How to Delete Your LinkedIn Account (and What to Do First)

George Avgenakis -

Contents

Quick answer: To delete your LinkedIn account, click the "Me" icon → Settings & Privacy → Account preferences → Account management → "Close account." Pick a reason, enter your password, and confirm. Before you do, download your data (connections, messages, profile) — it's gone once the account closes. If you just need a break, you can hibernate instead, which hides your profile without deleting anything.

Do This First: Download Your Data

Closing your account permanently erases your connections, messages, recommendations, and endorsements. Save what you'll want later:

  • Go to Settings & Privacy → Data privacy → Get a copy of your data.
  • Select the full archive (or specific items like Connections and Messages) and request it.
  • LinkedIn emails you the file — larger archives can take up to 24 hours, so do this a day before you close.
  • Also "Save to PDF" from your profile if you want a resume-style copy (see our guide on downloading your resume from LinkedIn).

How to Permanently Delete (Close) Your LinkedIn Account

On Desktop

  • Click the "Me" icon (your photo) at the top-right of your LinkedIn homepage.
  • Select "Settings & Privacy."
  • Open "Account preferences."
  • Scroll to "Account management" and click "Close account."
  • Choose a reason for leaving, then click "Continue."
  • Enter your password and confirm to close the account.

On the Mobile App

  • Tap your profile photo, then the Settings gear.
  • Tap "Account preferences."
  • Under "Account management," tap "Close account" and follow the same reason → password → confirm steps.

Prefer a Break? Hibernate Instead of Delete

Hibernating temporarily hides your profile from other members without erasing your data — you can reactivate anytime by simply signing back in.

  • Go to Settings & Privacy → Account preferences → Account management.
  • Choose "Hibernate account" instead of "Close account."
  • Your profile becomes invisible and your name is removed from most LinkedIn features, but your connections, messages, and history are preserved.

What Happens After You Close Your Account

  • Your profile, connections, messages, recommendations, and endorsements are permanently deleted.
  • You lose access to any groups you managed and any LinkedIn Learning history.
  • For a limited time after closing, you may be able to reopen the account — but after that window it's irreversible, and some data (like connections) may not fully restore.
  • Your public profile is removed from LinkedIn, though it can take time for search engines to drop cached versions.

Deleting Because of the Job-Search Grind?

Many people close LinkedIn out of fatigue — the notifications, the pressure to post, the endless manual applying. If the real issue is how exhausting job searching has become, deleting the app doesn't fix that. LoopCV takes the grind off your plate: set your target roles once and it finds matching jobs across 30+ job boards and applies for you automatically, so you can step back from the feed without stepping back from your search.

Job search without living on LinkedIn →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I permanently delete my LinkedIn account?

Click the "Me" icon, then Settings & Privacy → Account preferences → Account management → "Close account." Select a reason, enter your password, and confirm. Download a copy of your data first, since closing the account permanently erases your connections, messages, and profile.

What is the difference between closing and hibernating a LinkedIn account?

Closing permanently deletes your account and all its data. Hibernating temporarily hides your profile from other members without deleting anything — you reactivate simply by signing back in. Choose hibernate if you want a break, and close only if you want to leave for good.

Can I recover my LinkedIn account after deleting it?

For a limited time after closing, LinkedIn may let you reopen the account, but after that window it's permanent. Even when reopening is possible, some data such as connections and endorsements may not fully restore, so download your data before closing.

How do I download my LinkedIn data before deleting?

Go to Settings & Privacy → Data privacy → Get a copy of your data, select the full archive or specific items like connections and messages, and request it. LinkedIn emails you the file, which can take up to 24 hours for larger archives — so do it a day before you close the account.

Can I delete my LinkedIn account from the mobile app?

Yes. Tap your profile photo, then the Settings gear, then Account preferences. Under Account management, tap "Close account" and follow the reason, password, and confirmation steps — the same process as on desktop.