Yes, you can be anonymous on LinkedIn. Also, if you didn't know, other users may be able to see when you viewed their profile. Kinda creepy, right?
But going anonymous is a perfect feature for checking out other profiles who may have reached out to you. Using this feature, LinkedIn won't let them know that you viewed them. And if anyone finds your profile while you're browsing LinkedIn as anonymous, they won't be able to see your profile picture or other personal information.
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However, if you browse in private mode you also won't be able to see who has viewed your profile, unless you upgrade to Premium(opens in a new tab).
So how do you do you go full anonymous mode on LinkedIn? Follow these steps.
1. Log in to your LinkedIn profile
2. Find where it says "Me" at the very top and click the dropdown arrow
Find "Me" at the top of the page Credit: linkedin
3. Select "Settings & Privacy" under "Account"
Select "Settings and privacy" in the dropdown menu Credit: linkedin
4. In the menu on the left, select "Visibility"
Select "Visibility" on the left Credit: linkedin
These settings will allow you to have control over who can see your profile and personal info.
5. Select "Profile viewing options"
After clicking "Visibility" in the menu on the left, select your LinkedIn profile viewing options Credit: linkedin
6. At the bottom, select "Private Mode"
LinkedIn "Private Mode" setting Credit: linkedin
You'll now only be seen as an "Anonymous LinkedIn Member." View other profiles without them knowing you viewed them. Your profile, along with your contact info, won't be visible to others.
You can also select "Private Mode" in your "Story viewing options," which lets you view LinkedIn members' stories anonymously.
There are plenty of other privacy settings you can adjust to limit your LinkedIn visibility without going completely anonymous. Choose who can see your connections, who can see your last name and email address, whether approved apps and partners can display information from your profile, and more.
Obviously, visibility (and more specifically, discoverability) is a large part of being active on LinkedIn and networking with other professionals, but for those moments you want to be less visible, LinkedIn allows you to be.
By switching your profile to private mode, you can use the LinkedIn social network normally and view LinkedIn profiles anonymously, i.e., without appearing in view notifications. 🔎This is convenient for surfing the B2B network anonymously and protecting your privacy and security online.
How to view LinkedIn profile in private mode?
To make this change, simply go anonymous in “Settings & Privacy”. ⚙️
Then in the “How others see your activity on LinkedIn” tab. Then simply check your “Private Mode” to make your profile account invisible:💧
This method can be interesting if you work in the recruiters’ industry, for example. By making this choice, you won’t see who came to visit your profile. Or if you simply do not want to be seen by the people you are looking for. 🕵️
How to turn on private mode on LinkedIn? How to search on LinkedIn in incognito mode?
By unchecking the “profile visibility outside of LinkedIn” option, your profile will no longer be visible from LinkedIn partners or, simply, from a search engine. You have the ability to set the visibility in your profile by registered and non-registered members, and to disable certain parts of your profile. 🤐
People not registered on the LinkedIn network access your profile from a search engine, only public account information will then be visible. By taking the action of hiding your public LinkedIn profile, your LinkedIn profile will no longer appear in search browser results. 💡
In general, LinkedIn profiles appear in the top search results. So your profile is easily accessible if it’s in public mode. All the more reason to learn how to enable this option, wanting to remain anonymous on LinkedIn. 👀
Nevertheless, if you have optimized your LinkedIn profile, it is a real advantage for you to leave it public! 😏
It may take a few days for changes to take effect when you request to switch your professional profile from “public” to “private”. 🙏
Conclusion: How to make LinkedIn private for profile viewing?
If you want to become anonymous LinkedIn users, there is a simple solution 🤫 :
- Click on the “Me” section in the upper-right dropdown menu, and go to your “Settings & Privacy” :
- Go to the “Visibility” section, and scroll to “Profile Viewing Options”. Then proceed to click “Change profile” :
- You will then have the option to display your profile as “Anonymous LinkedIn Member” :
This way, when you visit or perform any other action on someone else’s profile, your name will not appear. 👻 This allows you to block a user profile in “private mode”, but there is no other way to be anonymous on the web, without first making a profile visit. 👁
FAQ: How to look at someone’s LinkedIn privately?
How to look at profiles on LinkedIn anonymously? Does LinkedIn show who viewed your profile?
To find out who is viewing your LinkedIn profile, you need to follow these steps 👇 :
- Click on the “You” icon to view your photo at the top of the homepage,
- Select settings, “View Profile.”
- From there, click on “Who viewed your profile” in your dashboard banner.
- Note: you can also access this personal information from the home page: under your LinkedIn profile picture in the left module of the LinkedIn profile page, then click on “Views of your profile”.
Moreover, with the private mode feature, you can make changes to your account to have several options to view your profile and that of other users of this social network. 👥
You don’t need to be a premium member, just adjust your profile settings, and you’re done! 🎲
Should you browse privately on LinkedIn, or with a public profile?
As you know, LinkedIn is the largest professional social network in the world, so it’s nice to know who can see your profile. 🧐
As a result, an inspiring personal profile is more likely to be visited. We highly recommend that you take special care and heat up your LinkedIn account, 🔥 because it can help you to:
- Find a job quickly (think of an employer who may come to inquire about your skills).
- Sell your products more easily. Using a content strategy, to grow your professional network.
Finally, it’s up to you, either you leave your social media profile in public or you put it in private browsing mode. Knowing that you may have fewer connections if you use this anonymous way, but your privacy will probably be more protected.