Remove a connection in three steps

Open LinkedIn and go to your profile. Click My Network at the top of the page, then select Connections from the left menu. Find the person you want to remove, hover over their name, and click the three dots that appear on the right side of their card. Select Remove connection from the menu.

The person will not receive a notification that you removed them. They will only discover it if they visit your profile or try to message you and notice you are no longer connected. LinkedIn does not send removal alerts, so there is no awkward notification on their end.

If you cannot find the person in your connections list, use the search box at the top of the Connections page. Type their name and search within your connections only. Once you find them, the three-dot menu will appear when you hover over their card.

Key Takeaways

  • Removing a connection takes 10 seconds: go to My Network, click Connections, find the person, click the three dots, and select Remove connection.
  • The person you remove will not get a notification, though they may notice if they check your profile later.
  • You can remove connections one at a time through the web version of LinkedIn; the mobile app works the same way.
  • Removing someone is different from blocking them — a removed connection can still see your public profile and send you a new connection request.

Why you might remove a connection

People remove connections for different reasons. You might have connected with someone years ago who no longer works in your field, or you may have accepted a request from someone you do not actually know. You might also want to clean up your network before a job search or before your profile becomes more visible to recruiters.

Removing a connection does not delete your message history with that person. If you have exchanged messages, those conversations stay in your inbox even after you remove them from your network. You can still read what was said, but you will no longer be able to send them new messages unless you connect again.

The difference between removing and blocking

Removing a connection and blocking someone are two separate actions with different results. When you remove a connection, that person can still see your public profile information, send you a new connection request, and view any posts you have marked as public. They straightforward will not appear in your connections list anymore.

Blocking is stronger. A blocked person cannot see your profile at all, cannot send you a connection request, and cannot message you. Use blocking only if someone is harassing you or if you want to completely hide your profile from them. To block someone, go to their profile, click the three dots at the top, and select Block.

Removing connections on the LinkedIn mobile app

The process on the iPhone or Android app is nearly identical to the web version. Open the app, tap the My Network icon at the bottom, then tap Connections. Find the person you want to remove and tap the three dots next to their name. Select Remove connection from the menu that appears.

The mobile app sometimes loads the connections list more slowly than the web version, especially if you have hundreds of connections. If the three-dot menu does not appear right away, wait a moment and try tapping the name again. You can also search for the person using the search box at the top of the Connections screen.

Cleaning up a large connections list

If you want to remove many connections at once, you will need to do it one person at a time — LinkedIn does not offer a bulk removal tool. Start by sorting your connections. On the web version, you can sort by Recently added, By location, or By company. This helps you find groups of people to review more quickly.

Set aside 15 to 20 minutes if you have more than 50 connections to review. Go through your list in batches, removing people as you go. You do not have to do it all at once. You can close the page and come back to it later — your progress is saved automatically.

What happens to your message history

Your past messages with a removed connection stay in your inbox. You can read them anytime by searching for that person's name in your messages. However, you cannot send them new messages unless you connect again. If you want to preserve important information from a conversation, copy it or take a screenshot before you remove the connection.

If the person sends you a new connection request after you remove them, you will see it like any other request. Accepting it will restore your connection status, and you will be able to message them again. There is no penalty for removing someone and later reconnecting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I removed them?

No. LinkedIn does not send a notification when you remove a connection. The person will only learn about they visit your profile, check their connections list, or try to message you and notice you are no longer connected.

Can I undo a removal?

There is no undo button, but you can send the person a new connection request. They will see it as a fresh request, and if they accept, you will be connected again. Your old message history will still be in your inbox.

What if I remove someone by accident?

Send them a new connection request right away. In your message, you can briefly explain it was accidental. Most people will accept without issue. There is no record on their end that you removed them, so they will not know unless you tell them.

Does removing a connection affect my profile visibility?

No. Removing connections does not change who can see your profile or how often your posts appear in others' feeds. It only changes whether that specific person appears in your connections list.

Can I remove someone who has not accepted my connection request yet?

If someone has not accepted your request yet, you do not need to remove them — you can straightforward withdraw the request. Go to your My Network page, find the pending request, and click Withdraw. This is cleaner than removing someone after they accept.