Remove someone as a LinkedIn connection
You remove someone as a LinkedIn connection through that person’s profile. Click or tap More at the top, choose Remove connection, and confirm your choice. You can also do this through My Network and your connections list. LinkedIn does not send the person a notification about the removal.
After the removal, you are no longer first-degree connections. The person disappears from your connections list. Any recommendations and Endorsements between you are withdrawn. They do not come back automatically if you connect again later.
Where do you find the Remove connection option?
The fastest route is through the person’s profile:
- Open the LinkedIn profile.
- Click or tap More at the top, or the three-dot icon.
- Choose Remove connection.
- Check the name and confirm your choice.
On desktop, you can also remove someone from your connections list:
- Click My Network at the top.
- Open Connections or click the number showing your connections.
- Find the person by name.
- Click More next to the name.
- Choose Remove connection.
- Confirm with Remove.
The connections-list route is useful if you prefer not to open the profile. That can matter because a profile visit may be visible to the other person, depending on your settings.
Which route should you use per device?
| Device | Route in LinkedIn | Result | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop via profile | Profile > More > Remove connection | The connection status changes immediately | You choose Unfollow instead of removing |
| Desktop via network | My Network > Connections > More next to name > Remove connection | The person disappears from your connections list | You search among all LinkedIn members instead of your connections |
| iPhone | Person’s profile > More > Remove connection | The person is no longer a first-degree connection | The More button is above the fold and not immediately visible |
| Android | Person’s profile > More > Remove connection | The connection is removed after confirmation | The LinkedIn app is not up to date |
| Mobile browser | My Network > number of connections > More > Remove | You can remove without opening the profile | The compact menu hides the number of connections |
Always check the name and profile photo before you confirm. LinkedIn does not show a direct undo button after you remove someone.
How do you remove someone without visiting their profile?
Go to My Network and open Connections. Use the search bar to find the right name. Choose More next to that person and then click Remove connection.
With this route, you do not need to open the full profile. That is useful if you do not want a new profile visit to appear in viewer data. Your general profile-view setting still matters for other visits.
According to the help pages, LinkedIn limits the displayed search results in your connections list to 100 pages or 1000 results. So use the search bar and the available filters if you have a large network.
You can sort the list by recently added, first name, or last name. Are there several people with the same name? Then check the profile photo, job title, and employer before removing anyone.
What happens after you remove a connection?
The person is no longer a first-degree connection. They no longer appear in the Contacts section or in your regular connections list.
LinkedIn does not send a notification about the removal. The other person may notice the change later themselves. The Message button may change, the shared connection status disappears, or LinkedIn shows the Connect button again.
Recommendations and Endorsements between you are withdrawn. That applies to endorsements you gave and received. If you connect again later, LinkedIn does not restore those recommendations and endorsements automatically.
Existing public comments and likes do not disappear automatically. Earlier messages may also remain in your message history. So removing a connection does not erase all past interactions.
The person may still be able to view your public profile and public posts. This depends on your visibility settings. If you want to limit contact and visibility more strongly, you can consider blocking.
When should you choose remove, unfollow, or block?
Remove connection
Choose this if you want to end the first-degree relationship. The person gets no notification, but the network relationship disappears. Mutual recommendations and Endorsements are also withdrawn.
Unfollow
Choose this if you want to stay connected, but no longer want the person’s posts in your feed. You remain first-degree connections. This is often the best choice for too much or irrelevant content.
Block
Choose blocking in cases of harassment, fraud, an unsafe situation, or contact that must stop completely. Blocking limits access to your profile and future interaction much more strongly. It also ends the existing connection.
Withdraw an open invitation
You can only withdraw an invitation before someone accepts your request. In that case, you are not connected yet. Read view and delete open LinkedIn invitations if the request is still in Sent.
Which choice fits which problem?
| Situation | Best first choice | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| You want to see fewer posts from someone | Unfollow | The professional connection remains |
| You no longer know the person and want to end the network relationship | Remove connection | The first-degree relationship and access end |
| There is harassment, fraud, or unwanted contact | Block and possibly report | This limits future contact more strongly |
| Your request has not been accepted yet | Withdraw invitation | There is no connection yet |
| One Endorsement is incorrect | Manage the endorsement | You do not need to remove the full connection |
| A recommendation contains an error | Ask for an adjustment or manage the recommendation | The network relationship can remain |
Choose the lightest action that truly solves the problem. Removing a connection is usually not necessary if you only want fewer posts in your feed.
In an unsafe situation, do not choose an action that is too light. Take screenshots of unwanted behavior if you need them for a report. Then block the person and do not share any extra personal information.
What are the effects of removing a connection on recommendations and Endorsements?
LinkedIn is clear about this: recommendations and Endorsements between the two members are withdrawn. They do not return when you connect again later.
So before removing someone, check whether an important recommendation is linked to the relationship. Do not copy it to publish the text elsewhere without permission. For your own records, you can note that the recommendation will be lost.
Do you only want to remove a specific Endorsement? Then you do not need to break the entire connection. Manage the skill or remove the endorsement through the profile.
Do you want to hide or edit a recommendation? Use the recommendation tools instead. Removing a connection is a big step if only one text or endorsement is the problem.
Can the other person see that you removed them?
LinkedIn does not send an active notification. So there is no warning with your name and a message saying that you removed the connection.
The person may still discover it by opening your profile. The first-degree connection label is then gone. The Connect button may become visible again. Recommendations and endorsements may also have disappeared.
