If you have ever wondered how to delete a LinkedIn account, you'll soon find out. LinkedIn enables users to network and develop careers by connecting with professionals worldwide. In addition to offering opportunities for career growth, LinkedIn also functions like other social media platforms where users can share updates, views, and content.
Although users are engaged on LinkedIn, there may be times when they want to deactivate their accounts. If you're interested in learning how to delete your LinkedIn account, you've come to the right place. We'll also tell you how to back up your LinkedIn account before deleting it.
How to Backup LinkedIn Data Before Deleting Your Account
Besides being a professional networking platform, LinkedIn also stores critical data and personal information you might want to save.
The platform also has a social media aspect, so you should preserve memories such as updates and comments that you've posted. Before deleting your account, it is crucial to back up your data, like the connections you've made with other professionals on the platform.
It takes several steps to protect your LinkedIn data, but it's not an exhaustive process. First, log in using your username and account password and click the Me icon at the top of the page.
Click on the icon, and you will land on the account management section with a list of options; choose Settings and Privacy. Next, select Data Privacy, and under the How LinkedIn uses your data menu, choose to Get a Copy of your Data.
You can either download your LinkedIn profile in a bulk file or download everything manually. Once you've selected the data you want to keep, click on Request Archive; it takes LinkedIn up to 72 hours to send the files.
Step-by-step Guide to Permanently Delete Your LinkedIn Account
If you delete your LinkedIn account information, the following steps outline how to do that, whether on a desktop computer or a mobile device.
How to Permanently Delete Your LinkedIn Account From a PC
You're in luck if you have saved your data and want to delete your LinkedIn account. Deleting your LinkedIn account follows a similar process as keeping your data, with just a few tweaks.
Start by logging into your account, and then choose the Me option at the top of the screen.
Next, you'll need to scroll down to the bottom of the account page and choose Close Account from the Account Management menu.
Once there, you'll see a single option to continue deleting your account. Click Continue, and you will be asked why you’re closing your LinkedIn account.
Choose a reason from the list of options and click Next; the last thing you will have to do is enter the password to your LinkedIn account and click Done. Your information is on its way to being permanently deleted.
How to Permanently Delete Your LinkedIn Account From a Mobile Device
Deleting your LinkedIn account from the mobile app is similar to a PC. First, launch the LinkedIn app and tap on your profile picture on the top left-hand side of the screen.
A sidebar will open with a list of options; tap on Settings and choose Account Preferences.
As before, you'll scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Close Account.
You'll click Continue and choose from the reasons you're closing your LinkedIn account.
Choose your reasoning and click Next; the final screen asks you to enter your password like you would on your desktop. Enter the password to your account and click Done.
As you can see, deleting your LinkedIn account on your desktop or mobile device isn't difficult, but what happens when you delete your LinkedIn account?
What Happens When You Delete Your LinkedIn Account?
When you close your LinkedIn account, you can no longer access it, and all your data is removed from the platform. In addition, other account holders can no longer view your profile, and you won't be able to see any updates or posts from anyone else.
However, removing your LinkedIn account does not mean that all your data is scrubbed from LinkedIn's servers; it simply means that your account no longer exists on the platform. Any posts or conversations you had before deleting your LinkedIn profile are still available, but you won't be able to access them.
Once you delete your LinkedIn profile permanently, you'll also lose the following:
- Any other users you follow
- Your group memberships
- Any ignored or pending invitations
- Your endorsements and recommendations
- Visibility within search engines for your LinkedIn account
Can You Reactivate Your LinkedIn Account?
If you have a change of heart and want to keep your account active, you can do so as long as it's within 14 days of deactivating it. However, pending invitations or endorsements cannot be restored – no matter how recently you deleted your LinkedIn account.
If you didn't want to delete your account and wanted to keep all of your information, connections, followings, and more, then temporarily deactivating your account is a better option.
While deleting your account at the moment may sound like the right idea, it may not be, especially if you're using LinkedIn to market your business. It also may not be the right choice if you have a LinkedIn Premium account and want to ensure you get to keep all the progress you've made.
So, the better option is to temporarily deactivate your account and return to it later or adjust your settings to receive fewer inbox notifications.
Keep Your LinkedIn Account and Make Some Adjustments Instead
Deleting your account is one of several options; LinkedIn isn't an all-or-nothing platform. You can make a few simple adjustments to your account settings if you want to keep your profile but only want to receive notifications sometimes.
Adjust Notification Frequency
For example, adjust the frequency of email notifications and general notifications from LinkedIn using the account tab settings.
To adjust these settings, go to your Me profile icon in the top right corner of the page and click Settings and Privacy.
Next, you'll click Email under How You Get Your Notifications, and you can choose from the list of ways you receive notifications.
LinkedIn notifies you based on the following:
- Your conversations
- Enterprise products
- Your network
- Any relevant news
- Your profile updates
- New job postings
You can also adjust how you receive notifications via LinkedIn or Push notifications via the platform or third parties on the social media site.
If you're overwhelmed with all of the content and information from LinkedIn, some simple adjustments may save you from the headache of losing the reputation you've built on the platform.
Why Would Anyone Delete Their LinkedIn Account?
Whatever you decide, make sure it's right for you and your business. Some reasons why someone might choose to delete their LinkedIn account include the following:
You have time constraints
LinkedIn could be a considerable time investment, as you have to introduce your business or profession and make new connections; this can take considerably more time than other networking sites.
Also, once you create a LinkedIn account and start networking on LinkedIn, you must stay active by posting content; if not, people will stop seeing your profile.
If all these sound like too much of a commitment, it's best to delete your LinkedIn account.
You're seeing intense competition
Just like your local labor market, the online labor market is competitive. LinkedIn has 875 million members and records about 1 billion searches daily.
Understandably, it would take more than time to gain recognition on the platform among the 59 million registered companies.
If you're feeling stressed due to the competitive nature of LinkedIn, we suggest you take a break from using the site. Or, if you want a more permanent solution, delete your account.
You can't tolerate the spam messages
Remember, other sellers, are marketing services on the site. As a result, you may receive many automated messages from others hoping to get noticed.
Constant messages can take your focus away from what’s essential to your business. LinkedIn is undeniably one of the most critical B2B lead generation platforms, which is why many companies still use it.
Nevertheless, some users exploit the system with spam, an issue that seems to worsen.
Decide if LinkedIn Makes Sense for You
Deleting or deactivating your LinkedIn account can be daunting, especially if you’ve been on the platform for a long time. You must consider whether it makes sense to delete your account, especially if you’re focusing on your business.
Consider why you joined in the first place and if it's still serving that purpose; reflect on your personal goals and whether or not the platform is still helping you achieve them.
Remember, if you close your account, you will lose all your information, all interactions, connections, and content associated with it, even if you reactivate it. So, before you delete your LinkedIn account, consider all the possibilities.
Ultimately, no one can tell you if the platform is worth your time and energy.