How to permanently delete your LinkedIn Account and Should you do it?

LinkedIn, the professional networking site, can be a valuable tool for career development and networking. However, there may come a time when you want to permanently delete your LinkedIn account. Whether it’s due to privacy concerns, a career change, or simply wanting to reduce your online presence, permanently deleting your LinkedIn account is a straightforward process. This guide will walk you through the steps to do so, as well as some important considerations before you make the decision.

Before You Delete Your Account

Consider the Consequences

Before you proceed with deleting your LinkedIn account, it’s important to understand the implications:

1. Loss of Connections: You will lose all your connections and cannot recover them.
2. Profile and Data Removal: Your profile, including your endorsements, recommendations, and any posts or articles you’ve shared, will be permanently removed.
3. Access to LinkedIn Services: You will lose access to LinkedIn Learning and any other premium services you might be using.
4. No Recovery: Once your account is deleted, it cannot be recovered. If you change your mind, you’ll have to create a new account from scratch.

Download Your LinkedIn Data

Before deleting your account, you might want to download a copy of your LinkedIn data. This includes your connections, messages, and other account information. To download your data:

1. Go to your LinkedIn homepage and click on your profile icon at the top right corner.
2. Select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu.
3. Under the Data privacy section, click on Get a copy of your data.
4. Choose the data you want to download and click Request archive.

LinkedIn will email you a link to download your data once it’s ready.

Steps to Delete Your LinkedIn Account

Follow these steps to permanently delete your LinkedIn account:

Step 1: Log In to Your Account

Log in to your LinkedIn account on your web browser. You cannot delete your account through the LinkedIn mobile app.

Step 2: Access Settings & Privacy

1. Click on your profile icon at the top right corner of the LinkedIn homepage.
2. From the dropdown menu, select Settings & Privacy.

Step 3: Go to Account Management

1. In the Settings & Privacy section, click on the Account preferences tab.
2. Scroll down to the Account management section.

Step 4: Close Your LinkedIn Account

1. Under Account management, click on Close account.
2. LinkedIn will ask you to provide a reason for closing your account. Select a reason from the list provided, or choose Other if your reason is not listed.
3. Click Next.

Step 5: Confirm Your Decision

1. LinkedIn will ask you to confirm your decision by entering your account password.
2. After entering your password, click Close account.

Your account will be deactivated immediately, and it will be permanently deleted after a waiting period of 14 days. During this period, you can reactivate your account by logging in and following the prompts to restore your account.

After Deleting Your LinkedIn Account

Notifications and Emails

You might still receive email notifications from LinkedIn for a few days after deleting your account. This is because some emails are scheduled in advance and cannot be canceled. However, these should stop shortly after your account is deleted.

Removing LinkedIn from Other Accounts

If you’ve used LinkedIn to log in to other websites or services, make sure to update those accounts with a different login method. This ensures you won’t have issues accessing those services in the future.

Alternative to Deleting Your LinkedIn Account

If you’re not ready to permanently delete your LinkedIn account, consider these alternatives:

Deactivate Your LinkedIn Account

LinkedIn does not offer a deactivation option like some other social media platforms. However, you can achieve a similar result by making your profile private and stopping all email notifications. This way, your profile won’t be visible to others, and you won’t receive any notifications from LinkedIn.

Edit Your Privacy Settings

1. Go to Settings & Privacy.
2. Under Visibility, adjust your profile and network visibility settings to limit what others can see.

Adjust Your Email Preferences

1. Go to Settings & Privacy.
2. Under Communications, manage your email preferences to reduce or stop email notifications from LinkedIn.

Final Thoughts

Deleting your LinkedIn account is a significant decision that comes with permanent consequences. Make sure you’ve downloaded your data and considered all alternatives before proceeding. If you’re sure about your decision, follow the steps outlined above to permanently delete your account. This will help you take control of your online presence and ensure your personal information is managed according to your preferences.