How To Hide Linkedin Activity

Introduction

How To Hide Linkedin Activity: In the era of digital connectivity and professional networking, LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for career growth and job hunting. However, there are moments when you may wish to maintain a more discreet online presence, safeguarding your personal and professional information from prying eyes. Whether you’re exploring new opportunities, recalibrating your job search, or simply prefer to keep your online activities private, learning how to hide your LinkedIn activity can be an essential skill.

We will walk you through the process of concealing your LinkedIn activity step by step. From adjusting your privacy settings to controlling what others can see about your actions on the platform, we will cover all the nuances of maintaining a low profile without compromising your networking potential.

You will have the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate LinkedIn’s features with confidence, striking a balance between active participation and protecting your privacy. Join us on this journey to discover how you can control your LinkedIn presence, ensuring it aligns seamlessly with your professional goals and preferences.

Can we hide activity on LinkedIn?

To hide your activity feed from certain people, click “Select Who Can See Your Activity Feed” under “Privacy Controls” on your profile settings page. A drop-down list appears with the options “Everyone,” “Connections,” “Your Network” and “Only You.” Click “Save Changes” to apply your selected option.

Yes, LinkedIn provides several options to control and customize the visibility of your activity on the platform, allowing you to manage your privacy and professional image effectively.

Profile Visibility Settings: You can adjust who can see your LinkedIn activity under the “Settings & Privacy” section. Choose between options like “Everyone,” “Your Network,” or “Only You” for different types of activities such as profile views, connections, and post visibility.

Anonymous Profile Viewing: LinkedIn offers the option to browse profiles anonymously. You can select this feature when viewing other users’ profiles, preventing them from seeing your name in their “Who’s viewed your profile” section.

Activity Broadcasts: You can control what your network sees in their feeds. When making updates like connecting with someone, following a company, or liking a post, you can choose whether or not to share these activities with your network.

Blocking and Unfollowing: You have the ability to block or unfollow connections or users who may compromise your privacy or professional interests.

Incognito Mode: LinkedIn’s premium subscription, LinkedIn Premium, offers an “Incognito” mode, which further enhances privacy by concealing your identity while viewing profiles.

You can effectively manage your visibility on LinkedIn, tailoring it to your preferences and professional goals while maintaining the level of privacy you desire.

How do I hide my activity on LinkedIn from my current employer?

[See: How to Quit Your Job Like a Class Act.]

To update your LinkedIn profile without your boss noticing, follow these steps: Under “Me” (Right side of the main menu bar at the top of the page), click on Settings & Privacy. Under Privacy, scroll to “Sharing profile edits” and turn off this option.

Hiding your activity on LinkedIn from your current employer is a delicate matter, especially if you want to maintain a professional and transparent image. While LinkedIn provides some privacy settings, it’s essential to exercise discretion and adhere to ethical guidelines. Here’s how you can minimize your visibility on LinkedIn without raising suspicions:

Adjust Profile Viewing Settings: Go to “Settings & Privacy” and select “Profile Viewing Options.” Choose the option to browse profiles anonymously. This prevents your name from appearing in the “Who’s viewed your profile” section of others.

Turn off Activity Broadcasts: When making updates like connecting with new people, following companies, or liking posts, uncheck the box that says “Share profile changes.” This way, your network won’t be notified of your activity in their feeds.

Review and Update Connections: Ensure that your connections list doesn’t include anyone from your workplace who might report your activity to your current employer inadvertently.

Be Cautious with Endorsements and Recommendations: Avoid endorsing or recommending colleagues or supervisors on LinkedIn while you’re still employed with them. It can be seen as a signal of job-seeking behavior.

Limit Public Posts: If you’re worried about your public posts being seen by your employer, you can adjust the audience for your posts to “Connections” or a more restricted group rather than “Public.”

It’s important to maintain professionalism and integrity on LinkedIn. While you can take steps to limit visibility, use your discretion to avoid behavior that may raise suspicions or damage your professional reputation.

Is my LinkedIn activity visible?

Notes: You can control whether your activity appears in your network’s feed. The Activity section will still appear on your profile, even if you choose not to notify your network about your profile changes. You can always view and delete your activity.

Yes, your LinkedIn activity is visible to varying degrees depending on your privacy settings and the actions you take on the platform.

