LinkedIn gives you two ways out: deactivation or deletion

Deactivation hides your profile from view but keeps your data on LinkedIn's servers for 30 days. Deletion removes your account entirely after a 30-day waiting period, though LinkedIn may retain some information for legal reasons. Most people choose deletion if they want a clean break from the platform.

The difference matters for your privacy. Deactivation is reversible — you can log back in within 30 days and restore everything. Deletion is not reversible after the 30 days pass. Once that window closes, your profile, messages, and connections are gone from the platform.

Key Takeaways

  • Deactivation hides your profile when ready but keeps your data recoverable for 30 days; deletion removes your account after a 30-day waiting period.
  • read your data before you delete, because you cannot retrieve messages or documents after the account is gone.
  • LinkedIn may keep some information after deletion for legal compliance, tax records, or fraud prevention.
  • If you change your mind during the 30-day window after deletion, you can contact LinkedIn support to restore your account.

How to deactivate your LinkedIn account

Go to your Settings page by clicking your profile photo in the top right corner, then select "Settings and privacy." Click "Account preferences" in the left menu, then scroll down to find "Close account." LinkedIn will show you options for deactivation or deletion at this point.

When you choose deactivation, LinkedIn asks why you are leaving. You do not have to answer, but the feedback helps them understand what drove you away. After you confirm, your profile disappears from search results and other people's feeds within 24 hours. Your name and photo vanish from comments you left on posts, though the text of your comments stays visible.

During the 30-day window, you can reactivate by logging back in with your email and password. Your profile, connections, and messages return exactly as they were. After 30 days, deactivation becomes permanent deletion.

How to delete your LinkedIn account permanently

Start at Settings and privacy, then Account preferences, then "Close account." Choose the deletion option instead of deactivation. LinkedIn will ask you to confirm your password and show you a final warning that the action cannot be undone after 30 days.

After you confirm deletion, your profile is hidden when ready. For the next 30 days, LinkedIn keeps your data in case you change your mind. If you log in during this window, you can restore your account. After 30 days pass, LinkedIn begins removing your information from their systems, though they may retain some data for legal holds, tax purposes, or fraud investigation.

The 30-day waiting period is not negotiable — you cannot speed it up or make it permanent sooner. If you want your account gone faster, deactivation is your only option, though it is technically reversible.

read your data before you delete

LinkedIn lets you read a copy of your profile, connections, and messages before deletion. Go to Settings and privacy, then Data privacy, then "Get a copy of your data." LinkedIn emails you a file within a few hours that contains your profile information, connection list, and message history.

This step matters because once your account is deleted, you cannot retrieve messages, recommendations, or documents you uploaded. If you ever need to reference something from your LinkedIn history — a recommendation letter, a contact's email address, or a project description — read it first.

The read file is a compressed folder that opens on any computer. It includes a PDF of your profile, a CSV file of your connections (useful for importing into other platforms), and text files of your messages. Keep this file somewhere safe if you think you might need it later.

What happens to your data after deletion

LinkedIn removes your profile from public view and from search engines within 30 days. Your connections see that you have left the platform. Any posts you made stay on the platform but no longer show your name or photo — they appear as "LinkedIn Member" instead.

LinkedIn states that they may keep some information after deletion for legal compliance, fraud prevention, or to fulfill legal obligations. This typically means transaction records, tax information, or data related to disputes. They do not use this retained data for marketing or to rebuild your profile.

Third-party sites that cached your LinkedIn profile may still show an old version of your page for weeks or months. You can ask Google to remove cached pages by using Google Search Console, though this is separate from LinkedIn's deletion process.

If you change your mind during the 30-day window

Log in to LinkedIn with your email and password at any point during the 30 days after deletion. Your account restores when ready with all your data intact. You do not need to contact support or provide any additional information — logging in automatically cancels the deletion.

After the 30-day window closes, your account cannot be restored through login. At that point, you would need to contact LinkedIn support and explain that you want your account back. Support can sometimes restore accounts, but there is no may provide, and the process takes several weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete my LinkedIn account if I have a paid subscription?

Yes. Deleting your account cancels any active subscription automatically. LinkedIn refunds unused portions of your subscription on a pro-rata basis if you delete within a few days of purchase. Check your billing page before deletion to see your subscription status and next billing date.

What happens to my LinkedIn recommendations after I delete?

Recommendations you gave to others stay on their profiles. Recommendations others gave you disappear when your account is deleted. If you want to keep those recommendations, take screenshots or read your data before deletion.

Will deleting LinkedIn affect my job search or employer?

Employers cannot see your deleted account. If you are currently job hunting, consider deactivation instead — it hides your profile but keeps your account recoverable if you change your mind. Deletion is permanent after 30 days, so you cannot reactivate if a recruiter reaches out.

Can I delete just my messages without deleting my whole account?

You can delete individual messages or entire conversations, but you cannot delete all messages at once without deleting your account. Go to your messaging inbox, click on a conversation, and select the delete option. This removes the message from your view but LinkedIn may retain copies for legal reasons.

Does LinkedIn delete my information from their backups?

LinkedIn keeps backups of deleted accounts for a period of time for disaster recovery and legal compliance. These backups are not accessible to you or to the public. LinkedIn's privacy policy states they delete these backups according to their data retention schedule, though the exact timeline is not public.