# Can I delete contacts from my Linkedin profile, and more importantly, will they be aware? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-delete-contacts-from-my-linkedin-profile-and-more-importantly-will-they-be-aware/666851 "2013-08-22T03:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-delete-contacts-from-my-linkedin-profile-and-more-importantly-will-they-be-aware/666851/1 "2013-08-22T03:51:32Z")
Some of my contacts are very stale, and I’d like to cut the rope. Will they know I severed them? Will my other contacts know that I’ve pared my list? Anyone have any experience with this? I don’t want to offend people who I worked with 8 years ago, but I don’t see any need in keeping in touch. I’m in a completely different career path and don’t see myself returning to the ancient days of 2005. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-delete-contacts-from-my-linkedin-profile-and-more-importantly-will-they-be-aware/666851/2 "2013-08-23T03:31:24Z")
That question is also of interest to me, for other reasons. I’m trying to keep my job search secret from my coworkers, and AFAIK the only way to do that would be to unfriend them. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-delete-contacts-from-my-linkedin-profile-and-more-importantly-will-they-be-aware/666851/3 "2013-08-23T03:44:36Z")
Connections won’t be informed if you drop them and if you go to Privacy and Settings and turn off Activity Broadcast, you can make changes to your profile without sending people a notification that you’ve done so. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-delete-contacts-from-my-linkedin-profile-and-more-importantly-will-they-be-aware/666851/4 "2013-08-24T01:32:21Z")
To remove a connection, follow these steps (As of August 23, 2013, in case this comes back as a zombie!) 1. Log in (duh) 2. Click “Network” in the main navigation bar 3. Click “Remove Connections” in the navigation bar that appears on the screen. It should be to the far right, and below the “Upgrade” button. As far as I know, people you disconnect from aren’t notified. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-delete-contacts-from-my-linkedin-profile-and-more-importantly-will-they-be-aware/666851/5 "2013-08-24T14:59:05Z")
> [@wmulax93](#): > > To remove a connection, follow these steps (As of August 23, 2013, in case this comes back as a zombie!) > > 1. Log in (duh) > 2. Click “Network” in the main navigation bar > 3. Click “Remove Connections” in the navigation bar that appears on the screen. It should be to the far right, and below the “Upgrade” button. > > As far as I know, people you disconnect from aren’t notified. Interesting; I don’t have a “Network” item on my navigation bar (wonder if this is a regional difference or perhaps a paid vs. free difference?). Anyway. The path to removing connections on my screen goes via “Contacts” on the nav bar (the sub-head you need is “Connections”, but if you just click the Contacts link you go to the same place), which takes you to a maintenance page showing your contacts where you can tag, filter, and organize them. On the right side of the page is a link to “Remove Connections” which when clicked brings up that same contacts list with checkboxes you can select and a big blue button that will _Remove Connections_. There is also a note that reads: > [@](#): > > Note: These connections will not be notified that they have been removed. Bear in mind your connections won’t be notified you’ve removed them, but they might notice anyway if they have few connections or are just aware of how many/who they had. And if your connections are visible on your own profile (an option that you control via Settings), your remaining connections might notice that your number has decreased. **Heracles** , take a look at the Privacy Controls in Settings; you can select who can see any or all of these options:[ul][_]Turn on/off your activity broadcasts[_]Select who can see your activity feed[_]Select what others see when you’ve viewed their profile[_]Select who can see your connections[_]Change your profile photo & visibility[_]Show/hide “Viewers of this profile also viewed” box[/ul]Note some of these come with trade-offs; for example, if you want to be anonymous when viewing others’ profiles, you won’t be able to see who’s viewed _your_ profile. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-delete-contacts-from-my-linkedin-profile-and-more-importantly-will-they-be-aware/666851/6 "2013-08-25T02:11:54Z")
Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-delete-contacts-from-my-linkedin-profile-and-more-importantly-will-they-be-aware/666851/7 "2013-08-25T02:17:18Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Thanks all. All the way to the right on the Linkedin menu bar should be your avatar (wither a photo you uploaded or a place holder). Letter icon, Flag icon, person icon, avatar. Mouse-hover over the photo and a drop-down menu will appear Privacy and Setings will be a choice Choose it- you will be prompted to login using your password again.