You can delete a LinkedIn connection in three taps on mobile or four clicks on desktop
Open LinkedIn and go to your profile. Under the "Connections" section, find the person you want to remove. On mobile, tap the three dots next to their name and select "Remove connection." On desktop, hover over their name, click the three dots icon, and choose "Remove connection." LinkedIn will ask you to confirm — click or tap "Remove" again, and they're gone from your list.
The person you remove will not get a notification that you deleted them. They can still see your profile if it's set to public, and they can send you a new connection request later. Removing someone is different from blocking them — a removed connection can still message you through LinkedIn's messaging system unless you block them separately.
Key Takeaways
- Removed connections do not receive a notification, but they can still view your public profile and send new requests.
- The removal takes effect when ready and cannot be undone — you would need to send a new request or accept one from them to reconnect.
- Removing a connection is not the same as blocking; a removed person can still message you unless you block them separately.
- You can remove connections one at a time through your profile or in bulk through LinkedIn's settings on desktop.
Removing connections one at a time from your profile
Start by opening LinkedIn and clicking or tapping your profile photo in the top right corner. Select "View profile" or go directly to your profile page. Scroll down to the "Connections" section — it shows a number and a preview of your most recent connections.
Click or tap "See all connections" to open your full list. Search for the person's name using the search box at the top if your list is long. Once you find them, look for the three dots (or menu icon) next to their name. On mobile, this appears to the right of their profile picture. On desktop, it appears when you hover over their name. Click or tap the three dots and select "Remove connection" from the menu that appears.
A confirmation box will pop up asking if you're sure. Click or tap "Remove" to finish. The person is now removed from your connections list.
Removing multiple connections at once on desktop
If you need to remove several people, the desktop version of LinkedIn lets you do this faster. Go to your profile and click "See all connections." You can now select multiple people by clicking the checkbox next to each name. A toolbar will appear at the top with options — click "Remove from connections" to remove all selected people at once.
LinkedIn will ask you to confirm the removal. Click "Remove" and all selected connections will be deleted from your list in one action. This method is much quicker than removing people one by one, especially if you're cleaning up a large connections list.
What happens after you remove a connection
Once you remove someone, they disappear from your connections list when ready. You will no longer see their activity in your feed, and they will no longer see yours in their feed. However, if your profile is set to public, they can still visit your profile page and see your public information.
The removed person can send you a new connection request at any time, and you can accept or decline it like any other request. If you want to prevent them from contacting you entirely, you need to block them separately — removing a connection does not block messaging.
The difference between removing, blocking, and unfollowing
LinkedIn offers three separate actions, and they work differently. Removing a connection takes them off your connections list but allows them to message you and view your public profile. Blocking someone prevents them from seeing your profile, messaging you, or sending you a connection request — it's the strongest action. Unfollowing someone means you stop seeing their posts in your feed, but they remain your connection and can still message you.
If you want to remove someone and prevent all contact, you need to both remove them and block them. If you only want to stop seeing their posts but keep the connection, unfollow them instead. Choose the action based on what you actually want to happen.
Removing connections you no longer recognize
If you have connections you don't remember adding or no longer want to stay connected to, you can review them before removing. Go to your connections list and look at each person's profile — you can see their headline, current company, and mutual connections. This helps you decide whether to keep or remove them.
Some people add connections they met briefly at events or through work and later decide the connection is no longer relevant. Removing them is normal and expected — professional networks change over time. You do not need a reason to remove someone, and they will not know why you removed them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I removed them?
No. LinkedIn does not send a notification when you remove a connection. They will only know if they check their connections list and notice you're no longer there, which most people do not do regularly.
Can I undo a removal?
No, the removal is permanent. To reconnect with someone, you would need to send them a new connection request or wait for them to send you one. They can accept or decline just like any other request.
What if I remove someone by accident?
You can send them a new connection request right away. Go to their profile and click "Connect." They will receive it as a regular request and can accept it. You may want to include a note explaining it was accidental.
Can a removed connection still message me?
Yes. Removing a connection does not prevent them from sending you messages through LinkedIn's messaging system. If you want to block all contact, you need to block them separately, which prevents messaging and profile viewing.
Does removing a connection affect my profile visibility?
No. Removing connections does not change your privacy settings or who can see your profile. Your profile visibility is controlled separately through your privacy settings, not by who you're connected to.