Profile Views: By default, LinkedIn notifies users when someone views their profile. If you view someone’s profile, they can see that you’ve visited unless you’ve enabled private browsing or “Anonymous Profile Viewing” in your settings.

Post Interactions: When you like, comment, or share posts, these interactions are visible to your network and may appear in their LinkedIn feeds. The level of visibility depends on the privacy settings you choose when posting. You can control who sees your posts by selecting “Public,” “Connections,” or a more limited audience.

Connection Activity: Your connections can see your recent activity in their LinkedIn feeds. This includes posts you’ve interacted with, new connections, and work anniversaries. However, you can customize this by turning off the “Share profile changes” option in your privacy settings.

Followers and Connections: Your followers and connections can see updates in their feeds when you publish articles, share updates, or make significant profile changes unless you’ve set your activity to “Only You” in the privacy settings.

While LinkedIn activity is generally visible, you have the flexibility to adjust your privacy settings to control who sees your specific actions and updates. Carefully managing these settings can help you strike the right balance between maintaining a professional online presence and protecting your privacy.

Can I block my boss on LinkedIn?

To block someone on LinkedIn: Go to their profile. Under their name, next to the “Message” button, click on “More.” (If you’re on the LinkedIn App, you’ll see a button with three dots instead of one that says “More.” The rest of the directions are the same.) Select “Report or block” from the menu that appears.

Yes, you can block someone, including your boss, on LinkedIn if you wish to restrict their access to your profile and communication on the platform. Blocking a connection on LinkedIn can be done discreetly and without notifying the person you are blocking. Here’s how:

Go to Their Profile: Visit the LinkedIn profile of the person you want to block.

Click on the “More” Button: On their profile, you’ll find a “More” button (represented by three dots) located near their profile photo or cover image. Click on it to reveal a dropdown menu.

Select “Block or Report”: In the dropdown menu, you’ll see the option to “Block or Report.” Click on this option.

Confirm the Block: LinkedIn will ask you to confirm your decision. It will inform you that the person won’t be notified of the block, and you won’t see each other’s activity on LinkedIn.

Blocking someone on LinkedIn is a private action, and your boss will not receive any notification or indication that you’ve blocked them. It’s a useful feature if you want to maintain a level of separation between your personal and professional life on the platform or if you have specific privacy concerns. However, consider the implications and potential impact on your working relationship before taking such a step.

How do I change my LinkedIn settings to hide my recent activity?

To change your LinkedIn settings to hide your recent activity and maintain a more discreet online presence, follow these steps:

Log In to Your LinkedIn Account: Open your preferred web browser, go to the LinkedIn website, and log in with your credentials.

Access Your Privacy Settings: Click on your profile picture or avatar in the top right corner of the LinkedIn homepage to access the dropdown menu. From there, select “Settings & Privacy.”

Navigate to the “Visibility” Tab: In the left-hand menu of the Settings & Privacy page, click on the “Visibility” tab.

Edit Your Public Activity: Scroll down to the “Visibility of your activity” section. Here, you can control what others see when you view their profiles, as well as your activity feed. Click “Change” next to “Profile viewing options.”

Choose Private Mode or Anonymous Profile: You’ll have the option to select “Private mode” or “Anonymous LinkedIn Member” depending on the level of anonymity you desire. Private mode allows others to see that you’ve viewed their profile, while Anonymous mode hides your identity completely.

Save Your Changes: After selecting your preferred option, click “Save.” LinkedIn will prompt you to confirm your choice.

Review Your Activity Settings: Ensure that your settings match your privacy preferences by going through the other sections in the “Visibility” tab. Adjust them as needed, and remember to save your changes.

You can effectively hide your recent LinkedIn activity, giving you greater control over your online presence while still utilizing the platform for professional networking and job searching.

Can I hide specific LinkedIn connections from seeing my activity? 

LinkedIn does not provide a feature that allows you to selectively hide your activity from specific connections. The privacy settings on LinkedIn are more focused on controlling the visibility of your activity to all your connections or the public rather than individual users. Here’s how it works:

All-or-Nothing Visibility: LinkedIn’s privacy settings generally allow you to choose whether your activity is visible to your network or remains completely private (anonymous mode). This means that your activity is either visible to all your connections or hidden from all of them.

Profile Blocking: If you want to prevent specific LinkedIn connections from seeing your profile or your activity, you can block them. When you block a connection, they won’t be able to see your profile or any updates you make. However, this is a more drastic measure and may affect your overall networking on the platform.

