Disable read receipts in LinkedIn messages

You can turn off read receipts in LinkedIn messages through Settings & Privacy, Data privacy, Messaging experience, and Delivery and typing indicators. Switch the toggle off there. After that, you and the other participants will no longer see whether a message has been read or whether someone is typing a reply.

What is a read receipt in LinkedIn messages?

A read receipt shows that the recipient has opened a message. On LinkedIn, this normally appears as a small profile photo next to the sent message.

LinkedIn combines two features in one setting. So you do not just turn off read receipts. You also turn off the typing indicator. When this indicator is on, you can see that someone is typing a reply right now. According to LinkedIn, this feature is on by default.

The choice applies to all your normal conversations with connections. You cannot turn off read receipts for only one person or one conversation.

Turning off read receipts does not mean a message did not arrive. LinkedIn can still show that a message was sent successfully. You just will no longer see whether the recipient actually opened it.

There are three different statuses that people often confuse:

1. Sending. LinkedIn is trying to deliver the message.
2. Sent. The message was successfully sent to the recipient’s inbox.
3. Read. The recipient opened the message while the required read receipts were enabled.

If the feature is off for you or for the other person, the status often stays on sent. That can also happen when the message has already been read in practice.

How to turn off read receipts on desktop

Follow these steps on a computer to turn off read receipts and the typing indicator:

1. Click Me at the top of LinkedIn.
2. Choose Settings & Privacy.
3. Click Data privacy on the left.
4. Find Messaging experience.
5. Open Delivery and typing indicators.
6. Switch the toggle off.

LinkedIn saves the change automatically. Want to use the feature again later? Just open the same path and turn the toggle back on.

The name may vary slightly depending on your account language or LinkedIn version. In the English interface, the setting is called Delivery and typing indicators. So do not search only for the words read receipts. LinkedIn uses a broader name in the menu.

How to turn off read receipts on iPhone and Android

The steps in the LinkedIn mobile app are almost the same on iPhone and Android:

1. Tap your profile photo.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Open Data privacy.
4. Scroll to Messaging experience.
5. Tap Delivery and typing indicators.
6. Switch the toggle off.

The setting belongs to your LinkedIn account. If you turn it off on your phone, it will also be off when you later use LinkedIn on desktop.

What changes when you turn off read receipts?

The effect works both ways. LinkedIn says that nobody in the conversation, including you, can see whether messages have been read or whether someone is typing a reply.

That means the following:

• others will not see that you read their normal message;
• you will not see whether they read your message;
• others will not see that you are typing;
• you will not see that they are typing;
• the sent status may still remain visible;
• existing conversations stay in your inbox;
• you can still send and receive messages as usual.

The setting does not delete messages. It also does not change your online status, availability, notifications, or profile views. Those features have their own settings.

Does the choice also apply to existing conversations?

Yes. The setting is not a choice per new conversation. It controls your overall messaging experience. Old conversations remain, but future read and typing signals follow your current setting.

Do not assume that a read receipt that was already visible in the past will be removed everywhere. The setting is mainly meant to manage the indicators from the moment you change it.

Can the other person turn the feature on for you?

No. Each participant manages their own setting. For a visible read receipt, the relevant indicators must be available and enabled. If the recipient has turned the feature off, you will only see sent. That also applies if your own toggle is on.

What is the difference between sent, delivered, and read?

On the Help page, LinkedIn mainly uses the statuses sending, sent, and read. Each status means something different.

Sending

The message is on its way from your app or browser. Is it taking a long time? Then check your internet connection. If delivery fails, LinkedIn may show an error and ask you to try again.

Sent

LinkedIn has successfully sent the message to the inbox. This does not prove that the recipient opened it, understood it, or deliberately ignored it.

Read

A small profile photo next to the message can show that the recipient read it. This signal only appears when the feature is available and working in that situation.

Do not use a read receipt as a full explanation of someone’s behavior. A person may open a message quickly, want to reply later, or need more information first.

What exceptions apply to InMail and message requests?

Not every LinkedIn message uses the same indicators. Different rules apply especially to InMail and message requests.

InMail

LinkedIn says that read receipts and typing indicators are not shown to the sender of an InMail. So the absence of a small profile photo in InMail tells you nothing about whether your message was read.

InMail is a separate messaging format that lets certain users contact someone outside their normal network of connections. So do not treat InMail as a normal conversation between connections.

Message requests

For a message request, a read receipt appears only after the recipient accepts the request. The recipient can view a request and then decide to accept it or reject it privately.

If someone rejects a message request, LinkedIn says the sender does not receive a notification about that rejection.

Normal messages between connections

LinkedIn says that delivery and typing indicators apply, when enabled, to messages between you and your connections. This is the normal situation where you would expect the small profile photo and typing indicator.

If you want to grow your professional network, you can also buy LinkedIn connections alongside personal conversations. Keep your communication personal and relevant, even with new connections.

Group conversations

The general setting also applies to your messaging experience in conversations with multiple participants. In a group chat, do not draw conclusions too quickly from one indicator. The placement and display can change by device.

Do you manage a LinkedIn group yourself and want to increase its reach? Then you can buy LinkedIn group members. Read receipts remain a personal account setting.

Why would you turn off read receipts?

You want less pressure to reply right away

A visible read receipt can make you feel like you need to answer immediately. Turning the feature off lets you read a message and reply calmly later.

You use LinkedIn at fixed moments

Maybe you read messages throughout the day, but only deal with them at the end of the day. Without read receipts, there is less confusion about when you actually have time to reply.

You want the same boundary in all conversations

LinkedIn does not offer a per-conversation setting. So you choose one fixed approach for your account. That is easier than trying to remember different expectations for each person.

You find typing indicators distracting

The toggle also turns off the signal that someone is typing. That can make conversations feel calmer, especially when you write carefully and often revise your sentences.

