LinkedIn usability problems

Products · Product

Raised as a usability problem by 683 people on Hacker News over 19 years (2008–2026), in 412 threads.

Ranked by people · period

This year (last 12 months)Last 5 yearsSince the beginning (2007)

1
Dark patterns push users into actions they did not chooseUnreviewed
4 people this year · 3 threads
2
Feed fills with junk content that is hard to curate awayUnreviewed
3 people this year · 3 threads
3
New notification types keep appearing, each needing manual opt-outUnreviewed
3 people this year · 3 threads

1
Feed fills with junk content that is hard to curate awayUnreviewed
11 people in the last 5 years · 10 threads
2
New notification types keep appearing, each needing manual opt-outUnreviewed
11 people in the last 5 years · 9 threads
3
Dark patterns push users into actions they did not chooseUnreviewed
9 people in the last 5 years · 8 threads
4
Unsubscribing requires login and does not stop the emailUnreviewed
6 people in the last 5 years · 6 threads
5
Mobile site replaced by a notice pushing users to the appUnreviewed
6 people in the last 5 years · 5 threads
6
Job search constantly shows unrelated resultsUnreviewed
6 people in the last 5 years · 6 threads
7
Back button goes to homepage instead of the previous pageUnreviewed
5 people in the last 5 years · 4 threads
8
Site is slow to loadUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 4 threads
9
Cannot filter job results to only recent listingsUnreviewed
4 people in the last 5 years · 4 threads
10
Job posts have so much noise that job search is almost unusableUnreviewed
3 people in the last 5 years · 3 threads

1
Dark patterns push users into actions they did not chooseUnreviewed
43 people since the beginning · 40 threads
2
Unsubscribing requires login and does not stop the emailUnreviewed
30 people since the beginning · 28 threads
3
Users get tricked into sending invites they did not intendUnreviewed
23 people since the beginning · 21 threads
4
Dark patterns trick users into inviting all their contactsUnreviewed
19 people since the beginning · 19 threads
5
Feed fills with junk content that is hard to curate awayUnreviewed
17 people since the beginning · 16 threads
6
Import silently sends invites to everyone, not just chosen contactsUnreviewed
15 people since the beginning · 14 threads
7
Site is slow to loadUnreviewed
14 people since the beginning · 14 threads
8
New notification types keep appearing, each needing manual opt-outUnreviewed
13 people since the beginning · 11 threads
9
Mobile site replaced by a notice pushing users to the appUnreviewed
11 people since the beginning · 10 threads
10
Password form looks like a login, so people enter email credentials by mistakeUnreviewed
11 people since the beginning · 9 threads
11
Job search constantly shows unrelated resultsUnreviewed
10 people since the beginning · 10 threads
12
People mark emails as spam instead of finding unsubscribe settingsUnreviewed
7 people since the beginning · 5 threads
13
Suggested contacts are presented as if they sent connection requestsUnreviewed
7 people since the beginning · 6 threads
14
Mobile email links force login and repeatedly nag to open the appUnreviewed
7 people since the beginning · 5 threads
15
Interface makes it hard to configure privacy settingsUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 5 threads
16
Constant nagging pop-ups push users to download or sign upUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 5 threads
17
Back button goes to homepage instead of the previous pageUnreviewed
6 people since the beginning · 5 threads
18
Paid subscription is hard to cancel and return to freeUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
19
Account cannot be deleted without identity verification, and support is hard to reachUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
20
Dark patterns trick people into making profile data publicUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
21
Pushed into importing contacts through dark-pattern promptsUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
22
Stopping emails requires login and settings hunting, which later resetsUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
23
Website and apps feel slow and unresponsiveUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 5 threads
24
Full profile info is hidden behind login unless using incognitoUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 4 threads
25
Forced to sign up to view profilesUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 4 threads
26
Page becomes extremely slow and laggy, hogging memoryUnreviewed
5 people since the beginning · 4 threads
27
Cannot filter job results to only recent listingsUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
28
Viewing contacts silently emails everyone in the address bookUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
29
Job posts have so much noise that job search is almost unusableUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
30
Invitation emails keep arriving with no clear way to stop themUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
31
Messages no longer show in full, so users must open the appUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
32
Page for deleting imported contacts is nearly impossible to findUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 4 threads
33
Deleted accounts get resurrected, and unsubscribing requires a failing loginUnreviewed
4 people since the beginning · 3 threads
34
Cannot find the setting to show who viewed profileUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
35
People search often fails, forcing users to Google insteadUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
36
Hard to reach profiles, with permanent nag notificationsUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
37
Captcha is nearly impossible to solve and often brokenUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
38
Login link is hidden, so users land on the signup formUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
39
Profile completeness prompts keep nagging with no permanent dismissUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
40
Logging out often does not stick, requiring cookie deletionUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
41
Mobile web feed stops updating, and comment replies cannot be answeredUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
42
Users are tricked into sending spam emails to contactsUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
43
Repeated prompts every app open to upload phone contactsUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
44
Endorsement prompts are so intrusive people endorse others by accidentUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
45
Forced to log in to view some pages, unpredictablyUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
46
Spam emails keep arriving, with no clear way to stop themUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
47
Recruiters keep contacting after stating unavailability, with no way to stopUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads
48
Feed content takes several seconds to load every timeUnreviewed
3 people since the beginning · 3 threads

