Where to find the email setting and what happens when you change it

Your email address on LinkedIn is the login credential you use to access your account and the address where LinkedIn sends notifications. To change it, you go to your account settings, find the email field, enter a new address, and confirm it through a verification link that LinkedIn sends to that new address. The old email stops working for login immediately after you confirm the new one.

LinkedIn requires you to have access to the new email address before the change takes effect — you cannot complete the switch without opening a confirmation message in that inbox. This is a security measure to prevent someone from locking you out of your account by changing the email without your knowledge.

Key Takeaways

  • You change your email in Settings & Privacy, then Email addresses, by clicking Edit next to your current email.
  • LinkedIn sends a confirmation link to the new email address, and you must click it within a set time to complete the change.
  • Your old email stops working for login as soon as you confirm the new one, so make sure you have access to the new address first.
  • If you do not confirm within the time limit, the change expires and your old email remains active.
  • You can add a secondary email address to your account without removing the primary one, which is useful if you are switching email providers gradually.

Step-by-step process to change your primary email

Start by signing into LinkedIn with your current email and password. Once you are logged in, click your profile photo in the top right corner, then select Settings & privacy from the dropdown menu.

On the Settings page, click the Email addresses option in the left sidebar under the Account section. You will see your current email listed as your primary address. Click the Edit button next to it. A text field will appear where you can type your new email address. Enter the new address carefully — typos here will cause the confirmation to fail.

After you type the new email, click Change email or Save (the button label varies slightly by device and browser). LinkedIn will immediately send a confirmation message to the new email address you entered. You have a limited window — usually 24 to 48 hours, though LinkedIn does not always display this clearly — to open that message and click the confirmation link.

Confirming your new email address

Check the inbox of the new email address you provided. Look for a message from LinkedIn with a subject line like "Confirm your email address" or "Verify your LinkedIn email." Open that message and click the confirmation link or button inside it. This link takes you back to LinkedIn and completes the email change.

Once you click the link, your new email becomes your primary login credential. Your old email is removed from your account and no longer works for signing in. If you do not click the confirmation link within the time limit, the change request expires. Your old email remains active, and you can try the change again.

If you do not see the confirmation message, check your spam or junk folder — some email providers filter LinkedIn messages. If it is not there, go back to your LinkedIn settings and request a new confirmation email. You can do this by clicking Edit again next to your email address and following the same process.

Adding a secondary email without removing your primary one

LinkedIn allows you to add a secondary email address to your account. This is useful if you are switching email providers but want to keep your old email working for a while, or if you want to receive notifications at a different address than the one you use to log in.

To add a secondary email, go to Settings & privacy, then Email addresses. Instead of clicking Edit next to your current email, look for an option to Add email or Add another email address. Enter the new address and confirm it the same way — LinkedIn sends a verification link to that address. Once confirmed, you will have two emails on your account. You can log in with either one, but only one is marked as primary.

If you want to make the secondary email your primary, go back to Email addresses and click Edit next to the secondary one. You should see an option to Make primary. Click it, and that email becomes your main login address. The old primary email moves to secondary status and remains on your account unless you delete it.

What to do if you no longer have access to your old email

If your old email address no longer works — the account was closed, you no longer have access to that provider, or you forgot the password — you cannot use the standard email change process. LinkedIn will send the confirmation link to the new address, but you will not be able to verify it if you cannot access the old one.

In this case, contact LinkedIn Support directly. Go to the Help Center, find the Contact Us option, and explain that you cannot access your old email. LinkedIn may ask you to verify your identity through other means — such as confirming information from your profile, answering security questions, or providing a photo ID. The process can take several days, so plan ahead if you know you are losing access to your current email.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you entered a typo in the new email address, you cannot fix it through the confirmation link. Instead, go back to Settings & privacy, Email addresses, and click Edit again. You can now type a different address. The old incorrect address will not be added to your account because you never confirmed it.

If you accidentally changed your email to an address you do not control, act quickly. Go back to Email addresses and click Edit. Change it to an address you do have access to, then confirm it immediately. If you cannot access your account at all, contact LinkedIn Support and explain what happened. They can help restore access, but the faster you report it, the better.

If the confirmation link expires before you click it, you will see a message saying the link is no longer valid. Simply go back to Email addresses, click Edit, and request a new confirmation email. You can repeat this process as many times as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same email for two LinkedIn accounts?

No. Each LinkedIn account must have a unique email address. If you try to add an email that is already linked to another account, LinkedIn will reject it. If you have an old account you no longer use, you can change its email to something else first, then use your preferred email for your active account.

Will changing my email affect my profile, connections, or messages?

No. Your profile, all your connections, your messages, and your work history remain exactly the same. Only the login credential changes. Your connections will not be notified, and they will not see your email address on your profile unless you have made it public in your settings.

How long does the confirmation link stay active?

LinkedIn typically gives you 24 to 48 hours to confirm, though the exact window is not always stated upfront. If the link expires, you can request a new one by going back to Email addresses and clicking Edit next to your email. There is no penalty for requesting multiple confirmation emails.

What if I want to keep both my old and new email working on LinkedIn?

Add the new email as a secondary address first, confirm it, then make it primary. Your old email will stay on your account as a secondary address, and you can log in with either one. You can remove the old email later if you want, or leave it there indefinitely.

Do I need to update my email anywhere else after changing it on LinkedIn?

No. LinkedIn is independent of other services. Changing your email on LinkedIn does not affect your email on Microsoft, Google, or any other platform. If you use LinkedIn through a third-party login (like "Sign in with Google"), that connection remains active regardless of what email you use on LinkedIn itself.