What LinkedIn Icons and Symbols Mean? Complete Guide

LinkedIn is your professional hub for connecting you with opportunities and colleagues. But navigating its interface can sometimes feel like deciphering a secret code. Have you ever wondered what those little dots next to a profile picture mean? We will break down every LinkedIn icon and symbol so you can confidently use the platform.

Table of Contents

LinkedIn Home Screen Icons Meaning

The LinkedIn home screen is your gateway to staying updated with your professional network. Let’s take a closer look at what all those icons mean.

Profile (Your Photo/Initials) Icon: This icon in the top left corner is your profile picture or initials. Tapping it opens your profile menu, giving you quick access to your profile, settings, and other account options.
Chat (Bubble with Three Dots) Icon: Located at the top right, this message bubble with three dots is your gateway to LinkedIn Messaging. Tap it to open your chat menu and start conversations with your connections.
Post Menu (Three Dots) Icon: You’ll see these three dots in the top right corner of each post. Tapping this icon opens a menu with various options, including Save, Share via, Not interested, Unfollow, and Report post
Remove Post (Cross) Icon: The small “X” in the top right corner of a post allows you to remove that post from your feed. This is for clearing out content you’re not interested in.
Public Post (Globe) Icon: This icon shows that the post is public and can be seen by any user.
Captions (Two C’s) Icon: This icon, often labeled “CC,” toggles captions on or off for videos in your feed. Tap it to enable or disable subtitles.
Mute (Speaker) Icon: The speaker icon controls the sound for videos in your feed. Tap it to mute or unmute the video.
Number of Likes (Heart/Thumbs Up with Number): This shows the number of likes in that post.
Red Circle with Number Icons: These red circles with numbers appear on the bottom navigation bar, indicating the number of notifications you have in each section (e.g., Home, My Network, Notifications, Jobs).

Chat Screen Icons Meaning

The LinkedIn Chats screen is where you manage your professional conversations. Let’s decode the icons you’ll find here:

Back (Left Arrow) Icon: Located in the top left corner, this arrow icon takes you back to the LinkedIn home screen. Tap it to return to your feed.
Three Dots Menu Icon: Tapping this icon opens further chat options, such as “Manage conversations,” allowing you to organize and manage your messages.
Filter (Down Arrow) Icon: This filter icon lets you sort and view different types of messages. It reveals options like “Other,” “Archived,” and “Spam,” helping you find specific conversations.
New Chat (Pencil in Square) Icon: It allows you to start a new conversation. Tap it to compose a message and connect with someone new.

Meaning of Icons in a Chat

Once you’re inside a LinkedIn chat, you’ll find a set of icons that help you manage the conversation and share content. Here’s a breakdown:

Chat Menu (Three Dots) Icon: These three dots open the chat settings menu. Here, you’ll find options like “Mark as unread,” “Mute,” “Label as jobs,” and other tools to manage the conversation.
Create Video Meeting (Plus Inside Video Camera) Icon: Tapping this icon gives you options to create a meeting within LinkedIn, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom.
Mark Important (Star) Icon: The star icon in the top right corner lets you mark the chat as important. This helps you quickly access important conversations later.
Verified (Tick in a Shield) Icon: You might see a tick mark inside a shield next to a person’s name. This indicates that the account is verified.
Attach (Plus in a Circle) Icon: The plus sign in a circle is your attachment menu. Tapping it reveals options to send a document, take a photo or video, select media from your library, send a GIF, or mention a person in the chat.
Record (Mic) Icon: The microphone icon at the bottom right allows you to record an audio message and send it directly to the chat.

Post Icons Meaning

When engaging with posts on LinkedIn, you’ll encounter a set of icons that allow you to express your reactions and interact with comments:

1. Reactions Icons: By tapping and holding the Like button, you will see a range of reaction icons:

Thumbs Up: Represents a “Like”.
Clapping Hands: Represents “Celebrate.”
Hand Holding Heart: Represents “Support.”
Heart: Represents “Love.”
Lightbulb: Represents “Insightful.”
Laughing Emoji: Represents “Funny.”

