LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 810 million users worldwide. When you view someone’s profile on LinkedIn, by default they are notified that you viewed their profile. This allows users to see who is looking at their profile which can be helpful for making new connections. However, sometimes you may want to view a profile without the user knowing. Here are some ways to do that.
Turn Off Your View Notifications
The easiest way to stop LinkedIn from notifying someone that you viewed their profile is to turn off your own view notifications. To do this:
- Go to your LinkedIn account settings
- Click on “Privacy”
- Under “Profile viewing options” click “Change”
- Uncheck the box next to “Let others know you viewed their profile”
By disabling your own profile view notifications, you will stop notify others when you visit their profiles. This prevents two-way viewing updates between you and other users. They will not know you viewed them and you will not know who views you. This is the simplest approach if you want to view profiles privately on a regular basis.
Use Anonymous Browsing
LinkedIn also gives you the option to browse anonymously in private mode. Here’s how it works:
- Click on the “Me” icon in the top right corner
- Select “View profile anonymously”
This will open a private browsing window where you can view profiles without anyone knowing. The caveat is that if you perform any actions that would normally trigger a notification, like sending a connection request, you will lose anonymous viewing. But you can still browse and search without being seen.
Use a LinkedIn Viewer Tool
There are third-party tools and browser extensions that allow anonymous LinkedIn viewing such as:
- Anonymous LinkedIn Viewer
- ViewLinkedIn Extension
- LinkedIn Invisibility Cloak
These tools work by hiding or overriding data requests from LinkedIn to let you view profiles quietly. However, be aware that using third-party services introduces potential privacy risks and LinkedIn may work to block them.
Use Someone Else’s Account
If you have a spouse, friend, or coworker who is also on LinkedIn, you could borrow their account to search and view profiles anonymously. Just make sure they agree and log out when you are done. This option means you won’t be able to interact while browsing but can help avoid your target seeing it was you.
Make Another LinkedIn Account
You can create a second “stealth” account on LinkedIn with a different email address and minimal profile information. Use this account only for private browsing. Just open the stealth account in an incognito browser window to prevent linking the accounts. Having a separate account just for anonymous viewing can be helpful if you need to regularly check profiles privately.
Block the Person First
An interesting workaround is to block the person you want to view first before you look at their profile. By blocking them, LinkedIn will no longer notify them of your viewing activity. To do this:
- Go to their profile
- Click the “More” dropdown next to “Message”
- Choose “Block or report”
- Select “Block”
After blocking someone, you can view their profile without it showing up. Just keep in mind they will know they were blocked by you, so this is best used sparingly for specific situations.
Upgrade to a Premium Account
LinkedIn Premium accounts have access to anonymous browsing under the “Private Mode” feature. Premium has a monthly fee but can enable fully private profile viewing without restrictions. Some of the key benefits include:
- View profiles anonymously
- Remove the LinkedIn branding from your profile
- Change settings so others can’t see your viewed profiles
Upgrading to premium gives you the most control over your visibility and privacy settings. However, it’s not cheap at nearly $30 a month. Evaluate whether you need regular anonymous access before paying for premium.
Use an Alias or Company Page
If you have an alias or company page on LinkedIn, you may be able to view profiles without revealing your identity. For example:
- Alias account – Create a fictional persona without photo
- Company page – Use if you manage a company profile
The profile you use will show up rather than your personal account. But note that LinkedIn discourages fake accounts and may shut down aliases that violate their terms of service.
Turn Off Profile View Notifications
LinkedIn users can turn off their own profile view notifications in their settings. If the person you want to view privately has disabled their notifications, LinkedIn won’t tell them you looked at their profile.
To see if someone has turned off notifications:
- Go to their profile page
- Scroll down and see if it says “See who’s viewed your profile”
- If so, the setting is on. If not, it is disabled.
There is no way to force someone to disable their notifications. But if they already have them turned off, you can view without detection.
Use an Alternate Professional Network
Rather than using LinkedIn, see if you can find the person on a different professional networking site such as:
- Viadeo
- GitHub
- AngelList
Most other networks have less robust profile tracking and notifications than LinkedIn. However, the individual may not have accounts on alternate sites or they may not be as complete.
Conclusion
LinkedIn provides profile view notifications to encourage engagement on their platform. But if you need to browse anonymously, there are ways to avoid detection:
- Turn off your own notifications
- Use private/incognito browsing
- Install a LinkedIn viewer extension
- Borrow someone else’s account
- Create a separate stealth account
The best approach depends on your specific needs. Limiting your own notifications is the simplest fix for casual private viewing. For frequent stealth browsing, a premium account or third-party tool may be warranted. With some creativity, you can likely find a way to use LinkedIn while maintaining your viewing privacy.
Method | Privacy Level | Effort Needed |
---|---|---|
Turn off your notifications | Medium | Low |
Use private browsing | High | Low |
LinkedIn viewer tools | High | Low |
Borrow someone’s account | High | Medium |
Make a separate account | High | High |
Block the person first | Medium | Low |
Upgrade to Premium | High | High |
Use an alias or company page | Medium | Medium |
Key Takeaways
- Turning off your own profile view notifications is the easiest way to hide your viewing activity.
- Premium accounts offer robust privacy settings and anonymous browsing capabilities.
- Third-party tools provide free ways to obscure your LinkedIn viewing from others.
- Multiple approaches can be combined for an added layer of privacy.
With over 810 million users, LinkedIn is the premier platform for professional networking and profile viewing. Following these tips will give you greater control over who can see your browsing activity. Balancing open engagement with privacy is key to getting the most out of LinkedIn.