# What does the green dot mean on LinkedIn?

Canonical: https://postmesh.app/blog/linkedin-green-dot-meaning

By PostMesh team. Published 2026-10-31; updated 2026-10-31.

A solid green dot on someone's LinkedIn photo means they're active on LinkedIn right now and will be notified instantly if you message them. A hollow green circle means they aren't using LinkedIn at the moment but have push notifications on in the LinkedIn mobile app, so your message still reaches them right away.

## The short answer

The green dot is LinkedIn's active status indicator. LinkedIn's help page [Active status in LinkedIn Messaging](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a553072) describes three states you can see on a connection's profile photo, and each one tells you something slightly different about what happens when you send a message.

| What you see | What it means | What happens when you message them |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Solid green circle | They're active on LinkedIn right now | They're notified instantly |
| Hollow green circle | They aren't using LinkedIn right now, but push notifications are on in the LinkedIn mobile app | They're notified instantly on their phone |
| No green circle | They aren't active, or they've turned active status off | The message is delivered and waits until they open LinkedIn messaging |

Active status is on by default and shared with your connections. You can show it to all LinkedIn members, to your connections only, or to no one. Turning it off has a cost that surprises people: you also stop seeing when your connections are active.

**What do you see on their profile photo?**
- A solid green dot → They're on LinkedIn now and will be notified at once. It doesn't mean they're reading your conversation.
- A hollow green circle → They're away but get push notifications from the LinkedIn app. Your message reaches their phone right away.
- No dot at all → They're offline or hide their status. Send the message anyway. It waits in their inbox.
- A frame around the photo with a hashtag → That's a photo frame such as #OpenToWork or #Hiring, not active status.

*Based on LinkedIn Help's active status and profile photo frame pages.*

## What does a solid green dot mean on LinkedIn?

A solid green circle means the person is active on LinkedIn at this moment. LinkedIn's help page says they'll be instantly notified when you message them. When LinkedIn launched the feature in August 2017, its announcement, [Introducing Active Status on LinkedIn Messaging](https://www.linkedin.com/blog/member/product/introducing-active-status-on-linkedin-messaging), described the dot as a sign that someone is online and that it might be a good time to talk.

The help page describes the indicator on profile photos in LinkedIn Messaging. The 2017 announcement said you'd see the dot next to the profile photo of people you know, so you may notice it outside the inbox as well.

### Does a green dot mean they're reading my message?

No. The dot tells you that a person is on LinkedIn, not that they've opened your conversation. Whether they've read a specific message is a separate signal, called a read receipt, and people can switch read receipts off. If the recipient has, LinkedIn's page on [message indicators](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a569649) says your message will show as Sent, even after they've read it.

### Can someone show as active when they aren't looking at LinkedIn?

It's possible, because of how LinkedIn detects activity. A January 2018 post on the LinkedIn Engineering blog, [Now You See Me, Now You Don't](https://www.linkedin.com/blog/engineering/product-design/now-you-see-me-now-you-dont-linkedins-real-time-presence-platf), explains that when a member opens LinkedIn on a phone or in a browser, a persistent connection opens to LinkedIn's real-time platform, and the existence of that connection is what marks them as online. Based on that design, an app or browser tab that stays connected can show someone as active after they've stepped away. Treat a solid dot as a sign that someone could see your message soon, not proof that they're at their desk.

## What does a hollow green circle mean on LinkedIn?

A hollow green circle means your connection isn't actively using LinkedIn but has push notifications enabled in the LinkedIn mobile app. LinkedIn says they'll be notified instantly when you message them. In practice, your message arrives on their phone as a notification even though they aren't in the app.

LinkedIn's 2017 announcement described the same indicator as a green dot with a white circle in the middle, meaning the person was available only on mobile and would be notified of your message. The current help page calls it a hollow green circle. Both describe the same state.

### What is the last active time under someone's photo?

In the LinkedIn mobile app, the help page says a timestamp next to a connection's profile photo shows when they were last active. The 2018 engineering post describes the same idea from the system side: when a member is offline, LinkedIn's presence system provides their last active timestamp instead of a live status.

