolve, but LinkedIn support can guide you through the process of verifying your identity and regaining account access in most cases. Follow best practices for account security, and contact customer service if you encounter persistent LinkedIn login problems. With some patience and troubleshooting, you’ll likely be back up and running on LinkedIn in no time.