Every issue, all time, most people first

Dark patterns push users into actions they did not chooseUnreviewed
43 people since 2013, in 13 different years · 4 this year
20082026
- Site is hard to use and relies on dark patterns to push users2026-04-03
- Interface uses dark patterns that push users into actions they did not choose2026-04-02
- Dark patterns pushing users into actions they did not choose2026-03-29
Something wrong here?
Unsubscribing requires login and does not stop the emailUnreviewed
30 people since 2011, in 12 different years · 2 this year
20082026
- New email categories keep appearing after unsubscribing, so people can't stop the emails2026-07-15
- Unsubscribe requires a login the non-member lacks; opt-out form is hard to find2026-06-04
- Unsubscribe links lead to scattered settings; reply notifications can't be turned off2023-11-13
Something wrong here?
Users get tricked into sending invites they did not intendUnreviewed
23 people since 2010, in 13 different years · none this year
20082026
- Default signup flow sent invitations to all Gmail contacts without clear consent2025-02-13
- Scrolled-off contacts pre-checked, so people unknowingly send invites to everyone2023-08-26
- Hidden prechecked contacts below the fold get sent invites unnoticed2021-07-07
Something wrong here?
Dark patterns trick users into inviting all their contactsUnreviewed
19 people since 2015, in 9 different years · 1 this year
20082026
- Worries that signing up will trap them in hard-to-cancel dark patterns2026-07-24
- Auto-following everyone and dark patterns push users into connections they did not choose2022-02-11
- Dark patterns trick users into letting it invite all their contacts2021-02-12
Something wrong here?
Feed fills with junk content that is hard to curate awayUnreviewed
17 people since 2016, in 9 different years · 3 this year
20082026
- Feed is full of low-value content, hard to get useful posts2026-08-31
- Feed cluttered with promoted posts, likes and suggested content the user never asked for2026-01-14
- Feed is cluttered with generic company posts and hard to fix2025-12-28
Something wrong here?
Import silently sends invites to everyone, not just chosen contactsUnreviewed
15 people since 2013, in 6 different years · 1 this year
20082026
- Users tricked into importing address books and sending invites they didn't choose2025-12-22
- Email contact import makes it very easy to accidentally send connection requests2025-02-14
- Prompts users to import contacts, then keeps them connected and sends invites unannounced2020-09-07
Something wrong here?
Site is slow to loadUnreviewed
14 people since 2008, in 10 different years · 2 this year
20082026
- Site feels slow and buggy to interact with2026-09-24
- The site is slow to load2026-02-06
- Home page takes over 10 seconds to load on a laptop2024-03-06
Something wrong here?
New notification types keep appearing, each needing manual opt-outUnreviewed
13 people since 2016, in 6 different years · 3 this year
20082026
- Turning off notifications means 77 separate toggles, each on its own page2026-10-18
- Disabling notifications requires going through many categories, some with subcategories and inconsistent toggles2026-04-13
- Opts users into every notification category by default, which is hard to manage2026-01-02
Something wrong here?
Mobile site replaced by a notice pushing users to the appUnreviewed
11 people since 2012, in 9 different years · none this year
20082026
- Content is pushed to the app with a prominent banner, blocking details on the website2025-08-19
- Constant popups push installing the app when using the mobile website2024-07-23
- Features force users to download the app instead of using the website2024-03-26
Something wrong here?
Password form looks like a login, so people enter email credentials by mistakeUnreviewed
11 people since 2011, in 7 different years · none this year
20082026
- Logging in rarely is a pain: password resets and figuring out the login each time2023-07-12
- Tricked into granting email access and into logging back in2021-02-11
- Login box looks like LinkedIn's but actually asks for the user's email password2016-04-01