### Why do some people never show a hollow circle?

The hollow circle depends on push notifications being on in the LinkedIn mobile app. Someone who only uses LinkedIn on a computer, or who has turned push notifications off, doesn't match that description, so going by LinkedIn's definition they'd move straight from a solid dot to no dot when they leave.

> A hollow circle is a good sign for timing. It tells you the person will get a notification on their phone, which a missing dot doesn't.

## What does it mean when there's no green dot?

LinkedIn's help page gives two reasons for a missing circle: the person isn't currently active, or they've turned off active status. Your message is still sent in both cases. They just won't see it until they open LinkedIn messaging. A few more situations explain most of the questions people have about a missing dot:

| Situation | Why there's no dot | What you can do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| They're offline | LinkedIn isn't open for them, and push notifications are off or they don't use the mobile app | Send the message. It waits in their inbox. |
| They chose No one | Their status is hidden from every member | Nothing. It's their setting and it isn't about you. |
| They share with connections only and you aren't a 1st-degree connection | That audience includes only 1st-degree connections | Connect if it makes sense, or message them anyway |
| You turned your own active status off | LinkedIn stops showing you other people's status when yours is off | Turn yours back on to see theirs |
| One of you blocked the other | Blocked members can't access each other's profiles or message each other | Nothing in Messaging. The block has to be lifted by the person who made it. |

> The connections-only and blocking rows come from LinkedIn's settings and [blocking](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1380117) pages, not from a line on the active status page. LinkedIn doesn't publish a complete list of every case where a dot is hidden.

### Is a missing dot a sign that someone is ignoring me?

Not on its own. The default audience is your connections, so you'll never see a dot for most people outside your network, and anyone can switch to No one. For most people, no dot is the normal state for most of the day. If a message has gone unanswered, look at its status instead. Sent means it was delivered. A small profile photo next to the message means it was read, as long as the recipient hasn't turned read receipts off.

### Does a missing dot mean they deleted their account?

No. A missing dot only tells you about activity and settings. If you can't find someone at all, LinkedIn's blocking page lists other reasons: the member may have hibernated their profile, been removed for breaking LinkedIn's user agreement, blocked you, or closed their account.

## How does LinkedIn decide if you're active?

LinkedIn explained the system behind the dot in its 2018 engineering post, when it said it was tracking presence for roughly 500 million members. The design fits in five steps, and knowing it clears up most of the odd behavior people notice.

- You open LinkedIn: Your phone app or browser opens a persistent connection to LinkedIn's real-time platform, and you're marked online.
- While you're connected: The platform sends a heartbeat for your account at a fixed interval. LinkedIn calls it d seconds and didn't publish the value.
- A brief drop, like a tunnel: If you reconnect within that interval, you stay online, so the dot doesn't flicker.
- Heartbeats stop: A timer fires a little after the interval runs out, and LinkedIn publishes an offline event to your connections.
- After you go offline: The solid dot goes away and LinkedIn can show your last active time instead.

*From the LinkedIn Engineering blog, January 2018. The exact interval isn't public.*

Two practical points follow. First, the dot reacts to a connection, not to attention, which is why a phone with LinkedIn running or a forgotten tab can make someone look available. Second, LinkedIn deliberately waits a short time before marking someone offline, so a quick network drop on a train doesn't make the dot blink on and off for everyone watching.

The post is from 2018, and LinkedIn hasn't published the length of the interval. Treat it as how the system was designed, not as a live specification.

## Who can see your green dot on LinkedIn?

You decide. LinkedIn's page [Change active status on LinkedIn Messaging](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a553076) lists three audiences, and the active status page says the feature starts out on and shared with your connections.

| Setting | Who sees when you're active | Who it suits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Your Connections only (default) | Only your 1st-degree connections | Most people. Colleagues and contacts can tell when you're around. |
| All LinkedIn members | Every LinkedIn member | Recruiters, salespeople and creators who want strangers to see they're reachable |
| No one | Nobody. Your status is hidden from all members | Anyone who wants to read and reply on their own schedule |

There's no option to hide your status from particular people while showing it to everyone else. The closest you can get is to remove a 1st-degree connection, which takes them out of the connections-only audience, or to block them, which also ends profile access and messaging between you. Both are heavier tools than most situations need.

