LinkedIn Private Mode: How to Turn It On and What It Really Hides
Samuel Rondot
6 min read
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LinkedIn private mode hides your identity when you view someone's profile. Instead of your name and headline, the person sees "LinkedIn Member – This person is viewing profiles in private mode". To turn it on, go to Me > Settings & Privacy > Visibility > Visibility when viewing other profiles and pick Private mode. It's available on every account, free or paid, but on a free account it costs you something: while it's on, you can't see who viewed your own profile (LinkedIn Help).
What is LinkedIn private mode?
It's one of three options that decide how you appear in other members' Who's Viewed Your Profile list when you open their profile. It has nothing to do with who can see your profile: that's controlled by your public profile settings.
| Option in Settings | What the person you viewed sees |
|---|---|
| Your name and headline (default) | Your name, headline, location and industry |
| Private profile characteristics (semi-private) | A description such as "Consultant at State Farm", "Someone at Accenture" or "Student at Cornell University" |
| Private mode | "LinkedIn Member – This person is viewing profiles in private mode", nothing else |
Source: LinkedIn Help, checked in October 2026.
Semi-private is a middle ground, but it can still give you away. If you work at a five-person startup, "Someone at [your startup]" is basically your name.
How to turn on private mode on LinkedIn
On desktop
- Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
- Select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown.
- Click Visibility in the left rail.
- In the Visibility of your profile & network section, click Visibility when viewing other profiles.
- Select Private mode. Your choice saves automatically.
In the mobile app
- Tap your profile photo.
- Tap Settings & Privacy.
- Tap Visibility.
- Under Visibility of your profile & network, tap Visibility when viewing other profiles.
- Select Private mode.
The setting is tied to your account, not to a device, so it applies on desktop and in the app alike.
How to turn off private mode
Same path: Me > Settings & Privacy > Visibility > Visibility when viewing other profiles, then select Your name and headline. From then on, your visits show your name again.
Switch before you open a profile, not after. The setting decides how a visit is recorded when it happens. LinkedIn doesn't document switching modes afterwards as a way to hide or reveal visits you already made, so don't rely on it.
Private mode on a free account vs Premium
| Free (Basic) account | Premium account | |
|---|---|---|
| Can turn on private mode | Yes | Yes |
| Your own Who's Viewed Your Profile list while in private mode | Not available | Still available |
| See names of people who viewed you in private mode | No | No |
On a free account, LinkedIn only shows your viewer history if you browse with "Your name and headline". Premium members can browse privately and still see their viewer list (LinkedIn Help). If that list matters to you, our LinkedIn Premium pricing guide shows what each plan costs, and does LinkedIn show who viewed your profile explains what a free account shows.
What private mode hides, and what it doesn't
Private mode only covers profile views. It hides:
- your name, photo and headline in the other person's Who's Viewed Your Profile list;
- your identity in any profile-view notification they receive.
It doesn't hide:
- Anything you do on their content. Likes, comments, reposts and endorsements show your name.
- Invitations, messages and InMails. The moment you reach out, they know who you are, and they may connect the dots with the anonymous visit.
- Your own profile. People can still find and view your profile. To limit what non-members and search engines see, use your public profile settings (see how to view your LinkedIn profile as someone else).
- The visit itself. The person still sees that a "LinkedIn Member" viewed them; they just don't know who.
And you can't do the reverse: there's no way to block private mode viewers of your profile or make them reveal their names, Premium or not (LinkedIn Help).
Private mode vs incognito vs logged out
People mix these up all the time:
| LinkedIn private mode | Browser incognito window | Not logged in | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Are you signed in to LinkedIn? | Yes | Only if you sign in inside it | No |
| What the profile owner sees | "LinkedIn Member" | Nothing if you stay signed out; your usual setting if you sign in | Nothing |
| What you can see | The full profile | The public profile, if signed out | The public profile, often behind a sign-in pop-up |
Incognito only hides you because it starts signed out. If you just need a quick look at someone's public profile, see will someone know if you view their LinkedIn profile without logging in.
When private mode makes sense (and when it doesn't)
Good reasons to browse privately:
- Competitive research: looking at a competitor's team, hires or sales reps.
- Recruiting research: scanning candidates before you're ready to reach out.
- A discreet job search: checking people at a company you're interviewing with.
- Personal reasons: an ex-colleague, a former manager, anyone you'd rather not notify.
Bad reasons, especially if you sell:
- Prospecting. A visible profile view is a free, polite first touch. Prospects see your name and headline, some of them look you up in return, and your invitation a few days later feels less cold. Browsing your prospects in private mode throws that away.
- Networking. LinkedIn works because people see each other. Visiting someone you want to meet and staying anonymous defeats the point.
A practical setup: keep "Your name and headline" as your default, switch to private mode for the few lookups you'd rather keep quiet, and switch back.
If prospecting is the main reason you browse profiles, useArtemis turns visible profile visits into a deliberate step: a sequence can visit a prospect's profile, then send an invitation, an AI-written message and an email, within safe limits per LinkedIn account. See pricing for plans.
FAQ
Is LinkedIn private mode free?
Yes. Any LinkedIn account can switch "Visibility when viewing other profiles" to private mode. The difference is that a free account loses access to its own Who's Viewed Your Profile list while private mode is on, whereas Premium keeps it.
Can someone tell it was me if I viewed their profile in private mode?
Not from LinkedIn: they see "LinkedIn Member – This person is viewing profiles in private mode" and nothing else. They can still guess if you send them an invitation, a message or like their post right after the visit.
Does private mode hide my profile from other people?
No. Private mode only controls how you appear when you view others. To limit what people see on your own profile, adjust your public profile settings (Me > View Profile > Public profile & URL) and your photo visibility.
Can I see who viewed my profile while in private mode?
On a free account, no: you need to browse with "Your name and headline" to see your viewers. On Premium, yes, you keep your viewer list while browsing privately. In both cases, people who viewed you in private mode stay anonymous.
What is semi-private mode on LinkedIn?
It's the "Private profile characteristics" option. Instead of your name, the person sees a description built from your profile, such as your job title, company, school or industry, for example "Someone at Accenture".
