LinkedIn Premium profiles can see a list of people who have viewed their profile, but anonymous users will be displayed as “LinkedIn Member.”
There are distinctive types of LinkedIn accounts that can help you with various kinds of goals on the platform.
However, regardless of whether you have a premium or free account, you will not be able to see the information of users that have chosen to browse the platform anonymously.
Types of LinkedIn accounts
LinkedIn is a social networking site where professionals can grow their connections, advance their careers, build a professional network, and more.
As a result of the varying interests and goals of the users on the platform, LinkedIn also offers users different types of accounts that cater to distinct goals.
These accounts include the Basic LinkedIn account, which offers all the basic and necessary features that you need to access the platform and build connections for free, and the LinkedIn Premium accounts, which include specialised features for career-oriented goals, business-oriented goals, sales-oriented goals, and recruitment goals at a fee.
Can LinkedIn Premium profiles see anonymous searches?
One of the features offered to both free and premium accounts on the LinkedIn platform is the anonymous browsing feature. When you browse LinkedIn anonymously or in private mode, users will not be able to see your name or any other details on your profile.
If you have a Basic LinkedIn account, other users will not be able to see your name or profile information if you browse their profiles anonymously, but you, in turn, will also not be able to see the information of users who have viewed your profile.
If you have a premium profile, you will be able to see a list of people who have viewed your profile in the last 90 days, even if you browse profiles anonymously, but this still will not show you the names or information of other users that are browsing anonymously.
The list only displays the names of other anonymous users as “LinkedIn Member – This person is viewing profiles in private mode” on the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” page on LinkedIn and does not provide the premium account holder with any other details about the account holder.
It is also important to bear in mind that this is only the case if you have toggled on “Private Mode” on your premium account.
There is also a semi-private mode that displays some information about the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” page for the account that you are viewing.
Additionally, you should understand the pros and cons associated with browsing LinkedIn in private mode.
How to turn “Private Mode” on to browse LinkedIn anonymously
To turn on “Private Mode” so that you can browse other free and premium profiles anonymously, you need to change the visibility settings of your LinkedIn account by following these steps:
- Step 1: Click on your profile’s icon or the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage
- Step 2: Select the “Settings and Privacy” option from the dropdown menu
- Step 3: Select the “Visibility” option from the menu on the left
- Step 4: Navigate to the “Visibility of your profile & network” section
- Step 5: Find the “Profile Viewing” option and click on the change button next to this section
- Step 6: Select “Private Mode”
Your changes to these settings will be saved automatically and you can browse in private mode until you change these settings again.
What is the difference between private mode and semi-private mode?
When you have followed the steps above to change your visibility settings on the LinkedIn platform, you will notice that there are other semi-private options you can select instead of private mode.
Although these options will limit the information that premium accounts can see on your account to only your name and headline or only your private profile characteristics, it does not allow you to browse completely anonymously like you would in private mode and premium accounts will see more of your profile information on their “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” in the last 90 days list.
What are the pros and cons of browsing anonymously?
Some of the benefits of browsing other LinkedIn users’ profiles anonymously is that this anonymity allows you to search for leads or candidates without them knowing that you are searching for them, who you are, and without them having access to your information.
However, it is also important to note that building a network and being discoverable to other people and recruiters in your industry is a large part of what makes LinkedIn so successful as a professional networking site.
It can be quite difficult to expand your network if no one knows who you are.