If you need a break from LinkedIn but want to keep your profile and connections for later, you can temporarily deactivate your account by hibernating it. Hibernation hides your profile from other members while preserving all your data, connections, and professional history.
This guide walks through how to hibernate your account on desktop and mobile, what changes while you are away, and exactly how to come back. It also covers the one detail most people get wrong, which is the 24 hour wait before you can log back in.
Hibernate vs Permanent Deletion
Hibernating is a pause, not an ending. Your profile becomes invisible to other members, but your connections, messages, posts, and profile data all stay saved and ready for when you return. There is no time limit, so you can stay hibernated for weeks, months, or years.
Closing your account is the permanent option. When you close it, your data, connections, and history are scheduled for deletion. LinkedIn keeps a short recovery window after you close an account, but once that window passes the account cannot be restored, and you would need to start over with a new one.
If you are unsure which you want, hibernation is the safer choice because it is fully reversible. Reserve account closure for when you are certain you will not return.
Hibernate Your LinkedIn Account on Desktop
Use a web browser for the clearest path to the hibernation setting. The option lives inside your account management controls.
- 1.Sign in to LinkedIn and select your profile photo (the Me icon) at the top right of the homepage
- 2.Choose Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu
- 3.Open the Account preferences tab in the left sidebar
- 4.Scroll to the Account management section and select Hibernate account
The settings path is:
Me > Settings & Privacy > Account preferences > Account management > Hibernate account
- 1.Pick the reason that best matches why you are hibernating, then continue
- 2.Enter your password when prompted to verify it is you
- 3.Select Hibernate account to confirm
Before LinkedIn lets you finish, it may ask you to complete any required actions first, such as paying an outstanding balance or reassigning admin roles you hold on a Company Page or group.
Hibernate Your LinkedIn Account on Mobile
You can also hibernate from the LinkedIn app on iPhone or Android. The layout is slightly different from the desktop site, so the starting point is the top left rather than the top right.
- 1.Open the LinkedIn app and tap your profile picture at the top left
- 2.Tap Settings
- 3.Open Account preferences, then scroll to Account management
- 4.Tap Hibernate account, choose your reason, enter your password, and confirm
If you bought LinkedIn Premium through the App Store, hibernating in the app does not cancel that subscription. You will need to cancel it separately through your Apple subscription settings.
What Happens When You Hibernate
Once your account is hibernated, your profile disappears from view. Other members cannot see your profile, even your existing connections, and you will not show up in LinkedIn search results or be available to receive new connection requests.
Your past activity stays on the platform but is anonymized. Recommendations and endorsements you gave, comments, posts, and messages you sent all remain visible, but your name is replaced with "A LinkedIn member" and your photo is swapped for a generic icon.
Behind the scenes nothing is lost. Your connections, messages, job applications, and profile details are all preserved exactly as they were, waiting for you to reactivate.
What Happens to LinkedIn Premium
Hibernating immediately cancels any active LinkedIn Premium subscription. This applies the moment you hibernate, not at the end of your billing cycle.
If you had promotional or discounted pricing, that rate may not be honored when you resubscribe later. If Premium matters to you, weigh that cost before you hibernate, and remember to cancel App Store based subscriptions through Apple separately.
How to Reactivate Your Account
Coming back is simple, but it is not instant. You can reactivate by logging in again with your usual email and password, however you must wait 24 hours after hibernating before you can sign back in.
During that 24 hour window your profile stays inaccessible and you will not be able to log in, so plan around it if you need your account back quickly. Once you reactivate, your profile, connections, and data are restored just as you left them.
It is normal to see small discrepancies in your connection or follower counts right after returning. These usually settle on their own within about 48 hours.
Back Up Your Data Before You Hibernate
Hibernation keeps everything intact, but downloading a copy of your data first gives you an offline backup of your connections, messages, and profile, which is handy if you ever decide to delete instead.
From your homepage, go to:
Me > Settings & Privacy > Data privacy > Get a copy of your data
You can request specific categories or the full archive. A complete archive can take up to 24 hours to prepare, and LinkedIn emails you a download link that stays active for a limited time, so save the file as soon as you get it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a LinkedIn account stay hibernated
There is no maximum. You can keep your account hibernated indefinitely, whether that is a few weeks, several months, or years, and reactivate whenever you are ready.
Can people still see my profile while it is hibernated
No. Your profile is hidden from everyone, including your existing connections, and it will not appear in LinkedIn search results. Your past comments and posts remain but are credited to "A LinkedIn member."
Why can I not log back in right after hibernating
LinkedIn requires a 24 hour waiting period after you hibernate. During that time your account stays inaccessible. After 24 hours, simply log in with your email and password to reactivate.
Will I lose my connections or messages if I hibernate
No. Hibernation preserves your connections, messages, job applications, and all profile data. Everything is restored exactly as you left it when you reactivate.
What is the difference between hibernating and closing my account
Hibernating temporarily hides your account while keeping all your data, and it is fully reversible. Closing your account starts permanent deletion of your data and connections, which cannot be undone after LinkedIn's short recovery window ends.
Does hibernating cancel my LinkedIn Premium subscription
Yes. Any active Premium plan is cancelled immediately when you hibernate. If you subscribed through the App Store, cancel that subscription separately through Apple.
First published October 15, 2025. Last updated June 4, 2026.
