Removing a connection takes two clicks and cannot be undone

To remove a connection from LinkedIn, open your profile, go to your connections list, find the person's name, click the three dots next to their profile, and select "Remove connection." The person will not be notified that you removed them, but they will no longer see you in their network. If you later want to reconnect, you can send a new connection request like any other person.

LinkedIn does not send a notification when you remove someone, so the person will only know if they check their connections list and notice you are gone. There is no way to undo a removal once you confirm it, so make sure you mean to do it before you click.

Key Takeaways

  • Removed connections will not receive a notification, but they can see you are gone if they look at their own connections list.
  • You cannot undo a removal, so double-check the person's name before you confirm.
  • After removal, the person can send you a new connection request, and you can accept or decline it like any other request.
  • Removing a connection does not delete messages you have already exchanged with that person.
  • Your removed connection may still see your public profile if your privacy settings allow it, even though they are no longer in your network.

Step-by-step removal on desktop

Start by logging into LinkedIn on a computer. Click on "My Network" in the top navigation bar, then click "Connections" to see your full list. Use the search box at the top to find the person you want to remove, or scroll through your list.

Once you find the person, hover over their name and a three-dot menu icon will appear on the right side of their entry. Click those three dots and select "Remove connection" from the dropdown menu. A confirmation box will pop up asking if you are sure. Click "Remove" to finish. The person is now removed from your network.

Removing a connection on mobile

Open the LinkedIn app on your phone and tap "My Network" at the bottom of the screen. Tap "Connections" to see your list. Search for the person or scroll to find them.

Tap the three dots next to their name, then tap "Remove connection." Confirm when the app asks you to verify. The removal happens when ready and cannot be reversed.

What happens to your messages after removal

Removing a connection does not delete your message history with that person. You can still see all the messages you sent and received before the removal. However, you will no longer be able to send them new messages through LinkedIn unless you reconnect or they send you a message first.

If the person sends you a message after you remove them, it will appear in your inbox as a message from someone outside your network. You can reply to it, which may prompt LinkedIn to suggest that you reconnect.

Privacy after removal

Once you remove someone, they can no longer see that you viewed their profile or that you engaged with their posts. However, if your profile is set to public, they can still find and view your profile by searching for your name — they just will not be in your connections list.

If you want to prevent a removed connection from seeing your profile at all, you will need to adjust your privacy settings. You can restrict your profile visibility to connections only, which means removed connections will see a limited version of your profile or none at all, depending on your settings.

Reconnecting after removal

If you remove someone by mistake or change your mind later, you can send them a new connection request. Go to their profile and click "Connect." They will receive the request like any other, and can accept or decline it.

When you send a new request to someone you previously removed, LinkedIn does not tell them that you removed them before. They will straightforward see a fresh connection request. You can add a note to your request explaining why you are reconnecting if you want to.

Removing multiple connections at once

LinkedIn does not have a bulk removal tool that lets you remove many connections in one action. You must remove each person individually by going through the three-dot menu. If you need to remove a large number of people, the fastest way is to do it on desktop where the three-dot menu is easier to access than on mobile.

Some third-party tools claim to offer bulk removal, but LinkedIn's terms of service prohibit using automation to manage your account. Using these tools risks your account being suspended or closed, so it is safer to remove connections manually even if it takes longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I removed them?

LinkedIn does not send a notification when you remove someone. They will only know if they check their own connections list and notice you are gone. There is no message or alert that tells them you removed them.

Can I remove someone without them seeing it?

Yes. Removal is silent — the person will not be notified and will not see any message about it. They can discover the removal only by looking at their connections list themselves.

What if I remove someone by accident?

You cannot undo the removal, but you can send a new connection request. Go to their profile and click "Connect" to send a fresh request. They will receive it as a normal connection request with no indication that you removed them before.

Can a removed connection still message me?

Yes. If they send you a message, it will arrive in your inbox. You can reply to it, and replying may prompt LinkedIn to suggest that you reconnect. However, you cannot send them a message first unless you reconnect.

Does removing someone delete our message history?

No. All messages you exchanged before the removal stay in your inbox. You can still read them, but you cannot send new messages to that person unless you reconnect or they message you first.