How to Fix LinkedIn Messages Not Sending, Loading or Showing?

Are you having trouble with your LinkedIn messages not sending, loading, or showing in your inbox?

Undoubtedly, LinkedIn is one of the best networking platforms for connecting with professionals across different industries. You can use its integrated Messaging and InMail feature 📧 to start a conversation with other LinkedIn users and add them to your network.

But, several users are currently experiencing issues when sending messages to other users on LinkedIn. Due to this, they can’t reach out to other professionals on the platform and connect with them 😫. Many LinkedIn users are facing this frustrating and inconvenient issue and eagerly searching for some solutions to overcome this. 

Fret not! 🙂 A few days back, we were also in the same situation, but at that time, we somehow managed to escape this with the help of some solutions. Here in this article, we’ve shared over 15 tried and tested solutions that helped us tackle the LinkedIn message not working issue. 

 

Note: This guide caters to LinkedIn’s desktop (Windows & macOS) and mobile (Android & iOS) users.

 

 

What Are the Causes Of LinkedIn Messages Not Sending & Loading Issues?

Here are some of the most common reasons for not being able to send and view messages on LinkedIn:

• Issue With the Device (Step 3)
• Enabled VPN Service Causing Issues (Step 5)
• Corrupted Browser Cache & Cookies (Step 6)
• Harmful Browser Extensions (Step 7)
• Issues With the Browser (Step 8)
• Corrupted LinkedIn App Cache & Cookies (Step 11)

 

 

15 Fixes for LinkedIn Messages Not Sending, Loading, or Showing

Before heading to actual workarounds, we suggest ensuring the internet connection you’re connected to has enough speed. You can check the speed of your internet connection using Fast.com. For extra assurance, we also recommend checking the status of LinkedIn servers either using the DownDetector or LinkedIn’s Twitter Support Page — @LinkedInHelp. 

Once all the pointers mentioned above are checked, we recommend following the below-mentioned solutions carefully to get over the LinkedIn messages not working issue. 

 

1. Try Logging In Again to the LinkedIn Account

One of the most straightforward solutions to resolve all the problems related to the LinkedIn Messaging feature is to refresh the account. You can restore the LinkedIn account by logging out and logging back into the account. Since the issue is related to the account, implementing this solution can resolve it.

Below are the steps to log out and log back into the LinkedIn account:

 

For Mobiles Users (Android & iOS)

1. First, open the LinkedIn app and click on the Profile at the top-left corner of the display. 

 

2. Next, tap Settings (⚙️) in the navigation bar and search for the Sign Out option.

 

3. Lastly, tap on Sign Out to sign out of the current device (📱).

 

For Desktop Users (Windows & macOS)

1. To start, open the web version of LinkedIn on the PC and click on Me in the top menu bar to get a dropdown menu (🔻). 

 

2. Finally, click the Sign Out option immediately to log out from LinkedIn’s website.

 

Once you’ve signed out from your LinkedIn account, you must sign in again to the same LinkedIn account. After signing in again, try sending a message to some of your friends on LinkedIn to see if the issue is resolved or still there. 

 

 

2. Switch to Another Device When Using LinkedIn

Notably, some users cannot send messages through the LinkedIn app. At the same time, some users are experiencing the same issue when using LinkedIn’s website. The best solution to overcome this annoying situation is to switch to another device.

If you don’t have an extra device to access LinkedIn, using the alternate version of LinkedIn will resolve the issue. 

For instance, if you’re facing issues with the LinkedIn app, you can use the web version of LinkedIn to connect and chat with connections. If you’re facing problems with LinkedIn’s website, we recommend using the LinkedIn app.

 

 

3. Disable All VPN Services

VPN services have always been there for our good to protect our privacy on the internet by constantly changing the IP address with a fictitious one so that no one can track our location or anything. However, using VPN services while accessing social media platforms can cause varied problems, especially if it’s a low-quality VPN service that funnels numerous users through one server or IP.

 

We always suggest users avoid using social media and streaming websites when connected to VPN. It would help if you did the same and immediately disconnected all VPN services to access the LinkedIn app or website. 

