Deleting your LinkedIn account is not a decision to take lightly. However, there are various reasons why you may want to close your LinkedIn account. Maybe you don’t need to use it anymore since you got the dream job. Or maybe you’re more focused on finding another social site where you can highlight your expertise. Regardless, LinkedIn offers you the option to delete your account. And here you have a guideline on how to do it!
Reasons why people delete their LinkedIn accounts
Everyone has their own reason for deleting any social account, and LinkedIn is no different. Yes, it can provide a great professional presence, but depending on your niche, you may not even want that.
Managing privacy concerns and personal data
All sites like LinkedIn will manage and track, not to mention store personal data. A lot of people are worried and want to delete their LinkedIn accounts because of privacy concerns. Hacks happen often these days, and LinkedIn could get hacked at any time, which means your data would not be private anymore.
Taking a break from professional networking platforms
Some people just want to try out something new, and that niche doesn’t require or offer any benefits if you have a professional presence. Taking a break from professional networking platforms is totally fine and something that you may need to do from time to time. Yes, it will be challenging and nerve-wracking at times, but it’s also going to be very much worth it in some situations.
Step-by-step guide to deleting or deactivating your LinkedIn account
Now that you have decided why to delete your LinkedIn account, it’s very important to understand the steps that you must go through. Deleting your LinkedIn is not exactly a hard thing to do. It’s rather simple, and it will allow you to redefine your professional career.
How to deactivate your LinkedIn account temporarily?
The process is called hibernating your account instead of closing it. You can reactivate it after 24 hours without deleting anything.
1) Start by clicking the profile photo at the top of your LinkedIn page and choose Settings & Privacy.
2) Now, you need to choose Hibernate your account from the account management page.
3) Choose the right option when you’re asked why you want to hibernate your account.
4) Write the reason why you want to hibernate account and press next button.
5) Enter the password and then press the Hibernate account button.
How to delete your LinkedIn account permanently?
- You start this process by clicking the profile photo.
- From here, you want to select Settings & Privacy.
- Enter Account Management, and here you want to click Change, right near to Close Account.
- Choose why you want to close your LinkedIn account and then press Next.
- LinkedIn will request your account password, and then you can choose to close the account.
Remember, you don’t have to close your account and lose all the info and documents/connections. If you plan to come back to LinkedIn after a while, then you can opt for the hibernation method. It still allows you to not be on LinkedIn anymore, but when you come back, all you need to do is reactivate your account, and you’re good to go.
What happens after you delete your account?
LinkedIn will usually delete most of the data, at least within the first 30 days. The content, posts and profile pictures will be permanently deleted, same with the endorsements and group memberships. LinkedIn has the right to retain personal data for legal reasons, but usually, a lot of that data is deleted in a few weeks as well.
Can you recover a deleted LinkedIn account?
If you want to recover the LinkedIn account in under 14 days, a lot of the data can be recovered. So, the sooner you want to recover, the better it will be. However, group memberships, invitations, followings, recommendations, and endorsements will be fully deleted.
How does LinkedIn retain your data?
Personal data is kept for up to 30 days after account closure for legal reasons. However, after 30 days, all user data gets deleted. If you choose to come back to LinkedIn, you will need to create an entirely new account.
Conclusion
Deleting your LinkedIn account is not something to take lightly because the platform can offer great exposure within your industry. It’s always a very good idea to hibernate the account and come back later rather than fully deleting it. With that in mind, a lot of users delete their LinkedIn presence due to personal reasons.
It can be anything from pursuing new avenues to shifting to a less internet-focused industry. Regardless of the situation, you don’t want to rush. It’s always possible to delete your LinkedIn if you want, but take your time and do it effectively, if necessary. As we said, hibernating the account is always the right approach, and you can use the steps above to hibernate or fully close the account!
