LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform that allows users to connect with each other. When you connect with someone on LinkedIn, you are effectively declaring them as a contact or colleague. There are over 800 million members on LinkedIn, which means the average user likely has hundreds of connections.
With so many connections, it can be hard to keep up with updates from everyone. That’s where the options to unfollow or remove a connection come in handy. But what exactly is the difference between unfollowing and removing someone on LinkedIn?
Unfollowing a Connection
Unfollowing a connection on LinkedIn means you will no longer see updates from that person in your feed. Their profile will also no longer show up as a suggestion or in search results.
However, you are still connected on LinkedIn. Your name will still appear on their connections list and vice versa. You can also still message each other through LinkedIn.
Here are some key things to know about unfollowing on LinkedIn:
- You will no longer see the person’s posts or activity updates in your feed.
- The person will not be notified when you unfollow them.
- Your name still appears in their connections list.
- You can still message each other through LinkedIn.
- You can refollow them anytime to resume seeing updates.
Unfollowing is generally the best option if you still want to be connected with someone but are tired of seeing irrelevant updates from them. For example, you may unfollow a coworker from a previous job or a distant connection who posts too frequently.
Removing a Connection
Removing a connection on LinkedIn completely disconnects you from that person. When you remove someone, they are eliminated from your connections list and vice versa.
Here is what happens when you remove a connection on LinkedIn:
- You are completely disconnected from the person.
- You no longer appear in their connections list.
- They no longer appear in your connections list.
- You can no longer directly message each other through LinkedIn.
- You will not see any of their future posts or updates.
Generally, you would remove a connection if you no longer want any association with that person on LinkedIn. For example, you may remove a connection when someone leaves your company on bad terms or if the relationship with the person has ended.
Key Differences
Here is a summary of the key differences between unfollowing and removing a connection on LinkedIn:
Unfollowing | Removing Connection |
---|---|
You no longer see their posts/updates | You no longer see their posts/updates |
They are not notified | They are notified |
You remain in their connections list | You are removed from their connections list |
You can still message each other | You can no longer message each other |
Can refollow them anytime | Need to send a new connection request to reconnect |
In summary, unfollowing keeps the connection intact but simply mutes updates from that person. Removing severs the connection completely on both ends.
Reasons to Unfollow Instead of Remove
In many cases, unfollowing is the better initial option compared to removing a connection. Here are some reasons you may want to unfollow rather than remove a LinkedIn connection:
- Maintain a professional association: You probably accepted the connection for a reason in the first place. Unfollowing lets you keep that professional association while cutting down noise.
- Avoid offense: Removing a connection can cause offense or resentment. Unfollowing quietly achieves the same goal of silencing updates.
- Stay updated if needed: By keeping the connection, you can refollow them at any point to get relevant updates again.
- Keep networking opportunities open: The person may end up at a company or in a role in the future where connecting again makes sense.
In general, removing a connection permanently severs the relationship and leaves no way to reconnect unless the other person approves a new request. Unfollowing maintains that pathway while accomplishing the goal of reducing irrelevant content.
When to Remove a Connection
Although unfollowing is often preferable, there are some situations where removing a connection on LinkedIn is the right approach:
- When ending a toxic relationship: If you have a negative relationship with the person that is best severed, removing them prevents any further contact.
- After blocking abusive behavior: If someone is harassing you or behaving inappropriately, removing them after blocking is prudent.
- When leaving a company on bad terms: Former colleagues you now no longer want associated with your profile are better removed.
- Closing a chapter: If you have completely moved on from an old role or industry, removing those connections can help.
- Overwhelming spam connection requests: Strangers spamming connection requests are usually safe to remove.
The key in these situations is there is generally no foreseeable reason you would want to reconnect with the person down the line. Your association with them is better left permanently severed.
How to Unfollow on LinkedIn
Unfollowing a connection on LinkedIn only takes a few clicks:
- Go to your connections list on LinkedIn.
- Find the profile of the person you want to unfollow.
- Open the “More” menu from the right side of their profile.
- Select “Unfollow [name]”.
- Confirm you want to unfollow the person.
That’s it! They will immediately disappear from your feed and suggested connections. And again, they will not receive any notification that you unfollowed them.
If you want to see posts from them again, simply repeat the process but choose “Follow [name]” instead. You can toggle between following and unfollowing as needed.
How to Remove a Connection
Removing a LinkedIn connection takes just an extra click:
- Go to your connections list.
- Open the profile of the person you want to remove.
- Click the “More” menu from the right side.
- Select “Remove connection”.
- On the popup, choose the reason you want to remove them.
- Confirm you want to remove the connection.
The person will immediately disappear from your connections. Unlike unfollowing, they will be notified that you removed the connection.
If you change your mind later, you will have to send them a new connection invitation which they can choose to accept or ignore.
Conclusion
Unfollowing and removing connections are useful tools on LinkedIn for curating your feed and network. Unfollowing someone simply mutes their updates but keeps you connected. Removing disconnects you completely and severs the relationship.
In most cases, unfollowing is the best initial option. It allows you to stay connected but reduce irrelevant noise. However, removing a connection may be prudent in some situations, such as ending a toxic relationship or leaving a company on bad terms.
Overall, selectively unfollowing and removing connections can improve your LinkedIn experience and let you focus on the people and content most relevant to your professional life. But use caution before removing connections permanently, as reconnecting may not be possible without their approval.