How to Delete Contacts on LinkedIn: What You Actually Need to Know
LinkedIn calls them connections, not contacts — but the process of removing people from your network is something plenty of users want to do and can't immediately find. The option exists, it's just not obvious. Here's exactly how it works, what happens when you do it, and the factors that affect your experience.
What "Deleting a Contact" Actually Means on LinkedIn
LinkedIn doesn't use the word "delete" in its interface. What you're doing is removing a connection — which ends the first-degree relationship between you and another person. Once removed:
- They no longer appear in your connections list
- You no longer appear in theirs
- Neither of you is notified (LinkedIn does not send an alert when someone removes a connection)
- Any messages exchanged remain in both inboxes
- Their profile may still be visible to you as a second- or third-degree connection, depending on their privacy settings
This is different from blocking someone, which prevents either party from viewing the other's profile or sending messages.
How to Remove a Connection on Desktop 🖥️
The most straightforward method:
- Go to linkedin.com and log in
- Click My Network in the top navigation bar
- Click Connections on the left sidebar
- Use the search bar to find the specific person, or scroll through your list
- Click the three dots (⋯) next to their name
- Select Remove connection
- Confirm when prompted
Alternatively, you can visit the person's profile directly, click the More button (shown as three dots below their profile photo or next to the Connect/Message button), and select Remove connection from the dropdown.
How to Remove a Connection on Mobile 📱
The LinkedIn mobile app (iOS and Android) follows a slightly different layout:
- Tap the My Network icon at the bottom of the screen
- Tap Connections
- Search for or find the person you want to remove
- Tap their name to open their profile
- Tap the More (⋯) icon on their profile
- Select Remove connection
The mobile interface changes more frequently than the desktop version, so button placement may shift slightly depending on which app version you're running.
Removing Multiple Connections: What's Possible
LinkedIn does not currently offer a bulk removal tool in the standard interface. You can only remove connections one at a time. This matters if you're trying to clean up a large network — removing 50 or 100 people takes meaningful time.
Some users look for third-party tools or browser extensions to speed this up. Worth knowing:
- LinkedIn's terms of service restrict automated actions on the platform
- Extensions that simulate clicks in bulk can risk account flags or temporary restrictions
- LinkedIn has tightened its API access significantly, limiting what third-party apps can do
If you're managing a large cleanup, manual removal in batches over several sessions is the safest approach.
What Happens to Messages After You Remove Someone
Messages are not deleted when you remove a connection. Both parties retain the full conversation history in their LinkedIn inbox. However:
- If neither of you has a premium account, the removed person cannot send you a new message after the connection is broken (unless you're both in the same LinkedIn Group, or they use InMail)
- Your previous messages remain searchable and visible to you
This is an important distinction if your reason for removing someone involves privacy — the conversation history itself stays put.
Variables That Affect Your Experience
Not everyone's removal process looks identical. A few factors that create differences:
| Variable | How It Affects the Process |
|---|---|
| Account type (Free vs. Premium) | Premium members have access to more search/filter tools within their connections list, making it faster to locate specific people |
| Network size | Large networks (500+ connections) make manual scrolling impractical — the search bar becomes essential |
| App version | Mobile interfaces update frequently; menu labels and icon placement can shift |
| Profile privacy settings | After removal, whether you can still see their profile depends on their privacy configuration and your mutual connections |
| Browser/OS | Desktop experience is generally more stable and feature-consistent than mobile |
The Difference Between Removing, Blocking, and Unfollowing
These three actions are often confused:
- Remove connection — ends the mutual first-degree relationship; they're moved to second- or third-degree
- Unfollow — you stay connected but stop seeing their posts in your feed; the connection remains intact
- Block — prevents both parties from viewing profiles or communicating; more disruptive and visible in effect (though still no notification is sent)
Choosing the right action depends on why you want to distance yourself from the connection. Unfollowing is invisible and low-commitment. Removing is clean but permanent unless one of you sends a new connection request. Blocking is the strongest action and hardest to reverse subtly.
Why You Can't Always Find the Option Immediately
LinkedIn's interface regularly updates, and the removal option is intentionally not prominent. The platform's design prioritizes growing networks over shrinking them. This is why the option is buried under "More" menus rather than surfaced alongside the message button.
If you're looking at someone's profile and don't see a "Remove connection" option, check:
- Whether you're actually connected (vs. following them without a connection)
- Whether you're logged in to the correct account
- Whether the page has fully loaded (especially on slower connections)
The option should appear under the More (⋯) dropdown on any first-degree connection's profile.
How often you need to do this, how many connections you're managing, and whether you're using desktop or mobile all shape how smooth or tedious the process turns out to be for your specific situation.