ByTaking a break from LinkedIn shouldn’t mean losing your connections or professional history. Hibernating the account offers the perfect solution: a temporary pause that keeps your profile intact.
But the key is to export your data first. This guide shows you exactly how to do both, ensuring you can disconnect with confidence. We’ll break it down into four easy steps.
4 Steps to Deactivate/Hibernate Your LinkedIn Account (Mobile & PC):
1. Access Your Account Settings:
Start by logging into LinkedIn. Then, click on your profile picture in the top right corner and select ‘Settings & Privacy’ from the dropdown menu.
2. Navigate to Hibernation:
Once in ‘Settings & Privacy’, go to ‘Account preferences’ and then select ‘Account management’. Within ‘Account management’, you’ll find the option to ‘Hibernate account‘. Click on it.
{(Note: Under the hibernate option, you will see an option called “Close account“, proceed with that option if you want to delete your LinkedIn account (please see the image above).}
3. Confirm and Provide a Reason:
You’ll now be prompted to confirm that you want to hibernate your account. You’ll also be asked to select a reason for doing so. Choose a reason that best represents your purpose. This step is usually required by LinkedIn.
4. Finalize Hibernation:
After choosing a reason, click the “Next” button. Now, LinkedIn will ask you to provide your password for security purposes. Insert your password and click the final confirmation (Hibernate) button to complete the hibernation process.
And that’s how you can deactivate your LinkedIn account. But how you can reactivate it again?
Reactivating Your Account:
To get back on LinkedIn, simply log in with your usual credentials. Remember that you must wait at least 24 hours after hibernating your account before you can reactivate it. You might notice a small difference in your connection count immediately after reactivating, but this should resolve within 48 hours.
6 Facts to Know Before You Hibernate/Deactivate Your LinkedIn ID:
1. Export Your LinkedIn Data (Highly Recommended):
Before you hibernate, LinkedIn offers the option to download a copy of your data. This is highly recommended. This archive includes valuable information such as your connections, posts, articles, recommendations, messages, and more.
To request a copy of your LinkedIn profile info- go to LinkedIn settings and choose Data Privacy. Now, under the “How LinkedIn uses your data” section, you will see an option called “Get a copy of your data“.
Click on it and follow the instructions to request your account information such as messages and others.
Remember: you can only request a copy of your data from the LinkedIn web version, and depending on how much data you need, it may take up to 10 minutes to 48 hours to process your data.
2. Your Profile Becomes Invisible:
Once you hibernate, your profile will be completely hidden from public view. This means no one, not even your existing connections, will be able to find or view your profile. It’s as if you’ve temporarily disappeared from LinkedIn’s platform.”
3. You’ll Appear as “A LinkedIn Member”:
In any instances where your past activity is still visible (such as in group discussions or on other people’s posts), your name and profile picture will be replaced with the generic label ‘A LinkedIn Member.’ This ensures your profile remains hidden while preserving the context of past conversations and interactions.
4. You Vanish from LinkedIn Searches:
Hibernating your account removes you from all LinkedIn search results, including searches conducted through LinkedIn Recruiter and other related products. This means recruiters and other professionals actively searching for talent or connections won’t be able to find you.”
5. Premium Subscriptions Are Automatically Canceled:
If you have a LinkedIn Premium subscription, it will be automatically canceled when you hibernate your account. This is important to note to avoid any unexpected charges.
However, if you originally purchased your Premium subscription through Apple’s App Store, you must also cancel the subscription directly through your Apple account to prevent future billing. LinkedIn’s automatic cancellation won’t affect your Apple subscription.
6. Potential Pre-Hibernation Tasks:
In certain situations, LinkedIn might require you to complete specific actions before you can successfully hibernate your account.
These tasks might include paying any outstanding balances on your account, reassigning administrator roles for any groups you manage, or canceling any active LinkedIn Learning or Recruiter licenses tied to your account.
LinkedIn will clearly notify you if any such actions are required, and you’ll usually see a ‘Refresh’ button to check if these tasks have been completed.
Final Words:
You’ve now successfully learned how to hibernate your LinkedIn account and, crucially, how to protect your valuable data by exporting it beforehand. This ensures you’re making an informed decision about your online presence and retaining ownership of your professional information.
When you’re ready to return, your profile will be waiting, and you’ll have a secure backup of your data.
While you’re thinking about cleaning up your LinkedIn profile, you might also want to declutter your saved resumes. Check out our guide on How to Remove Old Resumes from LinkedIn for a Clean Profile.
