Hibernate LinkedIn Account

When you hibernate your LinkedIn account, your account and connections remain in LinkedIn history, but it is not visible to other people. In other words, no one can see your profile. It is also known as deactivating a LinkedIn account.

If you want to know how to hibernate your LinkedIn account, don’t miss the rest of this article explaining the whole process in detail and pictures.

Bear in mind that this temporary deactivation vs. deleting LinkedIn account. The next part will explain the difference.

What is the difference between deleting and hibernating a LinkedIn profile?

If you are tired of your LinkedIn account, no more need it, or for any other reason you prefer to eradicate it, LinkedIn account deletion is suggested.

Remember that if you delete LinkedIn page, you can never restore it! It has gone forever! This is an entirely unrecoverable action. Hence do it only when you are 100% sure about your decision!

And if you are still not sure about your choice, you can hibernate your LinkedIn account instead of deleting it. In hibernation, if you change your mind, you can quickly reopen your page.

If you want to close your LinkedIn account permanently, please click HERE to read the whole process.

How to hibernate a LinkedIn account?

To turn on the LinkedIn hibernation, follow up the following steps:

first, click “Me” at the top right corner of your LinkedIn homepage.

second, select “Setting and Privacy”.

Select “Account Preferences” appears on the left side of that page.

Select “Account Management, ” the last bold icon subset of “Account Preferences”.

Click “Hibernate Account”.

Here, select the reason you are hibernating your page.

To fulfill the hibernation, you should enter your password and then click “Hibernate Account”. This is a security step.

It is notable that you cannot reactivate your account unless 24 hours have passed from the start of deactivation. After 24 hours, you can reopen it any time you want.

What will happen to your published data when you hibernate your LinkedIn account?

When you hibernate LinkedIn account, your previously posted messages, endorsements, comments, posts, and recommendations, will still be shown in LinkedIn but your name is not visible to any reader. Your name will be replaced with “A LinkedIn Member” and a generic icon instead of your profile picture.

That is to say, as mentioned in the LinkedIn website “Your posts and comments will remain intact, but you’ll only be identified as “A LinkedIn member”. If you have a profile photo, it will be replaced by a generic icon.”

How much time do I have to reopen my LinkedIn account after hibernation?

Only 20 days!

Reactivation should be done within 20 days; otherwise LinkedIn will permanently close your profile. It means that LinkedIn can’t reopen an account after 20 days.

Then you have to create new LinkedIn account!

Why can’t I hibernate my LinkedIn account?!

Two main reasons may cause trouble when you decide to hibernate your LinkedIn account which should be solved before any action for hibernation.

• If you have an active Ad Campaign, first you have to deactivate it through its campaign manager and then try the process of deactivation mentioned previously.
• When you are the administrator of some developer applications, you have to remove this status and then try the hibernation procedure.

What will happen to my premium LinkedIn account if I hibernate it?

Remember that your premium subscription plan will be automatically canceled if you hibernate your LinkedIn.

And if you had bought your premium subscription plan via iTunes, first you should cancel this premium subscription and then hibernate your LinkedIn account otherwise, you can’t deactivate your profile.