Deleting a contact from LinkedIn takes about 30 seconds
Open LinkedIn on desktop or mobile, go to your contacts list, find the person you want to remove, and click the three-dot menu next to their name. Select "Remove connection" and confirm. That person is no longer in your contacts, though they may still see your profile if they search for you — removing them from your list does not hide your profile from them.
The process is the same whether you want to remove someone you connected with years ago or someone you just added by mistake. LinkedIn does not notify the other person that you have removed them, so they will not receive a message or alert about it.
Key Takeaways
- You can remove a connection from your contacts list in about 30 seconds using the three-dot menu next to their name.
- Removing someone from your contacts does not prevent them from viewing your profile or searching for you on LinkedIn.
- The person you remove will not be notified that you have deleted them from your contacts.
- On mobile, the remove option appears in the same menu as on desktop, though the layout looks slightly different.
- You can also remove connections directly from your full contacts list or from individual profile pages.
How to remove a connection on desktop
Start by clicking the "My Network" icon in the top navigation bar — it looks like two people and appears between the home icon and the messaging icon. This takes you to your network page, where you will see a "Contacts" tab on the left side. Click it to see your full list of connections.
Find the person you want to remove by scrolling or using the search box at the top of the contacts list. Once you locate them, hover over their name and a three-dot menu will appear on the right side of their entry. Click those three dots and select "Remove connection" from the dropdown menu. A confirmation box will appear asking if you are sure — click "Remove" to finish.
If you are already on someone's profile page and want to remove them, look for the "Connected" button near the top of their profile (usually in the blue section with their name and headline). Click that button and select "Remove connection" from the menu that appears.
How to remove a connection on mobile
On the LinkedIn mobile app, tap the "My Network" icon at the bottom of the screen (it looks like two people). This opens your network page. Tap the "Contacts" tab to see your list of connections.
Scroll to find the person you want to remove, or use the search box at the top. Once you find them, tap the three-dot menu icon next to their name. Select "Remove connection" from the menu and confirm when prompted. The removal happens immediately.
You can also remove someone directly from their profile. Open their profile, tap the "Connected" button (usually shown in blue), and select "Remove connection" from the options that appear.
What happens after you remove someone
Once you remove a connection, they no longer appear in your contacts list and you no longer appear in theirs. However, they can still see your profile if they search for you by name or if they come across your profile through LinkedIn's recommendation system. Removing someone from your contacts does not make your profile private or hidden from them.
If you want to prevent someone from viewing your profile entirely, you would need to use LinkedIn's blocking feature instead, which is a separate action. Blocking someone prevents them from finding your profile, messaging you, or seeing your activity on the platform.
The difference between removing and blocking
Removing a connection means you are deleting them from your contacts list. They can still see your profile, send you a message request, or view your posts. This is useful when you want to clean up your network but do not have concerns about the person.
Blocking someone is a stronger action. A blocked person cannot view your profile, send you messages, see your posts, or find you through search. LinkedIn does not notify them that you have blocked them, but if they try to visit your profile, they will see a message saying the profile is not available. Use blocking when you want to prevent someone from contacting or viewing you.
If you remove someone and later want to reconnect, you can send them a new connection request just like you would with anyone else. They will see it as a fresh request and can accept or decline.
Removing multiple connections at once
LinkedIn does not have a built-in feature to remove multiple connections in a single action. You will need to remove each person individually using the three-dot menu next to their name. If you have a large number of connections to remove, this will take time, but there is no faster way to do it through LinkedIn's official interface.
Some third-party tools claim to offer bulk removal features, but these require you to log in with your LinkedIn credentials and grant them access to your account. This carries security risks — you are giving an outside company permission to act on your behalf. It is generally safer to remove connections manually, even if it takes longer.
Why you might want to remove connections
People remove connections for different reasons. You might want to clean up your network if you have not spoken to someone in years, if you connected with them for a specific project that ended, or if you want to keep your professional network smaller and more focused. Some people remove connections before a job search to present a more curated network to potential employers.
You might also remove someone if your relationship has changed or if you no longer want them to see your activity and posts. LinkedIn shows your connections what you like, comment on, and share, so removing someone stops them from seeing that activity going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I removed them?
No. LinkedIn does not send a notification when you remove someone from your contacts. They will not receive a message or alert about it. The only way they would know is if they checked their own contacts list and noticed you were no longer there.
Can I remove someone and then reconnect later?
Yes. Removing a connection does not prevent you from sending them a new connection request in the future. They will see it as a fresh request and can accept or decline just like any other request.
Does removing someone hide my profile from them?
No. Removing a connection only deletes them from your contacts list. They can still find your profile by searching for your name or through LinkedIn's recommendation system. If you want to hide your profile from someone, you need to block them instead.
What is the difference between removing and archiving a message?
Removing a connection and archiving a message are two different things. Removing a connection deletes them from your contacts list. Archiving a message hides a conversation from your inbox but does not affect your connection with that person — you remain connected.
Can I undo a removal?
You cannot undo a removal directly. Once you remove someone, they are gone from your contacts list. To reconnect, you would need to send them a new connection request, which they can accept or decline.