Something wrong here?
Job search constantly shows unrelated resultsUnreviewed
10 people since 2012, in 8 different years · 2 this year
20082026
- Job search constantly shows unrelated results, making it hard to find relevant jobs2026-07-10
- Job search ignores terms like C# and .NET, making relevant jobs impossible to find2026-02-02
- Cannot find niche job adverts by specific requirements, so searches are unusable2025-08-19
Something wrong here?
People mark emails as spam instead of finding unsubscribe settingsUnreviewed
7 people since 2011, in 5 different years · none this year
20082026
- Can't stop LinkedIn email notifications despite repeated attempts to turn them off2025-02-13
- Recruiter messages get missed because LinkedIn's junk emails push real ones to spam2021-06-28
- Couldn't stop LinkedIn emails despite trying; had to filter them in Gmail2016-03-07
Something wrong here?
Suggested contacts are presented as if they sent connection requestsUnreviewed
7 people since 2013, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Keeps showing people already sent connection requests to2017-07-07
- Presents suggested contacts as if they had sent a connection request, a dark pattern2016-03-26
- Users can't tell whether they accepted or sent a connection request2016-02-24
Something wrong here?
Mobile email links force login and repeatedly nag to open the appUnreviewed
7 people since 2013, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Clicking email links on mobile aggressively redirects to the app store2019-03-07
- Email link redirects phone users to app store instead of completing the connection2018-05-14
- Tapping an emailed article link opens the app home screen, losing the linked content2015-03-13
Something wrong here?
Interface makes it hard to configure privacy settingsUnreviewed
6 people since 2014, in 5 different years · 1 this year
20082026
- Privacy settings are a maze with most options defaulting to on2026-02-21
- Privacy option to limit who can reach you is hidden by dark UX design2020-09-08
- UI makes it hard to configure privacy settings2018-06-02
Something wrong here?
Constant nagging pop-ups push users to download or sign upUnreviewed
6 people since 2013, in 4 different years · 2 this year
20082026
- Intrusive app download popup forces users to close the tab2026-08-08
- Unwanted pop-up asks to sign in with Google account while browsing2026-07-15
- Pop-ups are useless and bewildering, and the UI is unintuitive2020-02-07
Something wrong here?
Back button goes to homepage instead of the previous pageUnreviewed
6 people since 2020, in 4 different years · 3 this year
20082026
- Back button skips the previous page and loads the LinkedIn feed instead2026-04-14
- Back button doesn't return to the page the user came from after clicking a link2026-04-14
- Pressing back from a profile on mobile web goes to the homepage instead of the previous page2026-02-06
Something wrong here?
Paid subscription is hard to cancel and return to freeUnreviewed
5 people since 2009, in 5 different years · none this year
20082026
- Cancelling Premium is circular: card can't be removed while subscription is active, and cancel is hidden on plan page2023-05-04
- Made it hard to cancel the paid subscription and return to free2022-07-15
- Cannot find a way to cancel an annual subscription; support doesn't help2018-06-02
Something wrong here?
Account cannot be deleted without identity verification, and support is hard to reachUnreviewed
5 people since 2008, in 5 different years · 1 this year
20082026
- Account can't be deleted without identity verification, and support is hard to reach2026-02-21
- Locked out with no clear recovery path, and cannot delete account after repeated login attempts2024-02-06
- Account deletion blocked by leftover ads and group ownership with no clear way around2017-09-03
Something wrong here?
Dark patterns trick people into making profile data publicUnreviewed
5 people since 2016, in 5 different years · none this year
20082026
- Dark patterns disguised as verification take time and effort to get past2022-04-21
