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On LinkedIn, a solid green circle means a connection is currently active; a hollow green circle means they are not actively using LinkedIn but have mobile-app push notifications enabled. The “green white dot” is best understood as the hollow green circle: LinkedIn’s help page uses that term, not “white dot.” Either indicator helps explain whether a message may reach someone immediately, but a missing circle does not prove they are offline.
What the LinkedIn green indicators mean
LinkedIn displays active status in Messaging. The indicator describes a person’s activity and notification state; it is not a guarantee that they have read your message or will reply.
| Indicator | What it means | What happens when you message |
|---|---|---|
| Solid green circle | The connection is currently active on LinkedIn. | They will be instantly notified. |
| Hollow green circle | The connection is not actively using LinkedIn, but has push notifications enabled in the LinkedIn mobile app. | They will be instantly notified through those notifications. |
| No green circle | The person may be inactive, or may have turned off active status. | Your message is still sent, but they may not see it until they access LinkedIn Messaging. |
LinkedIn says its mobile app may also show a timestamp beside a person’s photo indicating when they were last active. A hollow circle does not mean the person is actively browsing, and it does not mean your message cannot reach them. LinkedIn Help: Active status in LinkedIn Messaging.
Who can see your active status
LinkedIn offers three audience settings for your active status. Choose the audience that matches how visible you want to be in Messaging.
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- Your Connections only: Your first-degree connections can see your status.
- All LinkedIn members: Any LinkedIn member can see your status.
- No one: Other members cannot see your status. In exchange, you also cannot see when your connections are active.
How to turn off or change active status
You can update the setting from desktop or the mobile app. LinkedIn’s labels can change; if the listed path differs in your interface, look in Visibility for Manage active status.
On desktop
- Select Me at the top of LinkedIn.
- Open Settings & Privacy.
- Select Visibility, then Manage active status under “Visibility of your LinkedIn activity.”
- Choose Your Connections only, All LinkedIn members, or No one.
In the mobile app
- Tap your profile photo.
- Tap Settings & Privacy, then Visibility.
- Tap Manage active status and choose the audience you want.
When you select No one, LinkedIn also removes your ability to see your connections’ active status. LinkedIn Help: Change active status on LinkedIn Messaging.
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How to interpret a missing or hollow circle
Use the indicator as a clue about presence and notifications, not as a read receipt or proof of availability. A person with a hollow circle is not actively using LinkedIn at that moment, according to LinkedIn, even though push notifications can alert them to your message. With no circle, the available explanation is ambiguous: the person may be inactive, or active status may be disabled. In either case, the message still sends.
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