Customize Your Network: Another approach is to be selective about your connections. You can connect with individuals whom you are comfortable sharing your activity with, and be more discerning in accepting connection requests.

Please note that LinkedIn’s features and privacy settings may have evolved since my last update. It’s advisable to review LinkedIn’s current privacy settings and guidelines to see if there have been any changes or new features introduced to address this specific aspect of privacy on the platform.

Are there any drawbacks to hiding my LinkedIn activity?

Hiding your LinkedIn activity can offer increased privacy and control over your online presence, but it also comes with potential drawbacks to consider:

Reduced Networking Opportunities: One of the primary purposes of LinkedIn is to connect and network with professionals in your industry. When you hide your activity, you may miss out on opportunities to engage with others, discover new connections, and stay informed about industry trends and job openings.

Limited Visibility: Hiding your activity can make you less visible to potential employers or recruiters. If your profile appears inactive, they may be less likely to reach out to you with job opportunities or networking inquiries.

Lack of Engagement: Engaging with others’ content, such as liking, commenting, or sharing posts, is an essential part of building a robust LinkedIn presence. When you hide your activity, you can’t engage with others’ content effectively, potentially reducing your impact on the platform.

Trust and Transparency: Some LinkedIn users value transparency and authenticity. Hiding your activity might be perceived as a lack of transparency, which can affect how others perceive you professionally.

Inconvenience for Others: If you frequently view profiles anonymously, it can be frustrating for the individuals whose profiles you visit, as they won’t know who you are. This can hinder meaningful connections and interactions.

Profile Views: When you hide your activity, your profile views may decrease. Some professionals view profiles of those who engage with their content, and they may reciprocate by viewing your profile. Hiding your activity can reduce the number of profile views you receive.

The decision to hide your LinkedIn activity should be based on your personal preferences, privacy concerns, and professional goals. It’s essential to strike a balance between privacy and engagement to make the most of the platform.

What is the difference between hiding activity and changing visibility settings? 

Hiding activity and changing visibility settings on LinkedIn both relate to managing your online presence, but they serve slightly different purposes:

Hiding Activity:

Profile and Activity Privacy: When you hide your LinkedIn activity, you primarily focus on concealing your actions and interactions on the platform. This includes hiding your profile updates, such as changes to your headline, work experience, or skills.

Viewing Profiles Anonymously: Hiding your activity can also involve viewing other users’ profiles anonymously. This means that when you visit someone’s profile, they won’t know you’ve viewed it.

Engagement Still Visible: While you hide specific actions, such as profile updates, your engagement with other users’ content (liking, commenting, sharing) is generally still visible to your connections and the broader LinkedIn community.

Changing Visibility Settings:

Overall Visibility: Changing visibility settings encompasses adjusting who can see your LinkedIn profile, connections, and activity. You can choose to make your profile visible to all LinkedIn members, your network, or only your connections.

Selective Audience: You have more control over who sees your activity and profile updates when you change visibility settings. You can, for example, make your profile visible to your network while hiding it from non-connections.

Public Profile: You can decide whether or not to have a public profile, which is visible to search engines like Google. This affects how people outside LinkedIn can find and view your LinkedIn profile.

While hiding activity is a subset of changing visibility settings, the latter offers broader control over who sees your profile and activities on LinkedIn. It’s important to carefully configure both aspects to strike a balance between privacy and engagement that aligns with your professional goals on the platform.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of hiding your LinkedIn activity can be a strategic advantage in today’s competitive professional landscape. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ve gained the power to curate your online presence, protecting your privacy while still reaping the benefits of this powerful networking platform.

Remember that your LinkedIn activity reflects your professional brand. Whether you’re exploring job opportunities, expanding your industry network, or simply staying informed, maintaining control over what others see is key. With the tools and knowledge you’ve acquired here, you can confidently tailor your LinkedIn experience to meet your specific needs.

As you continue to navigate the ever-evolving world of online networking, don’t hesitate to revisit and update your privacy settings as circumstances change. LinkedIn’s features may evolve, but your ability to adapt and maintain control over your digital footprint will remain an essential skill.

Now, armed with this newfound expertise, go forth and make LinkedIn work for you, striking the perfect balance between being an active participant and safeguarding your personal and professional information. Your LinkedIn journey is yours to sculpt, and with the right strategies, you can shape it to meet your unique aspirations and ambitions.