By Unblocking someone on LinkedIn takes about thirty seconds once you know where the setting lives: Settings & Privacy → Visibility → Blocking → Unblock. LinkedIn doesn't notify the other person, and you'll wait 48 hours before you can block them again.
That's the short version. Below is the exact click path on desktop and mobile, what unblocking does and doesn't restore, answers to the questions people actually ask, and a section most guides skip: what to do when the block runs the other way, and it's your account LinkedIn has locked out.
How to unblock someone on LinkedIn (desktop)
- Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
- Select Settings & Privacy.
- In the Visibility section, click Blocking (listed under “Visibility of your profile & network”).
- Find the person's name in your blocked list.
- Click Unblock next to their name and confirm.
These steps come straight from LinkedIn's official Block or unblock a member help page, which is worth bookmarking since LinkedIn moves its settings around every year or two.
How to unblock on LinkedIn mobile (iPhone and Android)
- Tap your profile picture at the top of the app.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Visibility.
- Under “Visibility of your profile & network,” tap Blocking.
- Tap Unblock next to the person's name.
The path is identical on iOS and Android. If you can't find the Blocking option, update the app; older versions bury it differently.
How to find your blocked list on LinkedIn
Your blocked list lives in the same place as the unblock button: Settings & Privacy → Visibility → Blocking. Every member you've blocked appears there by name. If the list is empty, you haven't blocked anyone from this account, which matters if you manage more than one profile and can't remember which one you blocked someone from.
What happens when you unblock someone
Unblocking removes the wall, but it doesn't rebuild what blocking tore down. Here's the breakdown, based on LinkedIn's blocking overview and unblock documentation:
| After unblocking | Restored? |
|---|---|
| They can view your profile again | Yes |
| You can message each other | Yes, within LinkedIn's normal rules |
| Your old connection | No. Blocking severed it; you'll need to connect again |
| Endorsements and recommendations they gave you | No. LinkedIn removed them at block time and they can't be reinstated |
| Ability to re-block them | Not immediately. LinkedIn enforces a 48-hour wait before you can block the same person again |
That 48-hour rule catches people off guard. If you're unblocking someone just to check their profile, remember you're committing to at least two days of being visible to them before you can shut the door again.
Common questions about blocking and unblocking
Do people know if you unblock them on LinkedIn?
No. LinkedIn states that the blocked member won't receive any notification when you block them, and the same applies to unblocking. The one edge case LinkedIn flags: if you previously shared a Recruiter account with the person, it reserves the right to notify them of a block.
Can I block someone without them knowing I viewed their profile?
Blocking is done from the person's profile page, so your visit could appear in their “Who viewed your profile” feed first. The workaround is LinkedIn's private browsing setting: turn on private mode under Settings & Privacy → Visibility → Profile viewing options before you visit, then block. Your visit shows as an anonymous member.
Why can't I unblock someone?
The usual culprits: you're logged into a different account than the one that blocked them, or you're looking for the person by search instead of in the Blocking list. Blocked members don't appear in search results for you, so the Settings path is the only way in.
When you're the one who's blocked: restricted accounts
A lot of people searching “how to unblock on LinkedIn” aren't trying to unblock a person at all. They've been locked out of their own account and want to unblock themselves. That's a different problem with a different fix.
LinkedIn's account restrictions page lists four reasons it restricts accounts: content violations, profile violations (a name, photo, or work history that breaks policy), identity violations, and automated tool violations. Its policy is blunt on that last one: “We don't allow the use of third-party software or browser extensions that scrape, modify the appearance of, or automate activity on LinkedIn's website.” Aggressive outreach volume and automation are among the most common reasons sales and recruiting accounts get flagged.
If it happens to you:
- Log in and follow the on-screen prompts. For content violations, LinkedIn lets you ask it to revisit the decision. For identity issues, it will walk you through verifying who you are.
- Make your appeal count. Be factual and brief; explain what happened and what you've changed.
- Know the ceiling. LinkedIn warns that some violations “may result in permanent account restriction after a single violation.” Not every account comes back.
The safer path for outreach: don't risk your personal profile
Here's the uncomfortable math for anyone doing LinkedIn outreach at volume. Your personal profile carries your real network, your job history, and often your inbound pipeline. One restriction, and years of connections go dark while you wait on an appeal that may not succeed.
That's why many founders and sales teams separate the asset from the activity. Instead of running prospecting on the profile they can't afford to lose, they rent a dedicated LinkedIn account: a real, aged, ID-verified profile that's already warmed up, which you rebrand with your own name, photo, and positioning and run your outreach from. Your personal account stays clean for your network and your reputation. The rented account does the heavy lifting, and if outreach ever trips a restriction, your own profile and network are untouched.
It also solves the recovery problem in reverse: if your main account is already restricted and the appeal is dragging on (or failed), a rented account gets you back in front of prospects this week instead of whenever LinkedIn's review queue clears.
Locked out, or don't want to be? Rent a real, aged, ID-verified LinkedIn account you can brand as your own and keep your personal profile out of the line of fire. See available accounts at linkdify.io/rent.
Quick recap
- Unblock a person: Settings & Privacy → Visibility → Blocking → Unblock, on desktop or mobile.
- They aren't notified, but the old connection and any recommendations they gave you don't come back.
- You must wait 48 hours to re-block the same person.
- If LinkedIn restricted your account, log in, follow the prompts to appeal or verify your identity, and know that some restrictions are permanent.
- If outreach is what got you flagged (or what you can't pause), a rented, warmed-up account keeps your personal profile safe.