Receiving a message on LinkedIn can be an exciting experience, especially if it’s from a recruiter or someone you’re interested in connecting with professionally. However, with so many messages coming through the platform, it’s easy to miss an important notification. That’s where LinkedIn’s message alerts come in handy. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about LinkedIn message alerts – from how to turn them on to customizing notifications across devices.
What Triggers a LinkedIn Message Alert
A LinkedIn message alert is triggered anytime someone sends you a direct message within LinkedIn’s messaging system. This includes messages sent by connections within your network as well as messages from people you are not connected to. Recruiters commonly use LinkedIn messaging to reach out to potential job candidates. You may also receive messages from new connections who want to introduce themselves or ask professional questions. Anytime one of these incoming messages hits your LinkedIn inbox, you will receive a corresponding message alert.
Enabling LinkedIn Message Alerts
LinkedIn message alerts are enabled by default when you sign up for a LinkedIn account. However, you can customize your alert settings within the LinkedIn website and mobile app notification settings. Here’s how to update your message alert preferences:
On the LinkedIn Website
- Click on the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage and select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
- Choose “Notifications” from the left sidebar.
- Under the “Messages” section, make sure “Messages: receiving a message” is checked.
- Click “Turn On” to enable message alerts or “Turn Off” to disable them.
On the LinkedIn Mobile App
- Tap your profile photo in the top left corner.
- Choose “Settings” then select “Notifications.”
- Toggle the switch next to “Messages” on or off.
You can also enable push notifications specifically for LinkedIn messages within your device’s system settings. Just be sure LinkedIn messaging is enabled within the app itself first.
Customizing Your LinkedIn Message Alerts
Beyond just turning message alerts on or off, you can customize notifications to suit your preferences.
Specifying Alert Frequency
Within the LinkedIn website notification settings, you can specify how frequently you want to receive message alerts. The options include:
- Off: Disable message alerts.
- Instant: Get a real-time alert for every new message.
- Daily digest: Get a summary of all messages once a day.
- Weekly digest: Get a summary of all messages once a week.
The mobile app does not give frequency options. You can only turn message alerts on or off completely.
Custom Email Alerts
Within notification settings, you can enter a custom email address to receive message alerts. This allows you to direct notifications to your personal email rather than your work email associated with your LinkedIn account. It’s helpful if you check your personal email more frequently but don’t want to miss LinkedIn messages sent to your work address.
Push Notifications on Mobile
When enabling LinkedIn message alerts on your mobile device, you have the option to activate push notifications. This will trigger an on-screen banner alert when a new LinkedIn message comes in, even when you aren’t actively using the app. Adjust these settings within your device notification preferences.
Who Can Message You on LinkedIn
To manage which messages trigger alerts, it helps to understand who can message you within LinkedIn. There are three categories of people who can send direct messages:
- Connections: You can message and be messaged by anyone in your 1st-degree connection network.
- 2nd-degree connections: You can message 2nd-degree connections if you share a mutual 1st-degree connection. However, they cannot initiate messages to you.
- Non-connections: Anyone on LinkedIn can send you an initial message, even if you are not connected. You can control whether you want to receive these messages.
Keep this context in mind as you decide which messages warrant alerts. You may only want to be notified when receiving messages from your direct connections, for example.
Blocking Message Alerts from Non-Connections
Since anyone on LinkedIn can message you, it’s possible to receive message requests from people you don’t know. You can control whether you want to be notified about these incoming messages. Here’s how to block alerts from non-connections:
- Go to your LinkedIn notification settings.
- Under the “Messages” section, find the option for “Nonconnections: receiving an initial message.”
- Toggle this alert setting to “Off” to block notifications.
With this setting disabled, you won’t receive message alerts from people who are not connections. However, the messages will still arrive in your LinkedIn inbox – you just won’t get notified upon receipt. You can periodically check your “Message Requests” folder to view messages from non-connections at your discretion.
Replying to LinkedIn Messages
Once you receive a LinkedIn message alert, you’ll probably want to read the full message and respond. Here’s how to send a reply:
On the LinkedIn Website
- Click on the icebreaker icon in the top navigation bar.
- Select the message you want to respond to.
- Type your reply in the message window at the bottom.
- Hit “Send” when ready.
On the Mobile App
- Tap the speech bubble icon.
- Choose the conversation and open the message.
- Compose your reply in the text field.
- Tap the paper airplane icon to send.
Replying promptly when you receive a message alert helps continue the conversation. Be sure to provide any requested information the sender asks for in their initial message.
Disabling LinkedIn Message Alerts
There are times when message alerts may become distracting, like when you’re trying to focus without interruptions. Here are some ways to temporarily disable LinkedIn message notifications:
- Toggle LinkedIn message alerts to “Off” in your notification settings.
- Mute all notifications within the LinkedIn app itself.
- Disable push notifications for the LinkedIn app on your device.
- Use your device’s “Do Not Disturb” mode to block notifications during certain times.
You can always re-enable message alerts when you are available again. Just adjust your notification settings back to your desired preferences.
Troubleshooting LinkedIn Message Alerts
In some cases, you may stop receiving LinkedIn message alerts even when they are enabled. Here are some things to check if your message notifications aren’t coming through correctly:
- Make sure message alerts are turned “On” in your notification settings.
- Confirm that notifications are enabled for the LinkedIn mobile app itself.
- Check that push notifications are approved for LinkedIn on your device.
- Review your email and spam filters to allow alerts from LinkedIn.
- Log out and back into LinkedIn to refresh your notification connection.
- Update to the latest version of the LinkedIn app and LinkedIn website.
If issues persist, you can also reach out to LinkedIn Customer Service for troubleshooting assistance.
Optimizing Your LinkedIn Messaging Experience
Following some best practices can help you get the most out of LinkedIn messaging and alerts:
- Customize alerts to your frequency preferences and enable push notifications.
- Add LinkedIn messaging to your daily routine to promptly reply to messages.
- Review your LinkedIn inbox regularly, even without alerts enabled.
- Block alerts from non-connections if receiving too many irrelevant incoming messages.
- Connect with key contacts so you are notified when they message you.
Staying on top of LinkedIn messaging is key for building relationships, nurturing your network, and seizing new opportunities. With the right message alert setup, you won’t miss those important notifications from recruiters, partners, and new connections on LinkedIn.