Let’s say you’re curious about the people at a potential employer or competitor. You want to know more about them.
One of the first places you would head to satisfy your curiosity would be LinkedIn, wouldn’t it?
But what if you don’t want people to know you’re checking them out? You want to view their LinkedIn profiles anonymously.
How to View LinkedIn Profiles Anonymously
If that’s the case, here’s what you do:
- Find “Me” in the top horizontal navigation bar on your profile and click it.
- Then, click “Settings & Privacy.”
- Pick “Visibility.”
- Then, click “Profile viewing options.”
- Finally, click your preferred level of visibility.
Then, research away to your heart’s content. Or at least to the extent LinkedIn will allow based on your free or Premium membership status.
When you finish, click back to “Settings & Privacy” and select your normal privacy level.
Do you have more questions about using LinkedIn anonymously? Check out the following mini-FAQ for answers:
Can I Find Out Who Viewed My Profile Anonymously?
No. It’s a secret. LinkedIn protects the privacy of anonymous viewers.
However, it also doesn’t let those people see who viewed their profiles.
Fair is fair.
Can Premium LinkedIn Members See Anonymous Viewers?
No. Anonymous means just that. LinkedIn doesn’t give paying members access to information about anonymous viewings.
In fact, LinkedIn doesn’t even tell us anymore that our profiles had anonymous viewers. Thus, you can stalk that hiring manager to your heart’s content.
How Can I Block Anonymous Viewers on LinkedIn?
You can’t.
You can block specific people, which will prevent them from viewing your profile.
Although, they can set up and use a fake LinkedIn account — as can you. However, LinkedIn prohibits that in their terms and conditions.
People can also Google your name and easily find your public LinkedIn profile. And you can do the same to view their public profiles.
But you can’t do a blanket block of all anonymous viewers.
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Updated March 2022
© 2013 – 2022, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.
Donna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, authors all of AvidCareerist’s posts.
She is a Fast Company Contributor and has written for and been quoted by 100+ business and general media outlets, including Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, CNBC, the New York Times, USA Today, Time, US News & World Report, CBS, the BBC, Lifehacker, Social Media Today, IT World, and Business News Daily.
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