- Got tricked into giving permission through a dark pattern2020-07-02
- Users are scammed into sharing more data than they want through dark patterns2019-01-08
Something wrong here?
Pushed into importing contacts through dark-pattern promptsUnreviewed
5 people since 2013, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Imports contacts and messages them pushy prompts to join, a dark pattern2024-07-23
- Imports contacts and sends invitations under the user's name via a misleading dark pattern2018-09-12
- Hard to understand what you are consenting to when importing contacts2018-05-07
Something wrong here?
Stopping emails requires login and settings hunting, which later resetsUnreviewed
5 people since 2011, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Turning off unwanted network update emails requires logging in and finding an obscure settings page in a cluttered UI2025-01-02
- Email preferences periodically reset, forcing users to opt out of mail again2020-07-02
- Many separate settings to change to stop email, though manageable2013-09-23
Something wrong here?
Website and apps feel slow and unresponsiveUnreviewed
5 people since 2012, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Landing page is extremely slow and laggy on Safari2025-03-24
- Website is annoyingly slow to respond on mobile2020-07-03
- Website and mobile apps feel slow and unresponsive, lacking smoothness2018-06-12
Something wrong here?
Full profile info is hidden behind login unless using incognitoUnreviewed
5 people since 2014, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Clicking a search result opened the logged-in app and silently notified the profile owner2023-07-28
- Public profiles always show a login wall unless logged in via cookie2018-01-14
- Profile shows a login prompt because of earlier login state; incognito fixes it2018-01-14
Something wrong here?
Forced to sign up to view profilesUnreviewed
5 people since 2013, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Configuring the profile feels hard to use and makes users feel they work for the platform2020-05-11
- Profile visibility changes unpredictably, pushing people to sign up to see info2019-09-10
- Forced to sign in to view profiles, with dark patterns pushing account creation2019-09-10
Something wrong here?
Page becomes extremely slow and laggy, hogging memoryUnreviewed
5 people since 2016, in 4 different years · 1 this year
20082026
- Page becomes extremely slow and laggy, hogging memory until the browser swaps and wheezes2026-03-30
- Page load freezes the whole browser for 5-10 seconds in Firefox2023-12-29
- Website is slow and sometimes freezes the computer at full CPU load2020-07-03
Something wrong here?
Cannot filter job results to only recent listingsUnreviewed
4 people since 2021, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Real job postings are buried under promoted listings, pages deep2025-01-23
- Can't filter to only recent jobs; old promoted listings clutter results2024-02-11
- Promoted and bulk-posted advertiser listings clutter job lists and can't be filtered out2022-08-15
Something wrong here?
Viewing contacts silently emails everyone in the address bookUnreviewed
4 people since 2013, in 4 different years · none this year
20082026
- Accidental click on a button sends spam invites to the whole address book2021-05-02
- Clicking to view contacts silently emailed everyone in the user's address book2019-06-01
- Users accidentally click a button and unknowingly email all their contacts2015-07-23
Something wrong here?
Job posts have so much noise that job search is almost unusableUnreviewed
4 people since 2020, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- Job search is astonishingly bad, worse than other job boards2025-08-17
- Job posts have a brutal signal-to-noise ratio, making job search almost unusable2025-03-23
- Ghost jobs and dark patterns make the job search frustrating2024-11-14
Something wrong here?
Invitation emails keep arriving with no clear way to stop themUnreviewed
4 people since 2014, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- No way to stop invitation emails except by registering an account2017-01-05