### What does turning active status off cost me?

LinkedIn is explicit: if you turn off your active status, you also lose the ability to see when your connections are active. The setting works both ways, so you can't watch other people's dots while keeping yours hidden.

### Should I show my status to all LinkedIn members?

Only if you want people outside your network to message you in the moment. If you're a recruiter or you sell to new contacts, being visibly available can help a conversation start. If you mostly use LinkedIn to keep up with people you know, connections only is enough. Showing your status widely doesn't change how your posts are shown in the feed. That depends on what you post and when, which is covered in our guide to the [best time to post on LinkedIn](/blog/best-time-to-post-on-linkedin).

## How do I turn off the green dot on LinkedIn?

These steps come from LinkedIn's help page on changing active status. The setting lives under Visibility, in a section called Visibility of your LinkedIn activity.

### On a computer

1. **Open the Me menu**: Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. **Go to Settings & Privacy**: Select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown.
3. **Open Visibility**: Click Visibility in the left rail.
4. **Open Manage active status**: Under the Visibility of your LinkedIn activity section, click Manage active status.
5. **Choose an audience**: Pick No one to hide your dot completely, or Your Connections only or All LinkedIn members.

LinkedIn on desktop: Me › Settings & Privacy › Visibility › Manage active status › No one

*From LinkedIn Help: Change active status on LinkedIn Messaging.*

### In the LinkedIn mobile app

1. **Open settings**: Tap your profile photo, then tap Settings & Privacy.
2. **Tap Visibility**: It's one of the main sections in Settings & Privacy.
3. **Tap Manage active status**: You'll find it under the Visibility of your LinkedIn activity section.
4. **Choose who can see you**: Tap No one, Your Connections only or All LinkedIn members.

LinkedIn, Manage active status:
- Your Connections only: 1st-degree connections
- All LinkedIn members: Everyone on LinkedIn
- No one: Hidden from all members (tap this)

*Option names from LinkedIn Help. The screen on your phone may look different.*

### What changes after I turn it off?

- Your connections stop seeing a green dot on your photo.
- You stop seeing green dots on your connections' photos.
- People can still message you exactly as before. Active status has nothing to do with who can contact you.
- Read receipts and typing indicators stay as they were. They're a separate setting, covered below.
- How people see your profile visits doesn't change either. That's another separate setting.

LinkedIn's help pages don't say how quickly other people see the change, or whether the last active time in the mobile app is hidden as well. If you need to be sure, ask a connection to look at your photo in Messaging a little later.

## Is the green dot the same as read receipts?

No. People mix them up because both show up in Messaging, but they answer different questions. Active status says whether someone is around. Read receipts say whether they opened your message. Typing indicators say whether they're writing a reply right now. Active status has its own setting, and turning it off doesn't touch the other two.

**Active status**
- Shows whether someone is on LinkedIn now
- Audience: connections, all members or no one
- Set under Visibility
- Off means you can't see others' status either

**Read receipts**
- A small profile photo appears when your message is read
- Not shown to InMail senders
- Set under Data privacy, Messaging experience
- Off means no one in the chat, including you, sees read status

**Typing indicators**
- Shows when someone is typing a reply
- On by default
- Shares one toggle with read receipts
- Off means you don't see others typing either

*From LinkedIn Help's active status and delivery and typing indicator pages.*

### How do I turn off read receipts on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn combines read receipts and typing indicators into one toggle called Delivery and typing indicators. These steps are from LinkedIn's page [Delivery and typing indicators](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a567370):

1. **Open Settings & Privacy**: Click the Me icon at the top of your homepage, then Settings & Privacy.
2. **Open Data privacy**: Click Data privacy in the left pane.
3. **Find the messaging settings**: Under the Messaging experience section, click Delivery and typing indicators.
4. **Switch the toggle**: Turn Delivery and typing indicators on or off.

