From scouring for new job opportunities to enlarging your professional network online, LinkedIn can get the job done. The platform offers handy tools to showcase your professional experience, make relevant connections, skill up for a career, and put yourself in the face of potential hiring managers regardless of your platform, whether you’re using a browser or have the app installed on abudget Android phone. While that looks like a great way to ditch traditional documents and CVs, you might want to take a break or erase your presence for security/privacy concerns. Regardless of your reason, we’ll show you how to delete your LinkedIn account below.

Before making the big move, knowing the consequences of closing a LinkedIn account is essential. Permanently deleting your profile will erase your information and make your profile invisible on the platform. So all your endorsements, connections, recommendations, certifications, and details you’ve added to the profile will disappear.

A snapshot of the LinkedIn website showing how to navigate to the account Settings page.

LinkedIn offers two weeks retrieval window, and you cansave a copy of your databefore closing the account, but you’re able to’t recover everything if you decide to return. Endorsements and recommendations, group memberships, followings, and unanswered invitations are some of the things you’ll lose if you decide to reactivate your account.

Unless you want to get rid of a duplicate profile or leave the platform, you should think twice before deleting your account. If you only need to take a break or hide your information for security reasons, consider hibernating the account instead.Hibernating your accountwill make you invisible across the platform and protect your details until you log in and re-enable the account.

A snapshot highlighting the Close account link on LinkedIn

Delete your LinkedIn account from your browser

How to delete your LinkedIn account in the mobile app

Whether you use the LinkedIn mobile app for iOS or Android, the process of deleting your account is the same.

Hibernating your LinkedIn profile is an alternative way to vanish from the platform without losing any data. Unlike permanently deleting an account, hibernating it will hide your profile details, posts, comments, and other engagements from other users. Only your direct messages and recommendations will remain visible and accredited toA LinkedIn Memberwith a generic profile picture.

A screenshot highlighting the Continue button when closing a LinkedIn account

If you only plan to take a break from the platform, consider hibernating your account instead of closing it.

The steps below show how to hibernate your account from the LinkedIn mobile app, but the process is similar if you use LinkedIn from your browser. You can also hibernate your account directly fromhere.

A screenshot showing where to state a reason for closing your LinkedIn account

LinkedIn may ask you to create a password if you’ve signed in with a Google, Apple, or Facebook account. Click theCreate a passwordlink to reset the account’s security and follow the process again.

You’ll be allowed to re-activate your account after 24 hours of hibernating it. When you’re ready to become visible again, visit LinkedIn and sign in to your account as usual.

A snapshot showing the final step for closing a LinkedIn account

How to recover a deleted LinkedIn account

LinkedIn will permanently erase your information from their database if you don’t recover it after 14 days. But before then, you may easily re-enable your account with the steps below if you have a change of thought.

Even if you restore your account within the 14-day timeframe, you can’t retrieve some aspects like endorsements and recommendations, unanswered invitations, group memberships, and topics you’re following.

LinkedIn isn’t the only place to show off your talents

It’s no doubt that LinkedIn is anexcellent business appfor managing your professional profile online. While many people use it for professional networking, branding, and getting their dream jobs, some find the vast learning resources and certifications life-changing. However, if you’ve finally determined to leave the platform for good, here are theexcellent social media appswhere you can cultivate your professional identity.