What Does the Crossed Eye Icon on a LinkedIn Post Mean?
It means limited visibility: the post isn't public like a globe-icon post and may be shown only to connections or a selected audience. See who can view it.
If you’ve noticed a crossed eye icon next to the timestamp on a LinkedIn post, you’re not the only one. A lot of people are familiar with the globe icon, which usually means a post is public and visible to anyone. So when a different symbol shows up, especially on older posts, it can feel a little unclear.
The short answer is this: the crossed eye icon generally points to limited visibility. In other words, that post is not fully public in the same way a globe-icon post is. It usually means the audience for that content is restricted in some way, such as being visible only to your connections, a selected audience, or a more limited group based on the privacy setting used when the post was published.
That said, LinkedIn has updated its interface more than once over the years, so older icons can sometimes reflect an earlier visibility setting or design language that’s no longer explained very clearly inside the app.
What the icon usually means
On LinkedIn, icons next to the timestamp help explain who can see a post. Here’s the simple breakdown:
- Globe icon: Public post. Anyone on or off LinkedIn may be able to view it, depending on profile and indexing settings.
- People / connections-related icons: Limited to your network, such as connections only.
- Crossed eye icon: A restricted audience or reduced visibility setting, often meaning the post is not openly visible to everyone.
If you’re looking at an older post, the crossed eye may indicate that the content was shared with a narrower audience than public posts. For example:
- Only 1st-degree connections
- A selected group of followers or network members
- A privacy-limited audience from an older LinkedIn posting setup
- Visibility reduced because of account, audience, or platform changes over time
Readers check your profile after your post. Is it ready?
Paste your profile link and see your score right away, with clear fixes for your headline, About section and experience. No account needed.
Or open the LinkedIn profile evaluator
So who can actually see a post with the crossed eye icon?
That’s the part most people care about. If a post has this icon, ask:
- Was the post originally shared publicly, or to connections only?
- Is it an old post created before LinkedIn updated its posting options?
- Is the viewer logged in, connected to the author, or outside the author’s network?
In many cases, people outside the intended audience will not be able to view the post in full. They may see nothing at all, or they may see a limited version depending on how LinkedIn treats older post permissions.
So if you’re wondering, “Does crossed eye mean hidden?” — not exactly hidden, but more private than a public post.
Why this happens more often on older LinkedIn posts
This is where things get a little more practical. LinkedIn has changed several parts of its posting experience over time, including:
- Post audience settings
- Profile visibility options
- How public posts appear off-platform
- How icons are displayed in desktop vs. mobile versions
Because of those changes, some older posts may show icons that people don’t immediately recognize today. A symbol like the crossed eye can show up when the post was published under an older or more limited visibility setting.
That’s why two posts from the same person can show different icons even if they look similar otherwise.
How to check a LinkedIn post’s visibility
If you want to confirm what a post’s icon means, here are a few easy ways to check:
1. Open the post directly
Click into the post itself rather than viewing it from a feed preview. LinkedIn sometimes gives more detail once the post is opened.
2. Look for audience labels
Some posts will explicitly say things like:
- Anyone
- Connections only
- Group members
If you can see one of those labels, that matters more than the icon alone.
3. Compare desktop and mobile
LinkedIn’s mobile app and desktop version don’t always display visibility the same way. If the symbol looks unclear in one place, check the other version.
4. View from another account
If it’s your own content, try viewing it from:
- A logged-out browser window
- Another LinkedIn account
- Someone who is not a connection
That can help you understand how public, or not public, the post really is.
Common questions people ask about the crossed eye icon
Does it mean the post was archived?
Usually no. Archived or removed content tends to behave differently. The crossed eye is more commonly related to visibility and audience restriction, not storage status.
Does it mean only I can see it?
Not necessarily. It often means the post is visible to a smaller audience than the general public, but not always to you alone.
Can LinkedIn change visibility on older posts?
LinkedIn can update how old privacy settings are represented visually, and platform changes can affect how posts are shown. If you’re managing content long-term, it’s a good idea to review older posts from time to time.
Can I edit the audience later?
LinkedIn’s options can vary by account type and post type, but in many cases audience settings are chosen at the time of posting and may not be fully editable afterward. If visibility matters, checking before publishing is always the safer move.
What should you do if you’re trying to manage LinkedIn visibility better?
If you post regularly on LinkedIn, this little icon question actually points to a bigger issue: many people are unsure who is seeing their content.
That matters because visibility affects:
- Reach
- Engagement
- Brand perception
- Lead generation
- Thought leadership results
Here are a few smart habits to keep things clear:
- Review your audience settings before posting
- Audit older posts if consistency matters for your brand
- Check how your content appears to non-connections
- Keep internal team posting guidelines simple if multiple people publish on behalf of a founder or company
If you’re posting for a business, this becomes even more important. A visibility mismatch can mean a post performs poorly not because the idea was weak, but because the audience setting restricted who could see it.
Why this matters for brands and professionals
At first glance, a small icon next to a timestamp feels like a minor detail. But on LinkedIn, small details can shape bigger outcomes.
For example:
- A recruiter may want broad post visibility for employer branding
- A founder may want public reach for thought leadership
- A sales team may want content discoverable by prospects
- A personal account may prefer more limited sharing for selective updates
So the real question behind the crossed eye icon is often this: “Am I posting to the right audience?”
That’s a good question to ask regularly, especially if your LinkedIn presence supports business growth.
A simple final answer
If you want the clearest practical answer: the crossed eye icon on a LinkedIn post usually means the post has restricted visibility and is not public in the same way as a globe-icon post. It is generally visible to a more limited audience, such as connections or a selected group, especially if it is an older post created under earlier LinkedIn visibility settings.
If the exact audience matters, the best move is to open the post, review its sharing setting if available, and compare how it appears across devices or to people outside the author’s network.
Need help making LinkedIn clearer and more effective?
If this kind of LinkedIn detail feels harder to decode than it should be, that’s honestly pretty normal. Between privacy settings, post visibility, creator strategy, and content performance, LinkedIn can be simple on the surface but messy underneath.
That’s one of the reasons brands work with teams like EXEED Digitals. Their work around LinkedIn strategy, content support, and account growth helps businesses make sense of what’s actually happening on the platform instead of guessing. If you’re trying to improve post reach, understand audience visibility, or create a more reliable LinkedIn presence, it helps to have people who do this every day.
You can learn more about their services here: EXEED Digitals Services.
And if you’re a brand wondering whether your LinkedIn content is reaching the right people, EXEED Digitals usually helps with exactly these types of concerns. Their LinkedIn agency services have supported 100s of brands on LinkedIn, especially when it comes to visibility, strategy, and turning posting into something more consistent and useful.
en
