LinkedIn mentions are a great way to tag connections in posts and start conversations. However, sometimes mentions may not work as expected. The person you mentioned may not receive a notification, or the mentioned link may not appear as clickable.
Don’t worry – in most cases, this issue can be easily fixed by troubleshooting on your end. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the top reasons for LinkedIn mentions not working and provide actionable tips to get mentions functioning again.
Why Are My LinkedIn Mentions Not Working?
There are a few key reasons why LinkedIn mentions may not be working properly:
Network Connectivity Issues
An unstable internet connection can disrupt mentions from going through. Verify that you have a strong WiFi or cellular data signal when trying to mention someone. Slow speeds or intermittent connectivity will cause problems.
LinkedIn Server Problems
Like any website or app, LinkedIn’s servers may sometimes encounter issues on their end. Server outages or downtime can prevent mentions from working.
Browser Problems
An outdated or incompatible web browser can cause glitches with LinkedIn features. Make sure you are using a current version of a mainstream browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge. Also try disabling any browser extensions temporarily as they may conflict.
App Errors
The LinkedIn mobile app may have bugs or need updating. Ensure you are running the latest version of the iOS or Android app by checking your device’s app store. Reinstalling the app can also address potential corruption issues.
Privacy Settings
Your profile’s privacy settings may be blocking mentions if they are set to be overly restrictive. Navigate to your account’s privacy controls and ensure mentions are allowed.
Notifications Off
To receive mention notifications, you need to have notifications enabled for your LinkedIn account. Check that notifications are turned on for your profile.
Blocked Accounts
Mentions won’t work if you have blocked the account trying to mention you, or vice versa. See if the accounts are mutually blocked and unblock if needed.
LinkedIn Limits
LinkedIn may throttle mentions if they think you are abusing the feature, like mentioning hundreds of connections automatically. Slow down your mention usage to see if issues resolve.
Now that we understand why LinkedIn mentions can fail, let’s walk through the step-by-step troubleshooting process to get them working again.
Fixes for LinkedIn Mentions Not Working
Follow these methods in order until your issue is resolved:
1. Test Your Network Connection
The first step is to check your internet connectivity, as mention issues are often due to network problems.
On a desktop, diagnose your network connection as follows:
- Disconnect from WiFi and retry mentions over an ethernet cable if possible. This will determine if WiFi is at fault.
- Restart your modem and router if you do not observe speed improvements after changing networks.
- Use a speed testing site like Speedtest.net to check for sufficient bandwidth. Mentions require at least 3-5 Mbps speeds.
On mobile, troubleshoot your network connection this way:
- Disable WiFi and retry mentions over your phone’s cellular data connection.
- Toggle Airplane mode on and off to reset the network connection.
- Try moving closer to your WiFi router or access point if the signal could be weak.
- Limit background data usage and close other apps to prioritize bandwidth for LinkedIn.
Once you have established a stable internet connection, attempt mentions again while monitoring LinkedIn’s performance. Load times and responsiveness will indicate if network issues were the culprit.
2. Check LinkedIn Server Status
The next step is verifying that LinkedIn’s servers are up and running smoothly without any service disruptions.
Visit LinkedIn’s status page at Downdetector for outage reports.
If LinkedIn is undergoing maintenance or experiencing a widespread platform outage, that would explain why mentions are not working properly. You will have to wait for LinkedIn’s engineers to resolve the server problems before functionality is restored.
During downtime, bookmark LinkedIn’s status page and check it periodically for updates from their team. Extended outages are rare, but can happen from time to time.
3. Refresh the Page
If LinkedIn’s servers seem fine, a quick page refresh may clear up any transient glitches:
- On desktop, press F5 or click the circular reload icon in your browser.
- On mobile, pull down on the feed to refresh or restart the LinkedIn app completely.
Refreshing reconnects you to LinkedIn’s platform which forces loading of the latest data and code. If mentions were failing due to a temporary blip, this should resolve it.
4. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
Over time, excessive cached data and cookies can build up in your web browser and cause performance issues with sites like LinkedIn.
Clearing this data forces the browser to redownload a fresh copy of LinkedIn’s web code instead of relying on outdated local copies.
Follow these instructions to clear your browser cache and cookies:
Chrome Desktop
- Click the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner
- Go to More Tools > Clear Browsing Data
- Select all time range
- Check boxes for “Cached Images and Files” and “Cookies and other site data”
- Click Clear Data.
Firefox Desktop
- Click the 3 horizontal lines in the top right corner
- Go to Options > Privacy & Security
- Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data
- Select all time range
- Check boxes for “Cached Web Content” and “Cookies”
- Click Clear.
Safari Desktop
- Click Safari in the top menu bar
- Select Preferences > Privacy
- Click Manage Website Data
- Select all time range
- Click Remove All
After clearing cached data and cookies, retry loading LinkedIn to see if the mentions start working properly.
5. Log Out and Log Back In
Sometimes LinkedIn may fail to pick up on your account updates or experience authorization issues that interfere with mentions.
Logging out and back in again can force LinkedIn to fully reauthenticate your account and reload your latest profile data.
To log out and back into LinkedIn:
- Click your profile picture in the top right
- Select Account > Sign Out.
- Close the browser completely and reopen LinkedIn.
