How to delete a connection on LinkedIn

To remove a connection from LinkedIn, open your connection's profile, click the three dots next to their name, and select "Remove connection." The person will not receive a notification that you removed them, though they may notice you are no longer in their network if they check. On mobile, the process is the same: tap the three dots and choose the remove option.

LinkedIn does not limit how many connections you can remove or how often you can remove them. You can delete individual connections one at a time, or if you want to remove many people at once, you can use LinkedIn's bulk removal feature through your connections list. The removal is when ready and cannot be undone — if you want to reconnect later, you will have to send a new connection request.

Key Takeaways

  • Removing a connection takes three clicks on desktop (profile, three dots, remove) and does not notify the other person.
  • The person you remove will not see a notification, but they can discover the removal by checking their connections list manually.
  • Removed connections can send you a new request at any time, and you can accept or decline it like any other request.
  • LinkedIn does not restore deleted connections, so make sure you want to remove someone before you confirm.
  • You can remove connections in bulk from your connections list rather than visiting each profile individually.

Why you might want to remove a connection

People remove connections for different reasons. You may have connected with someone years ago for a job that no longer applies, or you may have accepted a request from someone you do not actually know. Some people clean up their network to keep it focused on current colleagues, clients, or people they genuinely want to stay in touch with. Others remove connections after a professional relationship ends or becomes uncomfortable.

LinkedIn does not penalize you for having a smaller network, and there is no benefit to keeping connections you do not want. Your connection count is visible on your profile, but most recruiters and employers care more about the quality of your network than the size of it.

Removing connections on desktop

On a computer, go to your connections list by clicking "My network" at the top of the page, then select "Connections." Find the person you want to remove and click on their name to open their profile. At the top of their profile, next to their name, you will see a button that says "Connected" with a checkmark. Click the three dots next to that button.

A menu will appear with several options. Select "Remove connection" from the list. LinkedIn will ask you to confirm — click "Remove" again to finish. The connection is now deleted, and that person is no longer in your network.

Removing connections on mobile

On the LinkedIn app for iPhone or Android, tap the "My network" icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap "Connections" to see your full list. Find the person you want to remove and tap their name to open their profile. At the top of the profile, tap the three dots next to the "Connected" button.

Select "Remove connection" from the menu that appears. Confirm the removal when prompted. The process is identical to desktop, and the removal takes effect when ready across all devices.

Removing multiple connections at once

If you want to remove many connections, you can do this faster from your connections list than by visiting each profile. Go to "My network" and then "Connections." Hover over each person's name (on desktop) or tap and hold (on mobile) to select them. A checkbox will appear next to their name. Check the boxes for everyone you want to remove.

Once you have selected all the people you want to remove, look for a "Remove" or "Remove connections" button that appears at the top or bottom of the list. Click or tap it, then confirm. LinkedIn will remove all selected connections at once. This feature is faster than the one-at-a-time method if you are cleaning up a large number of connections.

What happens after you remove a connection

After you remove someone, they will no longer appear in your connections list, and you will no longer appear in theirs. However, they can still see your public profile if your privacy settings allow it. They can also send you a new connection request at any time, and you will receive it like any other request.

If you removed someone by mistake, the only way to reconnect is to wait for them to send a request or to send them a new request yourself. LinkedIn does not have an "undo" button for removed connections, so think carefully before confirming the removal.

Controlling who can see your connections

You can control whether other people can see your full connections list. Go to your profile, click "Edit public profile" on the right side, and scroll down to "Connections." You can choose to show your connections to everyone, to logged-in members only, or to no one. If you set it to private, only you will be able to see your full list.

This setting does not affect whether you can remove connections — you can remove anyone regardless of your privacy settings. It only controls what other people see when they visit your profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I removed them?

LinkedIn does not send a notification when you remove a connection. However, the person can find out by checking their connections list and noticing you are no longer there. There is no way to remove someone secretly if they actively monitor their network.

Can I remove someone without them seeing my profile first?

Yes. Removing a connection does not require the other person to do anything or even to know it happened. You can remove anyone from your network at any time, and they will not receive an alert.

What if I remove someone and then want to reconnect?

You will have to send a new connection request or wait for them to send one. There is no way to restore a deleted connection directly. If you think you might want to stay connected, consider unfollowing them instead — this removes their posts from your feed without removing the connection itself.

Does removing a connection affect my profile or recommendations?

No. Removing connections does not change your profile visibility, your recommendations, or how LinkedIn's algorithm shows your profile to others. It only affects who is in your network.

Can I see who I removed in the past?

LinkedIn does not keep a list of people you have removed. Once a connection is deleted, there is no record of it in your account. If you want to track removals, you would need to keep your own notes.