There may come a time when you want to disconnect your LinkedIn account from an app that you’ve given access to. Removing LinkedIn connections can help protect your privacy and limit data sharing. Here are some common reasons to disconnect LinkedIn:
- You no longer use the app
- The app is requesting too much of your LinkedIn data
- You’re concerned the app may misuse your data
- You want to limit notifications and LinkedIn activity unrelated to your core use
Fortunately, revoking access is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide to disconnecting LinkedIn from apps on desktop and mobile.
Disconnect LinkedIn on Desktop
If you connected a LinkedIn app through the desktop site, you can remove it by:
- Logging into LinkedIn on your computer
- Clicking on the ‘Me’ icon at the top of your LinkedIn feed
- Selecting ‘Settings & Privacy’ from the dropdown menu
- Choosing ‘Apps’ from the left sidebar
- Locating the app you want to remove and clicking ‘Revoke access’
- Confirming you want to revoke access when prompted
Once you complete these steps, the selected app will no longer have access to your LinkedIn data or account activity.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Make sure you are logged into the correct LinkedIn account. You can only modify connected apps for the account you are currently using.
- If you don’t see the app you want to remove, try searching for it by name using the search bar. You may need to scroll down to view all your connected apps.
- Double check you selected the ‘Revoke access’ option for the intended app. This will sever the connection versus other menu options like ‘Configure’ which will maintain it.
Disconnect LinkedIn on Mobile
To remove a LinkedIn connection from the mobile app:
- Launch the LinkedIn app on your iPhone or Android device
- Tap on your profile picture at the top of your feed
- Select ‘Settings’ from the dropdown menu
- Choose ‘Apps’ under the ‘Account’ section
- Tap on the app you want to remove
- Select ‘Remove app’ and confirm you want to disconnect it
This will instantly revoke the app’s access to your LinkedIn profile and data.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Make sure you are logged into the mobile app with the LinkedIn account that has the connection you want to remove.
- If you don’t see the app listed, try searching for it by name using the search bar at the top of the ‘Apps’ page.
- On iPhone, you may need to scroll down within the app’s listing to see the ‘Remove app’ option at the bottom.
What happens when you disconnect apps?
Once you sever the connection with an app, here are some key things to know:
- The app will immediately lose access to your profile data, connections, feed, and any other LinkedIn access it previously had.
- Any external posts made through the app to your LinkedIn feed will stop being published.
- You may still see historical posts made through the app on your LinkedIn profile or feed. But the app can’t post anything new.
- Disconnecting LinkedIn does not delete your account with the external app. You’ll need to follow that company’s procedures to close any accounts.
- You can always reconnect the app in the future by going through LinkedIn’s API authorization process again.
Essentially, revoking access severs communication between the app and your LinkedIn account. It limits the app to only the data it already collected prior to disconnection.
Best Practices for App Connections
While connecting apps can provide useful functionality, it’s wise to be selective. Keep these best practices in mind:
- Only connect apps you fully trust and plan to use regularly.
- Review the access permissions before connecting. Reject apps that seem invasive.
- Revoke access for unused apps or if your usage decreases over time.
- Periodically audit your connected apps and remove any unfamiliar or dormant ones.
- Limit connections to apps that provide valuable functionality aligned with your goals.
Following these tips will help ensure your connections remain current, useful, and secure.
Can I automate disconnecting apps?
Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to automatically disconnect LinkedIn apps after a certain period of inactivity or other criteria. The main options are:
- Manually revoke access for each inactive app you want to remove.
- Periodically review connected apps and remove outdated ones.
- Coordinate with a third-party developer to build an automated revocation solution using LinkedIn’s API.
So for most people, manual management is the standard process given LinkedIn currently provides no native auto-revocation features. But an enterprise or developer with sufficient technical resources could potentially automate disconnecting apps programmatically.
Are there any risks to disconnecting apps?
There are minimal risks to removing a LinkedIn app connection, including:
- Loss of access to features or convenience provided by the app.
- Need to repeat onboarding if you reconnect the app later.
- Potentially breaking functionality that depends on the integration.
However, there are also significant potential benefits:
- Increased privacy and control over your LinkedIn data.
- Reduced risk of data misuse, bugs, or a breach via the app.
- Decreased notifications and information overload.
For most situations, the benefits outweigh potential downsides. Continuing an outdated app integration often poses more risks than removing it.
Conclusion
Maintaining control over app access should be an ongoing part of managing your LinkedIn profile. Revoking permissions for unused, dated, or risky apps helps maximize privacy while minimizing clutter and distraction. Disconnecting apps is quick and easy across desktop and mobile using LinkedIn’s built-in settings. Be proactive about reviewing integrations and limiting access to only current apps that deliver value. With proper attention, you can benefit from integration while reducing potential downsides.
Platform | Steps to Disconnect |
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Desktop |
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Mobile |
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