When you receive a message on LinkedIn and open it to view the contents, LinkedIn automatically marks that message as read. If you want to come back to the message later to re-read or respond, you can manually mark the message as unread which will make it appear bolded again in your messages inbox. A common question LinkedIn users have is whether the original sender gets notified or sees any indication when you mark their message as unread after opening it initially.
The short answer is no – marking a LinkedIn message as unread after opening it does not send any notification to the sender, nor is there any obvious way for them to see that you have marked their message as unread again. The unread status is a visual cue that only you as the recipient see in your own inbox view of the message thread.
How the unread message feature works in LinkedIn inbox
When you receive a new message in your LinkedIn inbox, it will display in bold or with a different color background to indicate it is unread. Once you open the message, LinkedIn automatically marks it as read. The background color will revert to white and the bolding will disappear.
If you want to come back and review the message again later, you can long press or right-click on it and select “Mark as unread” from the menu. This will make the message appear bold again, so you can more easily see which conversations still need a response.
Marking as unread is a useful way to keep track of messages you want to follow up on, without having to rely on starring or flagging conversations. It lets you make messages stand out visually right in your main inbox view.
Does the sender get notified when you mark as unread?
When you mark a message thread as unread after opening it, this does not send any notification to the original sender. There is no indicator for them that you have marked their message as unread again.
The unread status is not synced across recipients of the message – it is purely a local state that applies to your own inbox view of the conversation. Other participants in the message thread do not see any change on their end.
So you can use the unread feature freely to keep track of messages you want to follow up on, without worrying about frequently triggering notifications to the sender every time you toggle a message between read and unread states.
Can the sender see if you marked a message as unread?
Since marking a message as unread does not trigger any notifications or changes from the sender’s perspective, there is no way for them to see that you have toggled their message back to an unread state after opening it.
The message details that the sender can view, such as the timestamp of when you opened the message initially, remain unchanged. There is no obvious indicator or callout they can check to see if you marked the message unread again on your end.
You are free to use the unread status as much as needed to track messages on your end, without revealing anything extra to the sender when their message toggles between read and unread states.
Does LinkedIn show if you opened a message?
LinkedIn does show limited read receipt information to senders:
- When you first open a new message, it will show as “Read” for the sender with the timestamp of when it was read.
- If you open the message again later, the original “Read” status and timestamp remain unchanged for the sender.
- Marking the message as unread does not alter the read receipt or timestamp shown to the sender.
- So at most the sender can see the details of when you first opened the message, but no other visibility after that initial view.
In summary, LinkedIn does confirm back to the sender when you first view a new message from them, but provides no additional read receipts or indicators if you re-open or mark the message as unread again later.
Strategic uses of the unread feature
Since marking messages as unread is only visible to you, it can serve as a helpful workflow tool in your LinkedIn inbox without bothering recipients or revealing anything extra back to them.
Here are some strategic ways you could use the unread status:
- Flag messages needing follow up – Quickly mark any messages you want to respond to later as unread so they stand out.
- Note messages to review again – For long messages or conversations with key details, mark as unread to re-read thoroughly later.
- Track status of requests – Keep messages where you are awaiting a reply marked as unread for easy monitoring.
- Review conversations before responding – Skim a message quickly when received, mark unread, then re-open fully when time to respond.
The unread feature gives you flexibility to organize and track your inbox however works best for your personal workflow.
Other options for saving LinkedIn messages
In addition to using unread status, there are a couple other ways within LinkedIn to save or flag important messages:
- Star a message – Starring makes a conversation stand out, but doesn’t impact bolding or color coding.
- Save a message – Saving puts the message in your Saved Items folder for later access.
The unread status differs in that it keeps the message in your main inbox view while bolding it for easy visibility. But stars and saving can also help call out conversations for follow up.
Remember the limitations of unread
While the unread feature is very handy for tracking your inbox, keep in mind that it is only visible on your side as the recipient. The sender sees no difference between when a message shows as read vs unread for you.
Be careful about using unread as an expectation setter with others. Manually marking a message as unread does not mean they have any new replies from you or information to act on.
Occasionally re-opening conversations is perfectly fine, but avoid excessive toggling between read and unread states that might incorrectly imply urgency or pending responses on your end.
Conclusion
Marking LinkedIn messages as unread after opening them is a useful workflow tool that remains private to your inbox view. The unread status does not notify the sender or indicate anything different on their end of the conversation.
Use this feature strategically to flag messages needing follow up or review again later. But be mindful that it does not actually signal anything back to the sender – the visibility is for you alone.