So it is better to say that LinkedIn does not report the removal. The removal is not always fully invisible.
Did you open the profile first in order to remove the person? Then that profile visit may be visible depending on your settings. Use the connections list or adjust your profile-view setting beforehand. Read choosing the best LinkedIn profile photo if you want to know which settings are available.
Does removing work the same on iPhone, Android, and desktop?
The profile route works on all devices. Open the person’s profile, choose More, tap or click Remove connection, and confirm.
Desktop and the mobile browser also offer a clear route through My Network and Connections. In the app, you can also go to the list through My Network, Manage my network, and Connections. The exact names and button locations can vary by version.
Do you not see the Remove connection option? Then check whether you are really first-degree connections. For an open request, use Withdraw. If someone only follows you, there is no connection to remove.
Why won’t removal work?
The person is not a connection
Look at the label on the profile. A second-degree or third-degree member is not in your connections list. The person may only follow you, or an invitation may still be open.
You opened the wrong menu
Use the More button in the intro section of the personal profile. The menu in a message contains other options and usually does not show Remove connection.
The app is outdated
Update the LinkedIn app. Then close the app completely and try again. Use the desktop version if the menu does not load properly in the app.
You already removed the person
Do you see the Connect button and is the first-degree label gone? Then the action is probably already complete. Do not click Connect by mistake, because that may immediately send a new request.
You are using a company page
Connections belong to personal profiles. A LinkedIn company page has followers and admins, but no personal first-degree connections. If you want to grow a page’s reach, that is about LinkedIn followers and not personal connections.
Can you reverse the removal later?
There is no direct undo button. You need to send a new connection invitation and the other person must accept it again.
Earlier recommendations and Endorsements are not restored automatically. If you want them back on your profile, they must be given again later.
Do not send a new request right away if the removal was intentional. First check why you ended the connection. Did you remove someone by accident? Then add a short and honest message if LinkedIn allows a personal note.
Was safety the reason for the removal? Then do not make a new connection. In that case, check the blocking option and your profile visibility.
How do you clean up a LinkedIn network carefully?
Do not remove people in bulk just because they have not posted for a while. A quiet contact can still be professionally relevant.
Use clear criteria for cleaning up your network:
- you do not know the person and there is no clear context;
- the account is clearly fake or misleading;
- the contact is unwanted or unsafe;
- the relationship no longer fits and you do not want to give first-degree access;
- you first considered simply unfollowing the person.
Work in small batches and check each profile or name. Do not use an external bulk tool. LinkedIn prohibits automation that performs activities or collects data.
A network does not need to be as large as possible. LinkedIn mentions a maximum of 30,000 first-degree connections, but relevance and trust matter more than the total number.
Want to build a relevant professional network again after cleaning up? Then first focus on people who fit your field and goals. As a supplement, you can read more about buy LinkedIn connections. Keep watching quality and a naturally built profile.
Also make a distinction between personal connections, page followers, and group members. A group has members instead of first-degree connections. For such a community, the focus is therefore on LinkedIn group members, while your personal connections list is managed through your own profile.
Which privacy settings should you check after removal?
Open Settings & Privacy and go to Visibility. Check who can see your connections list, profile photo, email address, and public profile. A removed connection can still be a LinkedIn member who views public parts of your profile.
Also check the profile-view options if you want to view the person’s profile. Removing a connection does not make a previously visible profile visit anonymous again.
Do you not want the person to follow your public content? Then check whether that person is still a follower. Manage this where LinkedIn offers that option. A connection and a follower are not always the same thing.
Blocking is suitable if normal visibility settings do not offer enough protection. LinkedIn hides blocked members from each other more strongly. Read the warnings in the blocking screen before you confirm. Other relationships and interactions may also change because of this.
Finally, adjust who may send you invitations if you often receive unwanted requests. This does not prevent every search or profile view, but it gives you more control over new connection requests.
After that, view your profile in a private browser window. That gives you a better idea of what people outside your network can still see publicly. Keep in mind that search engines may take some time to update old profile information.
Check these settings regularly, especially after you have cleaned up your network or blocked someone.
Which questions are frequently asked about removing a LinkedIn connection?
Does someone get a notification if I remove them?
No. LinkedIn does not send a notification. The person may later notice the change themselves on your profile or because the first-degree connection status has disappeared.
Do our messages disappear?
No, not automatically. Removing a connection does not erase the full message history. Earlier conversations may remain. Blocking is a different and stronger action.
Do recommendations and Endorsements disappear?
Yes. LinkedIn states that mutual recommendations and endorsements are withdrawn. They do not come back if you connect again later.
Can I add someone again?
Yes. You can send a new connection request later. The other person must accept that request again. There is no undo button for the old connection.
Can I remove someone without opening the profile?
Yes. Go through My Network to Connections, find the right name, choose More, and then Remove connection. That way, you do not need to open the full profile.
Can the person still see that I viewed their profile?
A previous profile visit is separate from the removal. What is visible depends on your profile-view setting. Read revoke a LinkedIn invitation for more explanation.
Which step should you take next?
First decide whether you really want to end the connection or only stop following the person’s posts. Then check whether there are any important recommendations or Endorsements between you.
Choosing removal? Then use the connections list if you do not want to open the profile. Check the name, choose Remove connection, and confirm once. Only consider blocking when you also want to further limit future contact and access to your profile.