In the mobile app it's the same route: tap your profile photo, then Settings & Privacy, then Data privacy, then Delivery and typing indicators under Messaging experience.

> LinkedIn says that when these are off, no one in the conversation, including you, can see whether messages have been read or whether someone is typing. You give up seeing other people's read receipts when you hide your own.

### What do Sending, Sent and Read mean?

| Status | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| Sending | Your message is on its way. If it fails, LinkedIn shows an error and asks you to try again. |
| Sent | It was delivered to the recipient's inbox. You'll also only ever see Sent if the recipient has turned read receipts off. |
| Read | A small profile photo appears next to your message once the recipient has read it. |

### Do message requests and InMail work the same way?

Not quite. LinkedIn says read receipts and typing indicators don't appear to senders of InMail messages. For message requests, which you can send to coworkers or group members you aren't connected with, read receipts only appear after the recipient accepts. LinkedIn's page on [message requests](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a552485) adds that the sender isn't notified if a request is declined, and that attachments can't be sent in a request. So if you sent a request and see nothing, it may simply be waiting, or it may have been declined without a notice.

## What do the other dots, badges and frames on LinkedIn mean?

Not every colored mark on LinkedIn is active status. Here's what the others mean, according to LinkedIn's own help pages:

| What you see | Where | What it means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Red badge with a number | On the Messaging icon | How many new messages you haven't seen yet |
| Blue badge with a number | Next to a conversation or group chat | How many messages in it you haven't read |
| Blue circle | Next to the Focused or Other tab, and next to a message | Unread messages, when Focused Inbox is on |
| Small profile photo beside your message | Inside a conversation | The recipient has read it |
| Gold Premium badge | On a profile and next to the name in search results | The member has Premium and chose to display it |
| Verification badge | Next to the name on a profile | LinkedIn confirmed their identity, workplace or school |
| #OpenToWork photo frame | Around a profile photo | They're open to new jobs and share that with all members |
| #Hiring photo frame | Around a profile photo | They're sharing a job they're hiring for |

> LinkedIn's messaging help says clicking the Messaging icon clears the red unseen count even if some messages are still unread. That's why the red badge can disappear while blue unread badges stay.

### What is the blue circle in LinkedIn Messaging?

It marks unread messages when Focused Inbox is on. LinkedIn's [Focused Inbox](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a711117) page says the feature uses machine learning to sort messages into a Focused tab and an Other tab, shows a blue circle next to the tab and the message for anything unread, and keeps sending push notifications and badges for every new message, whichever tab it lands in. LinkedIn says it may be turned on automatically for members outside the EU. You can switch it off from Messaging settings: click the More icon at the top of your inbox, select Messaging settings, then Update settings next to Focused Inbox settings.

### What is the #OpenToWork photo frame?

It's part of LinkedIn's Open to Work feature, which tells recruiters and your network that you're looking for a job. LinkedIn's page [Let recruiters know you're Open to Work](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a507508) lists three audiences, and only one adds the frame:

- All LinkedIn Members: includes recruiters and people at your current company, and adds the #OpenToWork photo frame.
- Recruiters only: people using LinkedIn Recruiter. LinkedIn says it takes steps to hide your status from Recruiter users at your current company but can't guarantee complete privacy.
- Visible only to you: LinkedIn uses your job preferences to tailor job recommendations, and nobody else sees them.

LinkedIn also says that if you stop responding to InMails from recruiters, it will email you to confirm you're still open to work, and it may remove the feature from your profile if you don't confirm. If you're job hunting, the frame matters less than what people read when they click your photo. The [LinkedIn headline generator](/tools/linkedin-headline-generator) and [summary generator](/tools/linkedin-summary-generator) give you first drafts to edit, and the [headline character counter](/tools/linkedin-headline-character-counter) checks they fit.

### What is the #Hiring photo frame?

It shows that someone is hiring. Per LinkedIn's page on [sharing that you're hiring](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a516858), when you create or share a job from your profile, LinkedIn adds the #Hiring photo frame, features you in the job's Meet the team section and tells your network you're hiring. You have to be a Page super admin or currently work for the organization, some companies require a verified work email domain first, and a new job may need review before it can be shared.

