If you no longer use LinkedIn and want to remove your profile, you can close your LinkedIn account. Closing the account removes your profile from LinkedIn and permanently ends access to your connections, messages, recommendations, endorsements, and other account information.

Important: If you may need your LinkedIn connections, messages, posts, or other account information later, download your data before closing the account.

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Before deleting your LinkedIn account

Consider these points first:

• Download your LinkedIn data if you want to keep a copy.
• Closing your account removes your access to your connections and account information.
• Your recommendations and endorsements will be lost.
• Your LinkedIn profile will no longer be visible on LinkedIn.
• Search engines such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo may temporarily continue showing cached/indexed information until their indexes update.
• If you have LinkedIn Premium, a group, or certain enterprise-related services, you may need to resolve those first.

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Step 1: Download your LinkedIn data — optional

If you want a backup, go to LinkedIn and:

Me → Settings & Privacy → Data Privacy → Download your data → Request archive

LinkedIn lets you request specific categories or a larger archive. Depending on what you request, LinkedIn says the download may arrive within minutes or up to 24 hours.

Once you have everything you need, proceed with account closure.

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Step 2: Delete your LinkedIn account

On a computer

1. Sign in to LinkedIn.
2. Click Me at the top of the LinkedIn homepage.
3. Select Settings & Privacy.
4. Go to Account preferences.
5. Find Account management.
6. Click Change next to Close account.
7. Select the reason for closing your account.
8. Click Next.
9. Enter your LinkedIn account password.
10. Click Close account.

LinkedIn Help — Close and delete your account

On the LinkedIn mobile app

The current LinkedIn instructions are:

Profile picture → Settings → Account preferences → Close account → Continue → Select reason → Next → Enter password → Done.

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What happens after you delete LinkedIn?

Closing your account is different from simply hiding your profile.

According to LinkedIn:

• Your profile is removed from LinkedIn.
• You lose access to your connections and information stored in your account.
• Your recommendations and endorsements are removed.
• Your messages and connections are affected by account closure.
• LinkedIn generally makes your personal data no longer visible to others within 24 hours.
• LinkedIn generally deletes closed-account information within 30 days, although some information may be retained for legal, security, fraud-prevention, dispute-resolution, or other legitimate reasons.

Also, information you previously shared with other members may continue to exist outside your profile—for example, someone may have copied or retained information you shared.

Can I recover a deleted LinkedIn account?

LinkedIn says you can usually reopen a closed account if it has been closed for less than 14 days. However, some information cannot be recovered, including endorsements, recommendations, ignored or pending invitations, followings, and group memberships.

So, if you're certain you don't need the account, treat closure as a permanent deletion decision.

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LinkedIn account deletion vs. hibernation

If you're not completely sure about deleting your account, LinkedIn also provides hibernation as an alternative to closing the account.

Delete/close account: Best when you no longer want to use LinkedIn and want to remove your account.

Hibernate: Better if you simply want to take a break but might return to LinkedIn later.

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What if LinkedIn won't let me close my account?

One common reason is that the account is associated with a LinkedIn enterprise account, such as Recruiter, Learning, or Sales Navigator.

LinkedIn says you may need your organization's administrator to remove your account from the enterprise account before you can close it.

If you have a Premium subscription or another LinkedIn service attached to the account, resolve that service first if LinkedIn prevents account closure.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting LinkedIn delete my profile immediately?

Your profile generally stops being visible to others within about 24 hours, while LinkedIn generally deletes closed-account information within 30 days, subject to exceptions in its privacy policy.

Will my LinkedIn profile disappear from Google immediately?

Not necessarily. Search engines can temporarily continue displaying information from their indexes after your LinkedIn profile has been closed.

Can I download my LinkedIn connections before deleting my account?

Yes. LinkedIn's Download your data feature can provide account data, including connection information where available.

What happens to LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements?

You lose the recommendations and endorsements associated with the closed account, and LinkedIn says these cannot be recovered even if you reopen the account later.

Can I delete my LinkedIn account from my phone?

Yes. LinkedIn provides account-closure instructions for its mobile experience through Settings → Account preferences → Close account.

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Quick answer

If you're 100% sure you no longer need LinkedIn:

LinkedIn → Me/Profile → Settings & Privacy → Account preferences → Account management → Close account → Select reason → Next → Password → Close account.

Before doing it, download your data if there's anything you may want later.