Nonetheless, for extra security and privacy while browsing the net and your online activities, a VPN is a must in this day and age. For this, you can’t go wrong with any of the big-name VPN services, in fact, we recommend NordVPN, which is our daily driver for our VPN needs, keeping us protected at all times.

So, do check out NordVPN and their insanely-valued deals for a good-quality VPN subscription!

 

 

4. Clear Your Browser Cache

Every browser stores temporary data called cache and cookies (🍪) that help them load previously visited websites much faster and improve the user experience. These cookies and cache files are known for enhancing the background but can also ruin it. This is because these files get corrupted after a specific time and lead to issues like these.  

We suggest deleting the browser cache and cookies files 🗑️ to ensure this isn’t happening because of corrupted caches and other data. You can follow the below-mentioned steps to delete the browser cache and cookies to resolve the LinkedIn message not working issue:

 

For Desktop Users (Windows & Mac)

For Google Chrome

1. Start by opening the Google Chrome app and head to the History tab using the Ctrl + H shortcut key. 

 

2. In the History tab, head to the Clear browsing data section and select all the options.

 

3. Lastly, click on Clear data to instantly delete the browser’s temporary data, like cached images, cookies, and other data.

 

For Safari (macOS)

1. To start, open the Safari Browser and click on Settings (⚙️).
2. Next, click the Reset Safari option, select all the checkboxes, and ensure nothing is left. 
3. Finally, click Reset to delete all the cache and cookies (🍪) data stored in the Safari Browser. 

 

You should now be able to send and view messages on LinkedIn without such issues. 

 

 

5. Disable the Browser Extensions

We install different extensions on our browsers to make browsing much more leisurely and effortless. But sometimes, the installed extensions interfere with the websites’ functioning and lead to problems like this LinkedIn messaging problem. In that case, the best you can do is disable all the web extensions 📴 and check if they’re the main culprit. 

Here are the steps to disable browser extensions and eliminate the LinkedIn messages not sending issue:

 

For Google Chrome

1. First, open the Google Chrome app on your Windows PC and click on the Puzzle icon (🧩) in the top menu bar. 

 

2. Next, click on the Manage extensions option from the dropdown (🔻). 

 

3. Click the toggle right next to any web extension to disable it. 

 

Note: The toggle will be colored gray when the extension is disabled.

 

Once you’ve disabled the extension, move back to LinkedIn and check whether the LinkedIn messages not working issue is resolved. If the outcome is negative, keep following the same steps with other extensions until LinkedIn starts functioning correctly. 

 

For Safari

1. Firstly, click Safari in the Apple Menu and Preferences in the dropdown menu. 
2. After that, click on the Extensions option and deselect the checkbox to disable the extension. 

 

Using the integrated messaging features, you can now access the LinkedIn website 🌐 and communicate and connect with other professionals on the platform. 

 

 

6. Use a Different Web Browser

If clearing the browser’s cache data doesn’t eliminate the issue with LinkedIn, the problem probably exists with the browser. It could be possible that your browser isn’t optimized for some websites, including LinkedIn. 

You can try switching to another browser, as all browsers render and display websites differently.

 

You can use browsers like Google Chrome, Brave, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. Notably, all these browsers are well-optimized and rarely face issues while browsing websites. 

 

 

7. Change Your DNS Settings

DNS servers convert the websites’ domain names into IP addresses to make the websites easily accessible to machines. This is because computers only understand IP addresses. Sometimes, incorrect DNS settings ❌ prevent the computer from opening the websites we wish to open. In that case, changing the DNS settings can resolve the issue. 

Here are the steps to change the DNS settings on Windows or macOS PC with ease: 

 

For Desktop Users (Windows & macOS)

For Windows

1. Start by opening the Settings app on the PC and navigate to the Network & Internet section. 

 

2. Next, click on Advanced network settings and open some advanced settings.

 

3. In the Advanced network settings section, click on More network adapter options.

 

4. Now, right-click on the WiFi (📶) and select Properties from the dropdown menu (🔻). 

 

5. Then, click twice on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on the Use the following DNS server addresses option.