### How do I change or remove a photo frame?

LinkedIn's page [Change your profile photo frames](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a566495) gives these desktop steps:

1. **Open your profile**: Click the Me icon at the top of your homepage, then View profile.
2. **Open your photo**: Click your profile photo near the top of the page.
3. **Choose Frames**: Click Frames, then select the frame you want, or Original photo to remove it.
4. **Apply**: Click Apply, then confirm with Save or Remove if LinkedIn asks.

LinkedIn on desktop: Me › View profile › Profile photo › Frames › Apply

*From LinkedIn Help: Change your profile photo frames.*

When you remove an Open to Work frame, LinkedIn offers a choice: remove Open to Work from your profile completely, or share it with recruiters only so it's no longer visible to all members. If you're changing your photo while you're there, the [LinkedIn photo resizer](/tools/linkedin-photo-resizer) crops an image to the right shape, and the [LinkedIn banner resizer](/tools/linkedin-banner-resizer) does the same for your background image. For dimensions across every network, see our guide to [social media image sizes](/blog/social-media-image-sizes).

### What do the Premium and verification badges mean?

The gold badge means the member pays for LinkedIn Premium and has chosen to show it. LinkedIn's page on [Premium profile visibility](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a569234) says the badge appears on the profile and next to the member's name in search results, and that Premium members can hide it: click the Edit icon in your profile's intro section, open the dropdown next to Profile Premium Badge under Premium Settings, switch the toggle off and click Save.

A verification badge is different. LinkedIn's page [Verifications on your LinkedIn profile](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1359065) says it means LinkedIn confirmed the member's identity, workplace or educational institution, that verification is free and optional, and that the badge is visible to members who are signed in. Identity checks run through partners: CLEAR in the US, Canada and Mexico, DigiLocker in India, and Persona with an NFC-enabled passport in many other countries. LinkedIn says its data shows verified members see 60% more profile views and 50% more engagement on average, though that's LinkedIn's own figure for its own feature.

## Does active status change who sees that I viewed their profile?

No. Active status and profile viewing are separate settings, even though both sit under Visibility. Hiding your green dot doesn't make your profile visits anonymous, and browsing in private mode doesn't hide your green dot. If you want both, you have to change both.

### How do profile viewing options work?

LinkedIn's page [Who's viewed your profile visibility settings](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a568195) describes three options for what other people see when you view their profile:

| Your setting | What the person you viewed sees |
| --- | --- |
| Your name and headline | Your name, headline, location and industry |
| Private profile characteristics | Semi-private details such as job title, company, school and industry, without your name |
| Private mode | LinkedIn Member, with no identifying details |

To change it on a computer, click the Me icon, select Settings & Privacy, click Visibility, and under Visibility of your profile & network click Visibility when viewing other profiles. Changes save automatically.

### What should I know before switching to private mode?

- On a free Basic account, you have to choose Your name and headline to see your own viewer history.
- Even with Premium, you can't see the names of people who viewed your profile in private mode.
- Clicking someone's name in search suggestions opens their mini profile, and LinkedIn treats that as a profile view that may notify them.
- If someone viewed your profile before you blocked them, they still count in your viewer total, but their details aren't shown.

## How should I use the green dot when messaging someone?

Active status is most useful as a timing hint. LinkedIn's 2017 announcement framed it that way: a green dot might mean it's a good time to talk. Here's how to act on each state without being pushy:

| You see | A sensible approach |
| --- | --- |
| Solid dot | Send a short, specific message with one clear question. They may reply quickly, but don't expect it. |
| Hollow circle | They'll read your message on their phone first. Put the point in the first line so it makes sense as a notification. |
| No dot | Write a complete message they can act on later without a back-and-forth: who you are, why you're writing, and what you're asking. |

**Before you message someone who looks online**
- [ ] Put your reason for writing in the first sentence
- [ ] Ask one question, not three
- [ ] Don't send a follow-up just because their dot turned green
- [ ] Don't read a missing dot or a Sent status as being ignored
- [ ] If you aren't connected, expect a message request, not a chat
- [ ] Give people a few working days before following up

Keep in mind that LinkedIn says it may limit your ability to message members you aren't connected to, to keep the platform safe and professional. Sending many messages to strangers because they show a dot is the kind of pattern those limits exist for.

