In addition to Facebook and other social media sites, LinkedIn has become one of the most powerful networking tools available, allowing individuals to connect, engage, and explore professional opportunities. However, there are times when you might want to look up someone without them noticing. Whether you’re a job seeker researching potential employers or a professional checking out a competitor, maintaining your anonymity can be essential. In this guide, we will explore simple steps you can take to look up someone anonymously on LinkedIn without getting caught.
1. Use the Incognito mode
Incognito Mode (or Private Browsing) is a feature available in most web browsers that allows you to browse without saving your browsing history, cookies, site data, or form information. This means when you search for someone on LinkedIn in this mode, your activity won’t be saved or linked to your primary account.
Using Incognito Mode is particularly useful for keeping your searches discreet. Although your LinkedIn profile may still be visible to the person you are looking up, the information about your visit won’t be stored in your regular browsing history, providing an extra layer of privacy.
Accessing LinkedIn in Incognito Mode is simple. Here’s how to do it depending on your browser:
- Google Chrome: Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select “New Incognito Window.”
- Mozilla Firefox: Click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner and select “New Private Window.”
- Safari: Go to the File menu and select “New Private Window.”
- Microsoft Edge: Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and choose “New InPrivate Window.”
The primary benefit of using Incognito Mode is privacy. It allows you to search LinkedIn profiles without leaving a trace in your browsing history. This can be particularly advantageous if you are searching for sensitive information about a colleague or competitor.
Additionally, Incognito Mode can prevent targeted ads based on your browsing history. Therefore, it allows you to maintain both anonymity and neutrality in your online searches.
2. Create a secondary account
Creating a secondary LinkedIn account can provide an additional layer of anonymity. This is particularly beneficial if you frequently need to search for profiles without alerting the person you are investigating. A secondary account can be set up with minimal information, allowing you to browse freely.
Moreover, having a separate account can give you the flexibility to connect with different professionals while keeping your primary network and identity intact. This is especially useful for individuals in sensitive positions, such as HR professionals or recruiters.
To create a secondary LinkedIn account, you’ll need to use a different email address. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Sign out of your existing LinkedIn account.
- Go to LinkedIn.com and click on “Join now.”
- Enter a new email address that hasn’t been used for LinkedIn.
- Fill in the required information and complete the setup process.
When setting up your secondary account, keep the profile sparse to maintain anonymity. Use a generic profile picture and avoid including detailed personal information. The goal is to create a presence that doesn’t attract attention while still allowing you to search effectively.
Additionally, remember to limit your connections initially. The fewer connections you have, the less likely someone will recognize you as a secondary user. This can enable a stealthy approach to your searches.
3. Third-party tools can help
There are numerous third-party tools that can facilitate anonymous searches on LinkedIn. These tools often aggregate public data from various sources, allowing you to find relevant profiles without directly visiting LinkedIn. Some of them include Hunter.io, Sales Navigator, and LinkedIn Helper.
These tools can help you not only with viewing profiles but also with gathering information such as emails and other contact details, making them invaluable for deeper research.
Recommended tools for anonymous searching:
- Hunter.io: Primarily used for finding email addresses, Hunter.io can be a great companion for professionals needing contact information.
- Sales Navigator: A premium tool from LinkedIn that helps you find leads and accounts with advanced search options.
- LinkedIn Helper: A browser extension that automates and enhances your user experience on the site. It can scrape data from profiles you visit.
To use these tools effectively, familiarize yourself with their features. For instance, with Hunter.io, you can search for a person’s email based on their name and company, while Sales Navigator allows you to filter searches by location, industry, and more.
4. Search for profiles via Google
Google can be a powerful ally when searching for LinkedIn profiles. You can use simple search queries to locate someone’s LinkedIn without visiting the platform directly. By typing the person’s name followed by “LinkedIn,” you can often find their profile if it is public.
For example, searching “Patricia Miller LinkedIn” can yield direct links to the person’s profile that you can view without logging in. This method is unobtrusive and keeps your searches off the LinkedIn radar.
To refine your search further, you can use advanced Google search operators. For example:
- site:linkedin.com “Patricia Miller”: This search will only return results from the platform that mentions that person.
- “Patricia Miller ” AND “Marketing”: This will help you find profiles related to that full name in the marketing field.
Understanding these operators can greatly enhance the quality of your search results.
When utilizing Google to find LinkedIn profiles, you can often uncover not just the individual’s profile but also articles they’ve written, public endorsements, and their professional history. This information can provide context and insights into their career without the need to log into LinkedIn.
However, keep in mind that the visibility of this information largely depends on the individual’s privacy settings on LinkedIn. Those who have set their profiles to be public will provide more information than those with restricted settings.
Understand the platform’s privacy settings
Understanding LinkedIn’s privacy settings is crucial for anyone wishing to navigate the platform anonymously. The professional social network allows users to control who can see their profile, connections, and activity. By default, users can see who viewed their profiles unless a member chooses to browse in private mode.
Additionally, LinkedIn offers various visibility settings that allow you to limit who can see your activities. These settings can be adjusted in the privacy section of your account settings, enabling you to maintain the level of anonymity you’re comfortable with.
To adjust your own privacy settings, go to your profile and click on the “Me“menu located at the top-right corner of the screen. Next, click on “Settings & Privacy” like in the following screenshot I created:
Here, you can select options that limit the visibility of your profile to others. So, click on the “Visibility”, then, the “Profile viewing options” tab as the next example.
After that, consider switching to “Private Mode” when you want to search anonymously, which prevents other users from seeing your name in their “Who Viewed Your Profile” section.
Be proactive about reviewing your privacy settings regularly, ensuring they align with your current needs and comfort level regarding anonymity on LinkedIn.
Recognizing what information is visible to others can guide your strategies for anonymous searching. If you visit someone’s profile while in a standard viewing mode, they will typically receive a notification about your visit. However, if you are in private mode, your identity will remain concealed.
Moreover, remember that users can see not just the names of profile visitors but also what industries they are in and their general locations, depending on privacy settings. Hence, careful management of your own profile visibility can help maintain your anonymity while you conduct searches.
Conclusion
As you can see, searching for someone on LinkedIn without being detected can be easily accomplished by following the steps outlined above. By using the Incognito Mode, creating another account, or using the other methods above, you can explore profiles on the platform discreetly and effectively. These strategies can help you browse the social network that professionals use with confidence, ensuring your searches are private and unobtrusive.
FAQs
Can I remain anonymous on LinkedIn?
Yes, by using Incognito Mode, adjusting privacy settings, or browsing in private mode, you can remain anonymous while searching for profiles.
Is it against LinkedIn’s policies to create a secondary account?
While LinkedIn’s terms of service state that each user should have only one account, many users create secondary accounts for legitimate reasons. However, it’s essential to use them ethically.
Can I find email addresses on LinkedIn?
Direct email addresses are typically not visible on LinkedIn profiles unless the user allows that in their settings. However, you can use third-party tools like Hunter.io to find associated email addresses based on name and domain.
What should I do if I’ve been discovered while searching?
If someone contacts you about your search, be honest if appropriate. You can explain your interest and be transparent about your intentions.
Is there a limit to how much I can find on Google regarding LinkedIn profiles?
Yes, the information available depends on the individual’s privacy settings on LinkedIn and the quality of their profile. Public profiles yield more data than private ones.