Why would you keep read receipts on?

You work on quick practical coordination

In a short conversation with a colleague, a read receipt can show that important information was seen. It is not a replacement for clear confirmation in major decisions or important agreements.

You like timely communication

The indicator can help you decide whether to wait a little longer or use another channel. Use it as a small signal, not as proof of someone’s intent.

You also want to see whether a message has been read

The setting works both ways. If you do not show others your read status, you also cannot see theirs. People who find this information useful can leave the feature on.

What misunderstandings are common?

Sent means read

No. Sent only means LinkedIn successfully sent the message to the inbox. A read receipt is a separate status.

No profile photo means I am being ignored

No. The recipient may have turned off read receipts. It could also be an InMail or a message request that has not yet been accepted.

I can only turn off read receipts for one contact

No. LinkedIn describes one general toggle for your account. You cannot change it per conversation or contact.

Turning off read receipts hides my online status

No. Your active status and other signals have separate settings. This toggle is only about delivery and typing indicators in messages.

The other person can still see that I am typing

Not through this LinkedIn indicator. The toggle controls both read receipts and typing indicators.

With Premium, I can still see whether everything was read

LinkedIn does not mention any Premium exception that lets you bypass the recipient’s disabled choice. Senders of InMail also do not see these indicators.

What do you do if you cannot find the setting?

Check the right section

The setting is under Data privacy. It is not under the main sections Visibility or Notifications. Look for Messaging experience within Data privacy.

Update the app

An older app version may show different menu words. Install the latest available version and then reopen the app.

Check your account language

In English, the option is called Delivery and typing indicators. In some menu versions, the word delivery may be used instead of read receipts.

Try desktop

Is the mobile page not loading properly? Then open LinkedIn in a desktop browser. Change the account setting there. The result will also apply in the app afterward.

Sign in again

A temporary sync error may disappear after you sign out and sign back in. Make sure you have your password and security method available first.

How do you handle messages without read receipts properly?

Privacy settings do not fully solve communication expectations. A short and clear approach often helps more.

Give a receipt confirmation when something is important

For example, write: “I received this and will get back to you tomorrow with an answer.” That way, the sender does not have to rely on a small icon.

Do not ask something urgent without a deadline

Say when you need something and why. A calm and specific deadline works better than several separate follow-up messages.

Use the right channel

LinkedIn is not always suitable for an emergency, a formal assignment, or confidential information. Use the agreed work channel when speed or security matters.

Do not draw a personal conclusion from silence

People use LinkedIn in different ways. Some open the platform daily. Others check it only once a week. No reply or read receipt says little about interest or intent.

Which privacy settings belong with this?

Read receipts are only one part of your LinkedIn privacy. Check other visibility settings separately.

Profile viewing

You can choose whether a profile visit shows your name, general characteristics, or only an anonymous member. This setting is under Visibility and not under Data privacy. You can read more about this in use private mode on LinkedIn.

Notifications about profile changes

You can limit certain updates about a new job, education, or work anniversary. That has no effect on read receipts. Use the guide disable notifications for profile changes on LinkedIn for that.

Public profile

The visibility of your public profile determines which parts can appear outside LinkedIn and in search engines. Read receipts do not change that.

Active status

LinkedIn can use an availability indicator in Messages. Check this setting separately if you do not want others to see when you are active.

Visibility of your company page

The privacy of your personal messages is separate from the reach of a company page. If you want to make a business page more visible, you can strategically buy LinkedIn followers. This does not change your read receipts or typing indicator.

Which two screenshots make the steps clear?

Screenshot 1: the path to Messaging experience

On desktop, show Settings & Privacy with Data privacy highlighted. Then highlight Messaging experience and Delivery and typing indicators. Add a note that the option is not under Visibility.

Screenshot 2: the difference between sent and read

Use a fictional test conversation. Highlight the sent status on one message and the small profile photo on a read message. Explain that no photo may mean read receipts are turned off. Do not use real names or private messages.

Which checklist do you use after the change?

• Is the toggle turned off under Data privacy?
• Do you understand that the typing indicator also turns off?
• Do you know that you will no longer see read status from others either?
• Have you checked the setting on desktop or mobile?
• Do you expect no read receipt for InMail?
• Do you take unread message requests into account?
• Do you avoid confusing sent with read?
• Do you use a clear receipt confirmation for important messages?
• Do you check your active status separately?
• Do you avoid sharing confidential information just because a conversation seems private?

Frequently asked questions about LinkedIn read receipts

Can someone see that I read a LinkedIn message?

Yes. In a normal conversation between connections, a small profile photo can show that you read the message. This only happens when the required indicators are on. If the feature is off, the other person will not see this.

Can I turn off read receipts for one person?

No. LinkedIn uses one general account setting for all conversations. There is no separate toggle per contact or conversation.

Will I still see read receipts if I turn my own feature off?

No. If the indicators are off, nobody in the conversation, including you, can see whether a message was read or whether someone is typing.

Will someone get a notification if I turn off read receipts?

LinkedIn does not mention a notification to connections about this change. The other person will only notice that the read indicator or typing indicator does not appear.

Do read receipts work with InMail?

No. LinkedIn says that read receipts and typing indicators do not appear to senders of InMail.

Can I turn read receipts back on later?

Yes. Open the same path under Data privacy and switch the toggle back on. The choice will then apply again to your entire account.

What is the best next step now?

Open Settings & Privacy, Data privacy, and Delivery and typing indicators. Turn the toggle off if you want less pressure and do not mind not seeing read status yourself. Leave it on if mutual signals help your conversations.

Then check your other visibility choices. Read receipts only say something about messages. Profile visits follow different rules. The guide use private mode on LinkedIn helps you keep those signals apart.