### Does being online help my posts get seen?

Not through the dot. Your active status is about Messaging, and none of LinkedIn's help pages we read connect it to how posts are shown in the feed. Your posts reach the feed whether or not you're online when they go out, so you don't have to be sitting in the app at the time you want something published.

What shapes how a post reads is the post itself: its first lines, its length and its formatting. If you like to add bold or italic words, the [LinkedIn text formatter](/tools/linkedin-text-formatter) converts them into characters you can paste into a post. Keep it to a word or a short phrase rather than whole paragraphs.

## Why isn't my green dot showing, or why can't I see anyone's?

### I can't see anyone's green dot

Check your own setting first. If you chose No one, LinkedIn hides your connections' status from you as well. Set Manage active status back to Your Connections only or All LinkedIn members and you'll see their dots again. Remember too that you only see a dot for people who share their status with you, so people outside your connections usually won't show one.

### I never show a hollow circle when I'm away

The hollow circle depends on push notifications in the LinkedIn mobile app. These steps come from LinkedIn's page on [push notifications](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a543133), with one extra check from its page on [troubleshooting notifications](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1672779):

1. Tap your profile photo, then Settings & Privacy
2. Tap the Notifications tab at the top
3. Tap a category under Notifications you receive
4. Switch Push notifications on for that category
5. Make sure In-app notifications are on too, or push won't work correctly

*From LinkedIn Help: Push notifications, and Troubleshoot notification issues.*

Your phone has its own switch as well. LinkedIn's page says that on Android you open your device settings, find notification settings, tap LinkedIn and check the box next to Updates. On an iPhone, check that LinkedIn is allowed to send notifications in your phone's settings.

If notifications still don't arrive, LinkedIn suggests resetting two settings: Updates from your network, under Connecting with others, and Comments and reactions, under Posting and commenting. Switch each one off and back on (or on and back off if it was off). LinkedIn says new notifications should start appearing within 48 to 72 hours after you reset them.

> Turning a notification type off in the Notifications tab also stops push notifications for that type. Turning push off in the app's settings doesn't remove alerts from the Notifications tab. The two switches do different jobs.

### I show as active when I'm not using LinkedIn

Going by LinkedIn's engineering post, you're online while your app or browser holds a connection to LinkedIn. Close LinkedIn tabs you aren't using and close the app when you're done. If you'd rather not think about it, set your status to No one, keeping in mind that you'll stop seeing other people's dots.

### I can't find Manage active status

Make sure you're under Visibility, not Data privacy. Active status is under Visibility, in the Visibility of your LinkedIn activity section. Read receipts and typing indicators are under Data privacy, in Messaging experience. LinkedIn's help pages call the top menu the Me icon on some pages and your profile picture on others, so look for either.

### Someone's status or profile looks out of date

LinkedIn's blocking page notes that the mobile app can show cached profile data and suggests signing out of the app and back in to refresh it. That's worth trying whenever something in the app looks stale. Status changes themselves aren't instant either: by design, LinkedIn waits a short time after the last heartbeat before marking someone offline.

## What to do next

If you came here wondering about one green dot, take two minutes to set all the related privacy controls the way you want them. They're spread across several menus, and changing one never changes the others.

**Your LinkedIn visibility check**
- [ ] Active status: connections only, all members or no one
- [ ] Read receipts and typing indicators: on or off
- [ ] Profile viewing: name and headline, private characteristics or private mode
- [ ] Push notifications: on if you want to show as reachable on your phone
- [ ] Photo frames and Premium badge: shown only if you want them
- [ ] Remove or block anyone who shouldn't see your activity

Your active status also has nothing to do with when your posts go out. If you'd like a post to publish at a time when you're offline or busy, [PostMesh schedules posts to your personal LinkedIn profile](/platform/linkedin) through LinkedIn's official API, up to 30 days ahead, so being online at that moment isn't required. Our guide on [how to schedule LinkedIn posts](/blog/how-to-schedule-linkedin-posts) walks through the options, including LinkedIn's own scheduler.

