Does LinkedIn Delete Messages on Both Sides? Complete Guide to LinkedIn Message Deletion

LinkedIn has become the go-to professional networking platform for career-minded individuals, businesses, recruiters, and job seekers. With millions of daily conversations happening on the platform, users often wonder about the privacy and control they have over their messages. One common question is:

Related: How to Delete LinkedIn Account Professionally

Does LinkedIn delete messages on both sides?

Whether you sent a message by mistake or want to clean up old conversations, this guide explains how message deletion works on LinkedIn, what happens on both ends, and how you can manage your chat privacy effectively.

What Happens When You Delete a Message on LinkedIn?

Before diving into whether LinkedIn deletes messages from both sides, it’s important to understand LinkedIn’s message deletion policy. When you manually delete a message or entire conversation from your inbox, you’re only removing it from your view.

Important Note: Deleting a message on LinkedIn does not delete it from the recipient’s inbox. The other person can still view it unless they delete it manually.

This means LinkedIn doesn’t support a “delete for everyone” or “unsend” feature — unlike apps like WhatsApp or Instagram where you can retract a message for both users.

Related: Linkedin delete old resumes

Does LinkedIn Delete Messages on Both Sides Automatically?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: LinkedIn messages are only deleted for the user who takes the action.

If you’re wondering, “Does LinkedIn remove messages for both users?” or “Can I delete a LinkedIn conversation for both participants?”, the answer remains the same: LinkedIn currently does not allow messages to be deleted from both sides.

So even if you clear your chat, it still exists in the message history of the other person unless they delete it too.

Can You Unsend Messages on LinkedIn Like WhatsApp or Instagram?

Another variation of the main query is:

"Can you unsend a message on LinkedIn?" or

“If I delete a LinkedIn message does the other person see it?”

Unfortunately, LinkedIn lacks an unsend or retract feature. Once you hit "Send," the message is delivered and stored in both your and the recipient’s inbox.

This means that deleting it later from your account has no effect on what the other person sees.

No, LinkedIn does not offer unsend functionality as of now.

This is why LinkedIn message privacy relies more on cautious communication than reversible actions.

How to Delete a Message or Conversation on LinkedIn

Even if you can’t remove messages from both ends, you can still delete conversations on your side for better organization and privacy.

Here’s how to delete a message or chat on LinkedIn:

To delete a message:

Go to your LinkedIn Messaging inbox.

Open the conversation.

Hover over the message and click on the three dots (•••).

Select “Delete”.

To delete a conversation:

Navigate to your Messaging tab.

Hover over the chat.

Click the three dots (•••) and select “Delete conversation”.

⚠️ This action is permanent and cannot be undone.

The chat will only be removed from your inbox, not the other user’s.

This process helps if you want to clear chat on LinkedIn or keep your inbox clutter-free.

Does the Other Person Know If You Delete a Message?

This is a very common follow-up to “does LinkedIn delete messages on both sides?”

And the answer is reassuring:

❌ No, the other person is not notified if you delete a message or conversation from your end.

So if you accidentally sent something awkward and deleted it from your side, it will still be visible to the other person — but they won’t get any alert that you deleted it.

There is no visible sign like “This message has been deleted” as seen on WhatsApp or Messenger. It just disappears from your chat view.

Archive vs Delete Messages on LinkedIn: What’s the Difference?

LinkedIn offers an Archive feature as well, which often gets confused with deletion.

Here’s how they’re different:

Archive Hides the chat from main view but keeps it You can restore it anytime

Archiving is a great option if you want to temporarily remove the chat without losing the history. You can still search for the chat and restore it later.

If you’re not sure whether to delete or archive, choose archive for more flexibility.

LinkedIn Privacy Features for Messages

If LinkedIn doesn’t allow deletion from both ends, what privacy tools does it offer?

Here are a few features that help maintain control over your messages:

Blocking a user: Prevents further contact and hides the chat.

Reporting messages: Alerts LinkedIn about inappropriate content.

Archiving conversations: Hides messages from your inbox without deleting them.

While LinkedIn lacks the option to delete LinkedIn messages permanently for both parties, these features offer some level of control.

You can also adjust message settings to filter messages, enable read receipts, and manage who can contact you.

How Long Does LinkedIn Keep Deleted Messages?

If you’re wondering about data retention on LinkedIn, here’s what you need to know:

Deleted messages are immediately removed from your account and cannot be retrieved.

LinkedIn may retain logs or metadata internally for security or compliance, but this information is not user-accessible.

There is no way to recover a deleted message, so think twice before confirming.

Summary: What You Need to Know

Feature Works on LinkedIn?

Delete message for both sides ❌ Not supported

Unsend a message ❌ Not possible

Delete from your side only ✅ Yes

Notify other user of deletion ❌ No notification

Archive chat temporarily ✅ Yes

Message privacy settings ✅ Available

So, to answer the main question again:

Does LinkedIn delete messages on both sides?

No. Deletion is only for the user who takes the action. The other person still sees the conversation unless they delete it themselves.

LinkedIn Messaging Tips for Better Privacy

Here are a few bonus tips to protect your privacy and prevent unwanted situations in the future:

Double-check before sending messages

Avoid sharing sensitive data over chat

Use archiving instead of deletion if unsure

Block/report users if you feel unsafe

Review your LinkedIn privacy settings regularly

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn offers a professional and secure platform, but it lacks some chat features seen in messaging apps. As of now, you cannot delete LinkedIn messages on both sides. So it’s important to be careful about what you send and how you manage your inbox.

Use archiving, blocking, and other privacy tools to control your message visibility and protect your space. If LinkedIn introduces an “unsend” or “delete for everyone” feature in the future, it would be a welcome update — but until then, your best bet is proactive communication.

FAQs About LinkedIn Message Deletion

Can LinkedIn messages be deleted permanently?

Yes, but only from your inbox. The other person still sees the message.

Can I remove a conversation from both sides?

No. Deletion only affects your own view.

Does LinkedIn notify the other person when I delete a message?

No, they are not notified.

Can I archive instead of delete?

Yes, archiving hides the chat but keeps it intact.

Does LinkedIn have an “unsend” button like WhatsApp?

No, there is no unsend feature on LinkedIn.