The quickest way to remove a LinkedIn contact

Open LinkedIn and go to your My Network tab, then click Connections. Find the person you want to remove, click the three dots next to their name, and select Remove connection. Confirm when LinkedIn asks if you're sure. That person will no longer appear in your connections list, and you won't appear in theirs.

The person you remove won't get a notification that you've done it. They can still see your public profile if they search for you, but they won't be able to message you through LinkedIn's direct messaging system unless you connect again.

If you're removing someone from your phone app instead of a computer, the steps are the same: tap My Network, then Connections, find the person, tap the three dots, and select Remove connection.

Key Takeaways

  • You can remove a connection by going to My Network, clicking Connections, finding the person, and selecting Remove connection from the three-dot menu.
  • The person you remove won't receive a notification, but they can still view your public profile and search for you on LinkedIn.
  • Removing a connection is different from blocking—a removed connection can still message you if you reconnect later.
  • You can remove multiple connections at once by selecting the checkbox next to each name, then using the bulk action menu.

The difference between removing, blocking, and unfollowing

Removing a connection and blocking someone are not the same thing. When you remove a connection, that person can still see your public profile, send you a new connection request, and view any posts you've marked as public. They simply won't have direct-message access unless you connect again.

When you block someone, they cannot see your profile at all, cannot search for you, and cannot send you messages or connection requests. Blocking is the stronger action and is meant for situations where you don't want someone to contact you at all. To block someone on LinkedIn, go to their profile, click the three dots, and select Block.

Unfollowing is different from both. When you unfollow someone, you're still connected, but their posts won't show up in your feed. You can unfollow a connection without removing them. This is useful if you want to stay connected for professional reasons but don't want to see their daily updates.

Removing connections in bulk

If you need to remove many connections at once, LinkedIn lets you select multiple people. Go to My Network, then Connections. Check the box next to the first person's name, then hold Shift and click the last person in the group you want to remove. This selects everyone in between. A menu will appear at the top with a Remove option.

You can also check individual boxes one at a time if the people you want to remove aren't grouped together. Once you've selected everyone you want to remove, click the Remove button that appears, and confirm your choice.

What happens after you remove someone

After you remove a connection, they disappear from your connections list immediately. Your profile will also disappear from their connections list. However, the removal is not permanent—either of you can send a new connection request at any time, and the other person can accept it just like a first-time request.

Any messages you exchanged with that person before the removal stay in your LinkedIn message history. You can still read old conversations, but you won't be able to send new messages unless you reconnect. If you remove someone and then reconnect later, your old message thread will still be there.

Removing connections you don't recognize

If you have connections you don't remember adding or don't want to keep, you can remove them the same way as anyone else. Go to My Network, Connections, search for their name or scroll through your list, and remove them. LinkedIn doesn't limit how many connections you can remove or how often you can do it.

If someone is sending you unwanted messages or behaving inappropriately, removing them is a first step, but blocking is stronger. Blocking prevents them from contacting you again, while removing just ends the connection. If someone is harassing you, consider blocking instead of just removing.

Removing connections from your mobile phone

The LinkedIn mobile app works the same way as the desktop version. Open the app, tap the My Network icon at the bottom, then tap Connections. Scroll to find the person, tap the three dots next to their name, and tap Remove connection. Confirm when prompted.

On both iPhone and Android, the process is identical. If you're having trouble finding the three-dot menu on your phone, make sure you're tapping directly on the person's name or profile card, not just anywhere on the screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I removed them?

No. LinkedIn does not send a notification when you remove a connection. The person will only know if they check their connections list and notice you're no longer there, or if they try to message you and can't.

Can I remove someone and then add them back later?

Yes. After you remove a connection, either of you can send a new connection request. It works exactly like connecting with someone for the first time. They'll see your request and can accept or decline it.

What's the difference between removing and blocking?

Removing a connection lets them still see your public profile and send you a new request. Blocking prevents them from seeing your profile, searching for you, or contacting you in any way. Use blocking if you don't want someone to contact you at all.

Do my old messages disappear if I remove someone?

No. Your message history with that person stays in your inbox. You can read old conversations, but you can't send new messages unless you reconnect. If you reconnect later, the old thread is still there.

Can I remove multiple people at once?

Yes. On the desktop version, go to Connections, check the boxes next to the people you want to remove, and click the Remove button that appears. On mobile, you have to remove people one at a time.