- Enter your username and password to log in
Then visit your connections’ profiles and try mentions again. Logging out and in should reset any errors that were linked to your account.
6. Check for App Updates
On mobile, using an outdated version of LinkedIn’s iOS or Android app could be the culprit behind mentions not working.
Verify you are running the latest release of the app as follows:
iOS
- Go to the App Store
- Tap your profile picture
- Pull down to refresh the Updates list.
- If the LinkedIn app is listed, tap Update.
Android
- Open the Play Store
- Tap the 3 lines in the top left corner
- Go to My Apps & Games > Updates pending
- Check if LinkedIn is in the list with an Update button
Install any available updates for the LinkedIn mobile app, as they often contain bug fixes and performance patches. Keep your apps updated routinely to avoid issues.
7. Check Your Notification Settings
To be notified when someone mentions you, you need to have LinkedIn notifications enabled.
Go to your profile’s notification settings and verify the following:
- Under “You’re mentioned or get a new message”, switch Mentions on
- For top quality alerts, enable both Email and Push notifications
- Adjust volume appropriately so you see mentions promptly
Without notifications on, you can be mentioned but not actually receive any indication of it. Enable alerts through both email and push.
8. Try a Different Device or Browser
Determining if the problem is isolated to a specific device or browser can help pinpoint causation.
See if mentions work properly when you:
- Switch from desktop to mobile or vice versa
- Swap between Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge browsers on desktop
- Use your device on a different network like a friend’s WiFi
If mentions only fail on one device or browser, it indicates an isolated software or hardware issue versus a general account setting. Update software, restart devices
9. Disable Browser Extensions
Browser extensions like ad blockers, privacy tools, or VPNs can sometimes disrupt LinkedIn’s normal functionality.
Temporarily disabling extensions isolates if one could be interfering specifically with mentions.
Chrome Desktop
- Click the puzzle icon in the top right corner
- Select the toggle switch next to each extension to turn it off
- Reload LinkedIn and try mentions again
Firefox Desktop
- Click the 3 horizontal lines in the top right corner
- Select Add-ons
- Toggle off any active extensions
- Reload LinkedIn and retry mentions
Safari Desktop
- Click Safari in the top menu bar
- Select Preferences > Extensions
- Uncheck any extensions you have installed
- Reload LinkedIn and retry mentions
If mentions start working after disabling extensions, turn them back on one-by-one until you identify the problematic addon. Fully removing that extension should then resolve issues.
10. Reinstall the LinkedIn App
For consistent mention issues limited to mobile, fully reinstalling the LinkedIn app may be necessary.
Reinstalling can wipe out any corrupted data or cached files that may be disrupting mentions.
To reinstall LinkedIn for iOS or Android:
- Navigate to the app in your device’s app store
- Tap Uninstall to remove the current version
- Search for “LinkedIn” and reinstall the app
- Log into your account again
- Test mentions from the freshly installed app
If mentions function correctly after reinstalling, it signifies the previous install had become unstable or faulty. A clean install should prevent further problems.
11. Check Your Privacy Settings
Overly strict privacy settings can block your LinkedIn profile from being mentioned by others.
Double check that your profile visibility is not completely locked down by doing the following:
- Go to your LinkedIn account settings
- Select Privacy
- Review profile viewing options and ensure your profile is not totally private
- Under profile mentioning, choose either You can be mentioned by anyone or Only people who follow you can mention you
- Save privacy changes and ask a connection to retry mentioning you
Moderate privacy limits are fine, but complete privacy lockdown will prevent mentions from working since your profile is hidden.
12. Verify Your Account Settings
Diving into your LinkedIn account settings lets you validate that mentions are not disabled on your end.
Go through each settings section and ensure:
- Under preferences, post and activity mentions are enabled
- Under groups, message mentions are allowed
- Under notifications, mention emails and alerts are turned on
- Under blocking, you have not blocked the accounts trying to mention you
Tweaking any disabled settings related to mentions could resolve your issues. Mentions require multiple notifications and preferences to be on.
13. Review Blocked Accounts
If you have previously blocked other LinkedIn members, it will prevent them from mentioning you in any posts or comments.
Check your blocked list to see if you accidentally blocked someone you are now trying to converse with:
- Go to your LinkedIn settings
- Select Blocking
- Review the list of Blocked Members and click Unblock for anyone you want to allow mentions from again
Likewise, you will be unable to mention any profiles that have blocked you. Coordinate with connections to ensure blocking is mutual if needed.
Best Practices for Using LinkedIn Mentions
Once you have fixed mentions and they are working normally, employ these tips and etiquette guidelines for the best experience:
- Only mention people directly relevant to the conversation to avoid spamming.
- Limit mentions to 3-5 people maximum per post to keep it readable
- Always @ mention someone’s full name for disambiguation and notifications.
- Notify connections in advance if you are going to mention them in a high visibility post.
- Use mentions tactfully, and avoid publicly calling out or criticizing connections.
- Monitor notifications and reply promptly when mentioned to continue the dialogue.
- Accept being mentioned gracefully, unless by a spammer. Mute if necessary.
- Specify how frequently you are comfortable being mentioned by connections.
- Report suspicious bulk mentions or tagging by spammers to LinkedIn as harassment.
Following mention best practices keeps conversations productive and focused. When used judiciously, mentions can spark meaningful discussions with your professional network.