 

6. Lastly, enter 1.1.1.1 or 1.0.0.1 in the Preferred DNS server and click on OK to save the changes. 

 

For macOS

1. Firstly, click on the System Preferences option in the Apple menu. 
2. Then, click on the Network option and select the WiFi network from the left navigation pane. 
3. Next, click on Advanced and head to the DNS section.
4. Then, click on the Plus icon (➕) in the DNS Servers section and add 1.1.1.1.

 

For Android

There are many Android phones out in the market with slightly differing UIs. However, the general process is the same for all of them since they all run Android anyway. Here’s how to do it on a Samsung:

1. First, open the Settings app.
2. Then, tap the Connections section.
3. Next, tap the Wi-Fi section.
4. On the network that you’re connected to, tap on the settings cog to the right.

 

5. After that, tap on View more at the bottom to expand the menu.
6. Select the IP Settings section and change it from DHCP to Static.

 

7. Then, fill in the DNS 1 and DNS 2 sections with the provided Primary and Alternate addresses we provided earlier. Either set of servers works well.

 

8. Finally, tap on Save at the bottom to apply the changes.

 

For iOS

1. Start by opening the Settings app.
2. Then, tap on the Wi-Fi section. The available wireless networks in range of your device appear.
3. Next, tap the ⓘ icon next to the currently connected Wi-Fi network.
4. On the new screen, tap on Configure DNS.

 

5. After that, select Manual.
6. Delete the current DNS servers and enter the new addresses as we mentioned in the table above. Either set of servers works well.

 

Note: Performing this step may momentarily disrupt your device’s Internet connection. Additionally, suppose using a custom DNS doesn’t fix your issue or instead only further slows down your Internet connection. In that case, you can follow the same steps to remove the custom DNS address and stick with the defaults.

 

You should now be able to access the LinkedIn website and its features (including the messaging functionality!) with ease and with no errors. 

 

 

8. Force Restart the LinkedIn App

One of the most common solutions to resolve issues with the app is force restarting the LinkedIn app 🔃. This is because sometimes the LinkedIn app gets interrupted by other services on the device and starts behaving oddly, especially regarding the messaging feature. In layman’s language, force restarting terminates all the processes related to the app and ensures all the issues with the application are gone. 

We’ve explained the entire process of rebooting the LinkedIn app from the Settings app in the below-mentioned steps:

 

For Mobile Users (Android & iOS)

For Android

1. First, open the Settings app and navigate to the Applications section to see all the installed applications on the smartphone.

 

2. Following that, search for the LinkedIn app in the Applications section (📲) and tap on the LinkedIn app to open some advanced settings. 

 

3. Lastly, immediately tap on the Force stop (🚫) to terminate all the running processes related to the LinkedIn app. 

 

For iPhone

You need first to open the LinkedIn app on your iPhone. After opening the LinkedIn app, access the Recent Applications tab and clear away ❌ the LinkedIn app from the section. 

 

Once the steps mentioned above are performed, restart the LinkedIn app and check whether the messaging issue is resolved. Unfortunately, if this doesn’t resolve the issues, you should continue following the remaining workarounds 🔛 and check if they change the issue.

 

 

9. Clear the LinkedIn App Cache

Like browsers, applications also store temporary data, like cache, which helps them run faster whenever users open the same application again. But, sometimes, the cache files become ineffective and interrupt the LinkedIn application’s processes. You can clear the cache of the LinkedIn app to see if it resolves the issue. 

Below are the correct steps to remove the LinkedIn app cache on Android and iPhone:

 

For Mobile Users (Android & iOS)

For Android

1. To start, open the Settings app (⚙️) and move to the Applications section to get a list of all installed applications on the device. 

 

2. Next, search for the LinkedIn app in the Application tab and open its additional settings. 

 

3. Following that, head to the Storage usage section of the LinkedIn app. 

 

4. Finally, tap on Clear cache (🗑️) to delete all the app cache data.

 

For iPhone

1. So, the first step is to open the Settings app on your iPhone and look for the LinkedIn application. 
2. Then, select the LinkedIn app and click on the Clear app cache on the next launch toggle. 
3. Now, close the Settings app and open the LinkedIn app to instantly clear all the LinkedIn app cache.