- Confirmation doesn't make clear that follow-up invite emails will be sent2015-10-03
- Invitation emails keep arriving with no clear way to stop them2015-07-23
Something wrong here?
Messages no longer show in full, so users must open the appUnreviewed
4 people since 2016, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- Opening messages drops users into the feed they didn't want to read2020-09-13
- Some messaging features are disabled unless the user opens the app2020-08-19
- Emails don't open the app, and users are pushed to install the app to view content2018-11-05
Something wrong here?
Page for deleting imported contacts is nearly impossible to findUnreviewed
4 people since 2014, in 2 different years · none this year
20082026
- Contact deletion option is buried and hard to find2023-01-12
- Nearly impossible to find the page for deleting imported contacts2014-07-31
- Hard to figure out how to delete imported contacts, and only 100 can be deleted at a time2014-06-13
Something wrong here?
Deleted accounts get resurrected, and unsubscribing requires a failing loginUnreviewed
4 people since 2013, in 2 different years · none this year
20082026
- Unsubscribing requires logging in, which the commenter can't do on a former employee's catch-all account2014-06-13
- Deleted accounts get resurrected by login, and unsubscribing requires a login that fails2014-04-30
- Unsubscribing forces sign-in to a nonexistent account, then repeated captchas and dead ends2014-04-30
Something wrong here?
Cannot find the setting to show who viewed profileUnreviewed
3 people since 2010, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- Profile lockdown settings failed to stop a stalker; user can't see who views their profile2023-10-03
- Profile visitor list is limited to two entries unless paying, hiding who viewed you2020-09-08
- Couldn't find the setting to show who viewed their profile2010-10-13
Something wrong here?
People search often fails, forcing users to Google insteadUnreviewed
3 people since 2016, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- Searching for people by name barely works, so users resort to Google2023-09-27
- LinkedIn's built-in search is so poor the user falls back to Google2019-06-26
- People search often fails, forcing users to use Google instead2016-02-05
Something wrong here?
Hard to reach profiles, with permanent nag notificationsUnreviewed
3 people since 2017, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- Daily notifications pushed to users to lure them back to the site2023-10-16
- Notifications aren't real notifications; UI tricks users into emailing all their contacts2018-09-12
- Hard to reach someone's profile or your own; permanent nag notifications2017-02-13
Something wrong here?
Captcha is nearly impossible to solve and often brokenUnreviewed
3 people since 2011, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- Feed is low quality and constant captchas and popups get in the way2023-10-16
- Captcha is nearly impossible to solve and often broken2014-10-13
- Opting out is hard: captchas on every failed login and the settings link is hard to find2011-08-11
Something wrong here?
Login link is hidden, so users land on the signup formUnreviewed
3 people since 2009, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- Sign-up link leads to a login page showing invalid credentials, needing a second sign-up click2025-03-24
- Shared profile links redirect to a sign-up page instead of showing content2020-01-29
- Login link is hidden, so users land on the signup form instead2009-11-14
Something wrong here?
Profile completeness prompts keep nagging with no permanent dismissUnreviewed
3 people since 2015, in 3 different years · none this year
20082026
- Keeps pushing unwanted features and nag prompts after repeated ignoring2020-07-22
- Profile completeness prompts keep nagging with no permanent way to dismiss them2017-04-30
- Keeps nagging to fill remaining profile info despite user declining; pushes unwanted data entry2015-11-27
Something wrong here?
Logging out often does not stick, requiring cookie deletionUnreviewed
