It can be frustrating when LinkedIn indicates you have a new notification, but when you check there is no new message, connection request or other update. This seemingly “phantom notification” is a common complaint among LinkedIn users. There are a few potential reasons why this happens on LinkedIn:
You dismissed the notification
One possibility is that you previously dismissed the notification, either on purpose or accidentally. On the LinkedIn mobile app, when you receive a notification you can swipe left to dismiss it. On the desktop site, you can click on the notification popup to dismiss it.
Once dismissed, the notification will no longer be visible in your notifications tab. However, LinkedIn will still display the red notification icon as if you have an unread notification. This is because you haven’t technically “read” the notification yet, even though you dismissed it.
To prevent notifications from stacking up, make sure to periodically click on the notifications icon and clear out any dismissals. You can also adjust your notification settings to disable certain types of notifications that you don’t need cluttering up your feed.
The notification expired
LinkedIn notifications for things like connection requests and messages will automatically expire and disappear after a certain period of time. For example, a 2nd degree connection request will expire after one week. This helps keep your notifications tab from getting overcrowded.
So you may have received a notification at some point, but by the time you went to check it, the notification was expired and deleted. But again, LinkedIn’s system still registers that as an unread notification, so the red icon remains.
To prevent missing time-sensitive notifications, try to stay on top of responding to connection requests, messages, and other notifications when you receive them.
It’s an old notification
In some cases, the phantom notification may be a very old one that you never responded to. For example, perhaps you received a message weeks or months ago, but you never opened or acknowledged it.
Even though that old notification is long gone, LinkedIn’s tracking still counts it as unread activity, and keeps displaying the red notification icon indefinitely.
Doing a periodic sweep of your notifications and responses can help clear out any of these old phantom notifications.
It’s a notification glitch
Finally, it may simply be a glitch in the notifications system itself. With a platform as large and complex as LinkedIn, bugs are bound to occur. The red notification icon getting stuck is a common bug many users have experienced at one time or another.
Force refreshing the page or app may help reset the notification counter. If that doesn’t work, logging out and back into your account should clear out any glitches.
Why LinkedIn’s notification tracking behaves this way
While phantom notifications can be perplexing, there are logical reasons behind why LinkedIn’s system works the way it does:
Encouraging engagement
The persistent notification indicator is meant to draw your attention so that you stay engaged with the platform. By continually displaying the red icon, LinkedIn provides a visual prompt for you to frequently check back for any new activity or responses. This helps drive user engagement.
Preventing missed messages
In the past, LinkedIn only showed a notification temporarily before removing it. This led to many users missing connection requests or messages that expired before they had a chance to view them.
The current system prevents missed notifications by keeping the red icon visible until you formally acknowledge the notification. Even if the notification itself expires, the icon remains so you know you have unchecked activity.
Tracking unresolved notifications
LinkedIn wants to make sure any pending activity gets addressed, so their system tracks notifications as unread or unresolved rather than as read or expired. The red icon basically indicates you still have pending responses or actions, even if the original notification is gone.
This persistent tracking prevents notifications from falling through cracks and being forgotten. It prompts users to periodically check and resolve any outstanding notifications.
Driving habit formation
Finally, the always-on notification indicator helps drive habit formation. By continually displaying the visual red prompt, LinkedIn reinforces checking notifications as a routine behavior. The more frequently users are drawn back to the platform, the more engrained the habit becomes.
This tactic leverages basic behavioral psychology to turn users into frequent LinkedIn visitors who stay engaged over time. The phantom notification helps spark a habitual behavior that benefits LinkedIn’s long-term user retention and growth.
How to prevent phantom notifications
While there are reasonable justifications for why LinkedIn designed its persistent notifications system, phantom notifications can still be annoying to deal with. Here are some tips to prevent them from piling up:
Disable unnecessary notifications
LinkedIn allows you to manage your notifications in Settings. Disable notifications types that are not important, like “Daily Rundown” or “Profile Updates.” This cuts down on notification noise.
Frequently check notifications
Make a habit of frequently checking your LinkedIn notifications and clearing out any dismissals, expires, or reads. Doing regular sweeps prevents old notifications from languishing.
Promptly respond to notifications
Respond right away to connection requests, messages or other notifications when possible. Don’t let them expire before acting. Set LinkedIn notifications to “urgent” on your device for important updates.
Log out and log back in
A simple log out log in cycle will reset your notification count if you see the phantom indicator. Make this part of your weekly LinkedIn maintenance.
Use an alternative app
Mobile apps like Notifier for LinkedIn only show actual unread notifications, so you won’t see phantom indicators. However, premium messaging features may be limited.
The bottom line
Phantom notifications on LinkedIn are mainly designed to encourage user engagement, prevent missed messages, and drive habit formation. While the constantly displaying red icon can seem like a glitch, it does serve valid purposes for LinkedIn’s key metrics.
With a few adjustments to your notification settings and messaging habits, you can minimize phantom notification and keep your LinkedIn feed clutter-free. Periodically clearing out old notifications and dismissing unnecessary updates goes a long way to resolving notification ghosts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I keep getting notifications about new connections on LinkedIn but when I check there are none?
This is likely an expired 2nd degree connection request notification. These expire after 1 week. Clear out any old notifications to remove the phantom indicator. Adjust settings to disable connection notifications if needed.
Does the LinkedIn notification icon ever go away?
The red notification icon stays visible until you formally resolve the notification by either accepting/rejecting, reading, or dismissing it. Performing these actions for all outstanding notifications will remove the indicator.
Why does my LinkedIn notification say 3 but there are no new notifications?
This is a common phantom notification glitch. Try force refreshing the page or app and logging out and back in to reset the notification counter. If it persists, you may have some very old unresolved notifications causing the issue.
How do I find old LinkedIn notifications?
Unfortunately LinkedIn does not have an archive of old expired notifications. You need to periodically check and resolve notifications before they expire and disappear after a set time period like 1 week.
Can I permanently mute LinkedIn notifications?
No, the notification icon will remain even if you mute notifications. To remove the icon, you must formally resolve the notification through actions like accepting, rejecting, reading messages etc. There is no permanent option to disable the icon.
Conclusion
Phantom notifications on LinkedIn are mainly designed to encourage user engagement, prevent missed messages, and drive habit formation. While the constantly displaying red icon can seem like a glitch, it does serve valid purposes for LinkedIn’s key metrics.
With a few adjustments to your notification settings and messaging habits, you can minimize phantom notification and keep your LinkedIn feed clutter-free. Periodically clearing out old notifications and dismissing unnecessary updates goes a long way to resolving notification ghosts.