 

You can now use LinkedIn’s built-in Messaging and InMail features without a problem. 

 

 

10. Update the LinkedIn App From the Native App Store

According to our research, there could be different reasons for the issues with LinkedIn’s integrated Messaging and InMail features not working or sending and loading messages correctly. Yet, one of the most common reasons is expected to be some bugs 🐞 in the app. Thus, we suggest updating the LinkedIn app from the native application stores to eliminate those bugs. 

Here are the steps to update the LinkedIn app in a few easy steps:

 

For Mobile Users (Android & iOS)

For Android

1. To start, open the Playstore app on the smartphone and search for the LinkedIn app in the Playstore app. 

 

2. Next, tap on the LinkedIn app from the search results and then tap on Update to start updating the app. 

 

It’s that simple.

 

For iOS

1. Firstly, open the Apple App Store on your iPhone and tap on the Profile at the top-right corner of the smartphone screen. 
2. Then, search for the LinkedIn app in the Upcoming Automatic Updates section.
3. Finally, tap on Update right next to the LinkedIn app. 

 

That’s all! You’ve now updated the LinkedIn app and need to check whether the issues are resolved.

 

 

11. Reinstall the LinkedIn App

One of the solutions to effortlessly overcome this issue is to reinstall the LinkedIn app after uninstalling the current version from the device. If the issues are related to the LinkedIn app and a corrupted installation and files, they’ll get eliminated right after completely reinstalling the application on your device. You can do the same by implementing the below-mentioned steps:

 

Note: First, uninstall the current version of the LinkedIn app from the device before following the mentioned procedure.

 

For Mobile Users (Android & iOS)

For Android

1. To start, open the Playstore app and tap on the search bar within the Playstore app. 

 

2. Now, tap on the LinkedIn app from the search results and click on Install to start downloading and installing the LinkedIn app on the smartphone 📱. 

 

For iPhone

1. Start with opening the Apple App Store and typing LinkedIn in the search bar. 
2. Finally, tap on Install to install the LinkedIn app again on your iPhone 📲. 

 

That’s it! Once the LinkedIn app is reinstalled, we suggest opening it and sending messages to friends on LinkedIn to see if they’re correctly delivered. 

 

 

12. Reset the Device

Updating and reinstalling the application makes some wonder, while for some people, it doesn’t. If this solution didn’t eliminate the issue for you, we suggest resetting the device 📱and installing the LinkedIn app. 

In simple terms, resetting the device will ensure all the issues with the device software have been repaired and won’t cause issues anymore. 

You can implement the below-mentioned steps to reset the device in a few minutes:

 

For Mobile Users (Android & iOS)

For Android

1. Start by opening the Settings app and head to the Backup and reset section.

 

2. Following that, tap on Erase all data (factory reset) option and then tap on Erase all data to clear all the device data immediately.

 

That’s it!

 

For iOS

1. Firstly, move to the Settings of your iPhone and navigate to the General tab.
2. Following that, tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone in the General settings. 
3. Lastly, tap on the Erase All Content and Settings option to delete all the data on your iPhone.

 

Once the device is completely wiped, download and install the LinkedIn app 🔄 and check whether LinkedIn’s integrated Inbox and InMail features are working correctly.

 

 

13. Deactivate & Reactivate Your LinkedIn Account

There are some chances that LinkedIn has marked the account as spam for sending excessive messages and connection requests. However, this is a possibility, and we aren’t sure about it. Thus, we suggest deactivating and reactivating 🔄 the LinkedIn account once to remove the ban ✋ if this is the case with your account. 

Here are the steps temporarily deactivate and reactivate a LinkedIn account:

 

Note: Deactivating the account will remove all the company following, interests, and invitations from the account. 

 

1. To start, open LinkedIn and navigate to the Account preferences section in the Privacy & Settings section. 

 

2. Next, scroll down (⤴️) and tap on Close account. 

 

3. Following that, tap on Continue to disable the account. 

 

4. Now, wait a few minutes and re-login to the LinkedIn account to reactivate it.

 

That’s it! You can now send messages to other users on LinkedIn with ease. 

