LinkedIn allows users to communicate with each other through direct messages. This can be useful for establishing professional connections, networking, and communicating about job opportunities. However, sometimes a user may regret sending a message or want to edit it after the fact. This raises the question – can you recall or delete a message on LinkedIn after you’ve already sent it?
The short answer is no, there is no native option on LinkedIn to recall or delete a message after you’ve sent it. Once a message is sent on LinkedIn, it cannot be recalled or deleted. The message will remain in the recipient’s inbox and conversation history.
However, while you can’t delete a sent message on LinkedIn, there are a couple options you can take to try to minimize any embarrassment or fallout from a message you regret sending:
Edit the Message
While you can’t delete a message you’ve sent, you can edit it after the fact. The recipient will still see the original message in their inbox, but when they open the conversation thread they will see the edited version.
To edit a sent message on LinkedIn:
- Open the conversation where you sent the message
- Click on the three dots next to the message and select “Edit”
- Revise the message as desired
- Click “Done” to save the changes
The recipient will see “(Edited)” next to the revised message. While not as ideal as recalling the entire message, editing allows you to modify, clarify, or soften the content of a regretful message.
Send a Follow-Up Message
Another option is to send a follow-up message acknowledging your prior message. You could apologize for the contents of the earlier message, or provide additional context and explanation.
While you can’t pretend the original message never happened, a follow-up message shows the recipient that you recognized the original message was a mistake. It also gives you a chance to potentially repair the professional relationship if your prior message caused offense.
Adjust Your LinkedIn Messaging Settings
To avoid a similar mistake in the future, adjust your messaging settings on LinkedIn. Under settings, you can enable a feature that gives you the option to confirm before sending each message:
- Go to your Account Settings
- Select “Communications”
- Toggle “Confirm before sending messages” to on
With this setting enabled, LinkedIn will prompt you to confirm before actually delivering any new messages you compose. This gives you a chance to review the message and make any edits before the recipient sees it.
You can also control who can send you messages under the Communications settings. For example, you can limit messages to only people in your network, or only 1st degree connections.
Remove the Message Recipient
If the message was truly inappropriate or harassing towards the recipient, you could remove that person from your connections list. This would prevent you from messaging them again in the future.
To remove a connection:
- Go to your connections list
- Find the person you want to remove
- Click the three dots next to their name and select “Remove connection”
Of course, only take this action if absolutely necessary. Avoid removing valuable professional connections just because of one regretful message.
Block the Recipient
In extreme cases of harassment or abuse, you can block a recipient altogether on LinkedIn. This prevents them from viewing your profile or contacting you.
To block someone:
- Go to their profile
- Click the three dots next to “Message”
- Select “Block or report”
- Choose “Block” to confirm
Again, blocking should really only be used for severe cases of misconduct. Blocking someone you message in error could make the situation worse.
Report the Message
If your sent message clearly violated LinkedIn’s rules against harassment, hate speech, or abuse, you can report your own message.
To report a sent message:
- Open the message conversation
- Click the three dots next to the message
- Select “Report”
- Choose the reason for reporting the message
Reporting your own abusive message lets LinkedIn know the content violated their guidelines. LinkedIn may then take action such as removing the message or suspending your account.
Apologize Off the LinkedIn Platform
For sensitive situations, you may want to apologize to the recipient through a different communication channel outside of LinkedIn. For example, you could send an apology through email or by phone if you have that contact information.
This takes the conversation off the LinkedIn platform altogether, making it more private and personal. It also shows you’re sincere in wanting to make amends.
Wait it Out
If the sent message wasn’t too egregious, the simplest option may be to just wait it out. Don’t take any additional action unless the recipient responds or initiates contact. The recipient may realize the message was just a mistake or misunderstanding.
As time passes, the embarrassing message will get buried deeper in the recipient’s inbox history. If it was just a minor slip up, the recipient may forget about the message altogether if you leave it alone.
Learn from the Experience
While you can’t recall sent messages on LinkedIn, you can learn from the experience for the future. Be more cautious and thoughtful whenever you communicate on LinkedIn. Confirm your recipient’s identity before hitting send. Give yourself time to review and even sleep on a message before sending.
Also, adjust your messaging settings to enable confirmations before sending. This provides one last chance to catch any mistakes before an unwanted message goes out.
Most importantly, be patient and tactful with attempts to recover from or address any regretful messages. A thoughtful, sincere follow-up message goes much further than pretending you never sent the bad message in the first place.
We all make mistakes, and an errant message doesn’t need to ruin a professional connection. Learn from the experience and demonstrate your maturity in being able to sincerely acknowledge and address any mistakes.