Before you schedule, check the post fits. LinkedIn posts allow up to 3,000 characters, which you can test with the [LinkedIn character counter](/tools/linkedin-character-counter), and images should match the sizes in our [LinkedIn post size guide](/blog/linkedin-post-size). If you post the same update elsewhere, our guide to [cross-posting to multiple platforms](/blog/how-to-cross-post-to-multiple-platforms) and the list of [character limits for every network](/blog/social-media-character-limits) help you adapt it.

## Questions

### Can people see when I'm online on LinkedIn?

By default, your 1st-degree connections can. You can widen that to all LinkedIn members or hide it from everyone in Manage active status under Visibility.

### Does the green dot show when someone looks at my profile?

No. Active status only shows whether a person is on LinkedIn. Profile visits are a separate feature controlled by each viewer's profile viewing setting.

### Can I hide my green dot from one person?

Not directly. Your options are connections only, all members or no one, so hiding it from one person means removing them as a connection or blocking them.

### Why can't I see my connections' green dots anymore?

Most likely your own active status is set to No one. LinkedIn hides other people's status from you when yours is off.

### What does a green ring with a white center mean?

It's the hollow green circle. The person isn't in LinkedIn right now but has push notifications on in the mobile app, so they'll be notified of your message.

### Will someone know I turned off my active status?

LinkedIn doesn't say it notifies anyone. Your connections simply stop seeing a dot on your photo, which looks the same as being offline.

### Does turning off active status stop people from messaging me?

No. People can message you exactly as before. To control who can contact you, use blocking or your invitation and Open Profile settings instead.

### Is the green dot on LinkedIn accurate?

It reflects whether someone's app or browser is connected to LinkedIn, with a short delay before going offline. Someone can look active with a tab left open, so treat it as a hint, not proof.

### Is the #OpenToWork frame green?

LinkedIn's help pages call it the #OpenToWork photo frame without describing a color. It's a frame around the whole photo with a hashtag, not a dot.

### Do I need to be online for my scheduled LinkedIn post to go out?

No. Active status plays no part in publishing. PostMesh, for example, sends a scheduled post to your profile through LinkedIn's official API at the time you pick, whether or not you're signed in.

## Sources

- [LinkedIn Help: Active status in LinkedIn Messaging](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a553072)

- [LinkedIn Help: Change active status on LinkedIn Messaging](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a553076)

- [LinkedIn Help: Understand message indicators in LinkedIn Messaging](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a569649)

- [LinkedIn Help: Delivery and typing indicators](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a567370)

- [LinkedIn Help: Send, receive, and manage message requests](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a552485)

- [LinkedIn Help: Focused Inbox](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a711117)

- [LinkedIn Help: Push notifications](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a543133)

- [LinkedIn Help: Troubleshoot notification issues](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1672779)

- [LinkedIn Help: Manage your LinkedIn notifications](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a597801)

- [LinkedIn Help: Who's viewed your profile visibility settings](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a568195)

- [LinkedIn Help: Block a member, overview](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1380117)

- [LinkedIn Help: Let recruiters know you're Open to Work](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a507508)

- [LinkedIn Help: Change your profile photo frames](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a566495)

- [LinkedIn Help: Create and share a job post via #Hiring on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a516858)

- [LinkedIn Help: Manage your LinkedIn Premium profile visibility](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a569234)

- [LinkedIn Help: Verifications on your LinkedIn profile](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1359065)

- [LinkedIn Blog: Introducing Active Status on LinkedIn Messaging (2017)](https://www.linkedin.com/blog/member/product/introducing-active-status-on-linkedin-messaging)

- [LinkedIn Engineering: Now You See Me, Now You Don't: LinkedIn's Real-Time Presence Platform (2018)](https://www.linkedin.com/blog/engineering/product-design/now-you-see-me-now-you-dont-linkedins-real-time-presence-platf)