By Kushal Magar · April 3, 2026 · 6 min read
How to Remove Your Phone Number From LinkedIn in 2026 (Privacy Guide)
If your phone number is on your LinkedIn profile, sales reps, recruiters, and data brokers may already have it. LinkedIn stores phone numbers added during signup, profile edits, and two-factor authentication setup. Here is how to remove or hide your number in under 2 minutes.
LinkedIn stores phone numbers that users add during account creation, profile updates, or two-factor authentication setup. Many professionals do not realize their phone number is visible to connections — or that third-party data providers have already indexed it. Removing your number from LinkedIn takes less than 2 minutes.
This privacy guide walks through three actions: removing your phone number from LinkedIn entirely, hiding it from your profile while keeping it for security features, and opting out of third-party enrichment databases that may have already collected your number.
Quick Summary
Privacy guide for removing phone numbers from LinkedIn. Delete via Settings > Account preferences > Phone numbers, or hide by changing Contact Info visibility to 'Only you.' Switch 2FA to an authenticator app first. Third-party data providers must be opted out of separately through their privacy portals.
TL;DR
- Go to Settings > Account preferences > Phone numbers to remove your number from LinkedIn entirely
- Change Contact Info visibility to 'Only you' to hide from connections while keeping for two-factor authentication
- Switch 2FA to an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy) before removing the phone number
- Third-party enrichment providers source phone data externally — removing from LinkedIn does not remove from their databases
- Opt out of Lusha, Cognism, Apollo, and other providers individually using their privacy portals
How to Remove Your Phone Number From LinkedIn
Step 1: Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select Settings & Privacy.
Step 2: Navigate to Account preferences > Phone numbers.
Step 3: Click Remove next to each phone number listed. If the number is used for two-factor authentication, LinkedIn will require you to set up an alternative 2FA method (authenticator app or security key) before allowing removal.
Step 4: Confirm the removal. Your phone number will no longer appear in your Contact Info section, and LinkedIn removes it from their internal data stores. This change takes effect immediately.
How to Hide Your Phone Number Without Removing It
If you want to keep your phone number for two-factor authentication or account recovery but hide it from your profile, change the visibility setting. Go to your profile, click Contact Info (the card icon below your headline), and edit the visibility dropdown for each phone number. Set it to Only you.
This hides the number from all LinkedIn users — connections, followers, and visitors — while keeping it active for LinkedIn's security features. Your phone number will not appear in the Contact Info section that others see. This is the best option if you rely on SMS-based 2FA.
Switch Two-Factor Authentication Before Removing
If you use SMS-based two-factor authentication on LinkedIn, switch to an authenticator app before removing your phone number. Go to Settings > Sign in & security > Two-step verification and select Authenticator app. Scan the QR code with Google Authenticator, Authy, or 1Password.
Once the authenticator app is verified, you can safely remove your phone number without losing 2FA protection. Authenticator apps are also more secure than SMS-based 2FA because they are not vulnerable to SIM-swapping attacks.
Removing Your Phone From Third-Party Databases
Removing your phone number from LinkedIn does not remove it from third-party enrichment providers. Companies like Lusha, Cognism, Apollo, RocketReach, and ZoomInfo source phone data from business registries, public records, data partnerships, and community-contributed networks — not from LinkedIn directly.
To remove your phone from these databases, submit opt-out requests to each provider individually. Key privacy portals: Lusha Privacy Center, Cognism (email privacy@cognism.com), Apollo (in-app privacy center), and ZoomInfo (community portal opt-out). Exercise your rights under GDPR Article 17 (right to erasure) or CCPA if you are a California resident.
How to Prevent Future Phone Number Exposure
Do not add your personal phone number to LinkedIn or any professional networking platform. If you need a phone number on your profile for business purposes, use a dedicated work number or a VoIP number from Google Voice, Grasshopper, or OpenPhone. These can be changed or disconnected without affecting your personal line.
Review your LinkedIn privacy settings quarterly. LinkedIn updates its settings and defaults periodically, which can inadvertently expose previously hidden information. Bookmark Settings > Visibility and check it every few months to confirm your preferences are intact.