3 people since 2013, in 3 different years · 1 this year
20082026
- Logging out often doesn't stick, user stays logged in and must delete cookies in odd sequence2026-08-14
- Cookie dialog redirects in an endless loop, blocking login when privacy protections are on2025-08-18
- Account silently reactivated after a stray cookie, flooding the user with spam2013-10-17
Something wrong here?
Mobile web feed stops updating, and comment replies cannot be answeredUnreviewed
3 people since 2020, in 2 different years · 2 this year
20082026
- The workaround that clears the feed doesn't work on the mobile web app2026-08-08
- Feed stops updating on mobile web; can't reply to comment replies or see reactions2026-04-06
- Ads in the feed are easy to tap by accident, and the mobile site is very slow2020-09-08
Something wrong here?
Users are tricked into sending spam emails to contactsUnreviewed
3 people since 2016, in 2 different years · none this year
20082026
- Users are tricked into sending spam emails to their contacts2020-12-06
- Pages are full of traps that push users to spam all their contacts2016-07-22
- Users tricked into uploading contacts by a deceptive interface they misunderstand2016-02-05
Something wrong here?
Repeated prompts every app open to upload phone contactsUnreviewed
3 people since 2016, in 2 different years · none this year
20082026
- UI makes it easy to accidentally trigger the contact upload prompt2018-11-25
- Repeated prompts every time the app opens to upload phone contacts2018-03-26
- Constant prompts to import contacts and complete profile interrupt using the site2016-02-05
Something wrong here?
Endorsement prompts are so intrusive people endorse others by accidentUnreviewed
3 people since 2013, in 2 different years · none this year
20082026
- Endorsement prompts appear so intrusively that people endorse others by accident2014-02-21
- Endorsements are flawed and annoying to use, a clumsy way to show skill2013-09-06
- Endorsement emails are trickled out over time to keep people emailing, a dark pattern2013-08-28
Something wrong here?
Forced to log in to view some pages, unpredictablyUnreviewed
3 people since 2020, in 2 different years · none this year
20082026
- Pages are practically impossible to browse without logging in2023-06-26
- Sometimes forced to log in to view pages, sometimes allowed in unpredictably2023-03-16
- Unauthenticated viewers are forced into a signup or login wall to read content2020-12-06
Something wrong here?
Spam emails keep arriving, with no clear way to stop themUnreviewed
3 people since 2012, in 2 different years · none this year
20082026
- Keeps sending spam emails and user can't figure out how to stop them2013-11-11
- Spam controls are poor and non-admin users have no easy way to stop group spam2013-01-07
- Can't turn off all emails, only some, so daily spam continues2012-01-27
Something wrong here?
Recruiters keep contacting after stating unavailability, with no way to stopUnreviewed
3 people since 2015, in 2 different years · 1 this year
20082026
- No way to delete the account or hide from recruiters; contact requests got no response2026-09-03
- Recruiters keep contacting after stating unavailability; can't stop the spam, so account was closed2015-10-18
- Website is awful to use, and users cannot stop recruiter spam despite profile settings2015-07-23
Something wrong here?
Feed content takes several seconds to load every timeUnreviewed
3 people since 2017, in 1 different year · none this year
20082026
- Takes 10+ seconds on a logo screen before content can be read2017-07-10
- Feed content takes a few seconds to load every time2017-05-05
- Notifications take minutes to load, so responses are not instant2017-01-05
Something wrong here?

This list counts all time; the period switch above only changes the ranking. Each issue is a group of similar complaints raised by at least 3 people in 3 different months and threads. Each line under an issue is Claude Haiku's summary of one of its latest comments, not a quote; follow it to read the comment on Hacker News.

Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.

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