2. Sort Menu (Up and Down Arrow) Icon: Tapping this allows you to change the sorting order of comments. It lets you choose how you want to view the comments (e.g., most relevant, newest).

3. Mention (“@”) Icon: This icon allows you to mention another LinkedIn user in your comment. By typing “@” followed by their name, you can tag them in your comment.

Inside Page Profile Icons

When you navigate to a LinkedIn company or organization page, you’ll find a few key icons that help you stay updated and interact with the page:

Notification (Bell) Icon: The bell icon allows you to manage notifications from that page. Tapping it gives you options to set notifications to “All notifications,” “Most relevant,” or “Off”.
Page Menu (Three Dots in Circle) Icon: This icon opens a menu with additional options related to the page. Here, you’ll find options like “Visit website,” “Share,” “Send in a message,” and other actions related to the page.

Posting a New Post Icons Meaning

When you’re creating a new post on LinkedIn, you’ll find many icons that might get you confused. Let’s break them down:

Cancel (Cross) Icon: The “X” icon allows you to cancel the post you’re creating.
Audience Selector (Down Arrow) Icon: This allows you to customize who can see your post. Tapping it opens a menu with options like “Anyone,” “Connections only,” or specific groups.
Schedule (Clock) Icon: This icon allows you to schedule your post for a later time. Tapping it opens a calendar interface where you can select the date and time you want your post to be published.
Gallery (Photo) Icon: This icon allows you to add images or videos to your post. Tapping it opens your device’s gallery or you can choose the camera to directly capture the image.
Create Event (Calendar) Icon: The calendar icon allows you to create an event and add it to your post. Tapping it opens an event creation interface where you can fill in the details of your event.
More Options (Three Dots) Icon: The three dots icon opens a menu with more attachment options for your post. Here, you’ll find options to add elements like “Celebrate,” “Job,” “Poll,” “Document,” and “Services.”

Additional LinkedIn Icons and Connection Degrees

Beyond the core chat and home screen icons, there are a few other visual cues you’ll encounter on LinkedIn:

Golden LinkedIn Icon (Premium Badge): If you see a small, golden LinkedIn logo next to a user’s name, it indicates they have a LinkedIn Premium subscription.
Connect (Person with Plus Symbol) Icon: Tapping this icon allows you to invite someone to join your professional network. It is for sending a connection request.
Connection Degree Numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd): LinkedIn uses connection degrees to show how you’re related to other users. 1st-degree connections: These are people you’re directly connected with, 2nd-degree connections: These are people who are connected to your 1st-degree connections, 3rd-degree connections: These are people who are connected to your 2nd-degree connections.
Blue LinkedIn “Easy Apply” Icon: This blue LinkedIn logo within a job posting indicates that the role offers “Easy Apply.” This feature allows you to apply for the job directly through LinkedIn with just a few taps, simplifying the application process.
Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down Icons: In the “More jobs for you” section, you’ll find thumbs up and thumbs down icons. These icons allow you to provide feedback on the job recommendations LinkedIn provides. Tapping the thumbs-up icon indicates that you like the recommended job while tapping the thumbs-down icon indicates that you don’t. This feedback helps LinkedIn improve its job recommendations for you.
AI (Star) Icon: This icon indicates that you can use AI-powered features, such as getting AI-powered advice on the job if you have a LinkedIn Premium subscription.
Following (Tick in Circle) Icon: This icon next to a person’s name signifies that you are following that individual.
Direct Message (Paper Plane in Circle) Icon: Tapping this icon allows you to send a direct message to that person.

Now, you can confidently navigate your professional network, communicate effectively, and utilize all the platform’s features. If you’re looking to understand the visual cues in other apps, be sure to check out our other icon explanation guides below.