 

 

14. Find Solutions On LinkedIn Help Forum

One of the easiest ways to find a solution to any problem related to LinkedIn is by reading the troubleshooting guides on LinkedIn’s Help Forum🎙️. You can follow the below-mentioned steps ⬇️ to access the LinkedIn Help Forum and immediately find a perfect solution: 

1. You need to first navigate to LinkedIn’s Help Forum.

 

2. Next, enter the issue you’re facing in the search box and press the Enter key or Search icon (🔎). 

 

3. You can now follow the troubleshooting guides appearing in the search results after entering the issue in the search bar. 

 

 

15. Contact LinkedIn Support

You can also reach out to LinkedIn’s customer support team ☎️ for working resolutions for this issue. In most cases, they offer tried and tested solutions that always resolve the issue. You can try your luck, too, and see if it shines this time. 

Follow the below-mentioned steps to contact LinkedIn’s customer support team through their Contact Us page in a few easy steps:

1. To start, move to LinkedIn’s Contact Us page. 

 

2. Then, click on Get help from us and select the Other option. 

 

3. Afterward, type Messages not working in the search bar and click the Create a support ticket option. 

 

4. Next, select the correct options from the Issue Type, In Which App or Site? and On What Device? dropdown. 

 

5. In the end, explain the entire issue with LinkedIn in the Your Question text box and hit Submit. 

 

That’s it. It would help if you now waited for the response from LinkedIn’s customer support team 📩 to get assistance on the issue. Besides their official Contact Us page, you can also reach out to them through their social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

 

 

Conclusion

Unfortunately, using LinkedIn can sometimes be a pain for users. In this case, several users have reported facing issues with LinkedIn’s integrated messaging feature.

Fortunately, this article covered you with 15 working workarounds to resolve all the issues with LinkedIn messaging 😄. You can test them and check if any of the abovementioned solutions make a difference. By following the steps outlined above, you should be able to troubleshoot and fix the problem quickly and get back to using LinkedIn for networking and connecting with others.

Also, make sure to share your experience with this troubleshooting guide by answering some questions in the comments ⬇️:

1. Did we help you resolve the issue with the LinkedIn app’s messaging or InMail problem?
2. Which of the solutions mentioned above worked well for you?
3. Do you have something extra to share to help other users resolve this annoying issue with LinkedIn’s messaging features not working correctly?

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions About the LinkedIn Messages Not Working Issue

Why Can’t I Access My Messages on LinkedIn?

You can’t access the messages section on the LinkedIn app because of some bugs in the app. We suggest reinstalling the LinkedIn application (Step 11) to eliminate all the bugs. 

 

How Do I Enable Messages on LinkedIn?

Below are the steps to enable messages on the LinkedIn app or website:

1. To start, open LinkedIn and click the Me icon.
2. Then, click on View Profile.
3. Next, click on the Edit and Dropdown icon (🔻).
4. Finally, enable the toggle next to the Open Profile option to turn on the messages option and click the Save button.  

 

Where Are My Messages on LinkedIn?

To access the Messages section, open the LinkedIn app and click on the Messages icon at the top-right corner of the screen. You can now see all the conversations in front of you. 

 

How Do You Unlock Messages on LinkedIn?

Here are the steps to turn on messages on the LinkedIn app or website:

1. First, click on the Me icon and the Settings & Privacy option from the dropdown.
2. Now, move to the Communications tab from the left navigation pane. 
3. In the How you get your notifications section, click on the Change option next to the Messages from members and partners.
4. In the end, enable the toggle next to the Open Profile option to enable messages. 

 

How Do I Send a Message to a Non-Contact on LinkedIn?

You can check the mentioned steps to send a message to a non-contact on LinkedIn:

1. Firstly, open the LinkedIn app or website and sign in to your LinkedIn account. 
2. Next, search for someone with whom you’re not connected yet but want to connect. 
3. Then click on the Message option, and then it’ll let you send a message to them using InMail credits.