How to change my location on LinkedIn: Step-by-step guide for professionals

Want to update your LinkedIn location without hurting discoverability or sounding misleading? Whether you're relocating for a job, targeting a new market, or optimizing for remote roles, this guide shows exactly how to change my location on LinkedIn — desktop and mobile — and how that change affects recruiters, search, and your personal brand. Read the step-by-step process, troubleshooting tips, and smart ways to combine location updates with content automation for faster growth.

Why your LinkedIn location matters for growth and hiring

Your location field is small but powerful. Recruiters and LinkedIn search filters rely on it to find candidates in specific regions. For professionals and founders, location influences local visibility, attendance at events, and trust from prospects. According to LinkedIn's own insights, location and locality remain key factors in recruiter searches and job discovery — especially for city-specific roles and regional networks.

Ask yourself: do you want to appear in local searches, global searches, or both? That answer determines whether you update your current city, country/region, or your job preferences (remote settings).

Quick checklist: What to prepare before changing location

• Confirm the exact city and country name you want listed (use the official spelling).
• Decide whether you’ll change the public profile location or only recruiter-facing job preferences.
• Update your headline, summary, and contact info to match the location change.
• Have a clear reason for the change displayed in your About or Experience sections (relocation, remote, consulting in X region).
• Backup: screenshot your profile before changes so you can revert if needed.

Step-by-step: Change location on LinkedIn (Desktop)

Follow these steps to update your LinkedIn location from a desktop browser. Want fast visual posts that reflect your new city? Use Linkesy to schedule local-market content once your profile is updated.

1. Go to linkedin.com and sign in.
2. Click Me on the top bar, then View profile.
3. Click the pencil (Edit) icon in the top section (the intro card) of your profile.
4. Find the Location section. Choose your Country/Region and enter your Postal Code or City if the UI asks.
5. Adjust visibility options if available (some versions ask whether the location is visible to recruiters).
6. Click Save. Refresh your profile and search for yourself in an incognito window if you want to confirm public view.

Desktop tips

• If LinkedIn doesn't show the city you expect, change the country first, then type the city again.
• Editing the intro card affects search — update your headline with local keywords: e.g., "Marketing Consultant — New York".
• Use a post to announce relocation if it’s relevant to your audience; this increases engagement and explains the change.

Step-by-step: Change location on LinkedIn mobile (iOS & Android)

Mobile interfaces vary slightly, but the flow is similar. Here’s a concise mobile walkthrough.

1. Open the LinkedIn app and tap your profile picture, then View Profile.
2. Tap the pencil icon on the top section of your profile.
3. Scroll to the Location area. Select the correct country and city.
4. Tap Save. Wait a minute and refresh the profile page to confirm changes.

Mobile tips

• Clear the app cache or restart the app if the change doesn’t appear immediately.
• If you use LinkedIn on multiple devices, ensure both are updated to the latest app version to avoid UI differences.

Country/Region vs. Current city vs. Experience location: What’s the difference?

LinkedIn supports multiple location fields — and they serve different purposes. Choose carefully:

Make your profile discoverable for remote and global roles

Want to show up for both local and remote opportunities? Don’t just change the location field. Adjust your Job Preferences and highlight remote capability.

• Go to Jobs → Preferences and set Remote as a location preference if you’re open to remote work.
• Add keywords like "Open to remote" or "Remote consultant" in your headline or About section. This helps both recruiters and LinkedIn’s algorithm.
• Use posts to demonstrate availability across time zones (e.g., "Accepting clients in PST and GMT").

Troubleshooting: Location not updating or showing wrong region?

• Refresh the page and wait 5–10 minutes — LinkedIn caches profile data.
• Clear your browser cache or switch to an incognito window to verify public view.
• Confirm you updated the intro card and not just the Experience entries.
• If your city isn't available in the dropdown, choose the nearest recognized city and explain exact location in your About section.
• When things go wrong, check LinkedIn Help or contact support from the Help Center.

Pro tip: If you’re switching markets (e.g., London → New York), create a pinned post announcing your move and update your headline. That signals authenticity and prevents confusion.

Privacy and authenticity: Do not misrepresent location

Changing location strategically is fine — misrepresenting location to mislead recruiters or clients is risky. It can damage trust and violate platform policies. If you operate globally from a different country, add clarifying language: "Based in Lisbon — available for US clients remotely".

How changing location fits into your LinkedIn growth strategy

Small updates produce measurable effects when combined with consistent posting. Use location to target local hashtags, local engagement, and region-specific content. Automating this process amplifies results: for example, Linkesy can generate a 30-day content calendar with region-specific hooks, images, and posting times so your profile update is supported by consistent signals to the LinkedIn algorithm.

• Signal 1: Profile location + headline with local keyword.
• Signal 2: Local posts and images referencing city or market.
• Signal 3: Connections and comments from local professionals.

Want to automate that second signal? See how Linkesy builds tailored, local-first posts and schedules them for you: See our plans / Get started or Try Linkesy free.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Changing location without updating headline or About — this creates mismatch and confusion.
• Using vague locations (e.g., "Worldwide") without clarifying service hours or legal constraints.
• Failing to align job preferences — recruiters may not see your updated location if Job Preferences remain unchanged.
• Removing locality signals (events, local posts) after moving — results in lost momentum.

Fast checklist to finish in 10 minutes

1. Edit top profile card → update city & country → Save.
2. Update headline with location keyword.
3. Edit About to add context for the move/availability.
4. Set Job Preferences → Remote or specific city/country.
5. Schedule 3 posts (announcement, local insight, client availability) — use Linkesy to do this in minutes.

Related reading (internal)

• Pillar: LinkedIn Growth & Personal Branding
• How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
• AI Content Automation for LinkedIn

External resources

• LinkedIn Help Center
• HubSpot: LinkedIn marketing insights

FAQ

How long does LinkedIn take to update my location?

Changes usually appear immediately in your profile but may take up to 10–15 minutes to propagate across search and public caches. Refresh, clear cache, or check in an incognito window to confirm.

Can I list multiple locations on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn only allows one primary public location. To indicate multiple markets, mention them in your About, Experience, or pinned posts (e.g., "Working with clients in UK & US").

Will changing my location affect search rankings?

Yes. Location is a core filter in LinkedIn search. Changing it can move you into different recruiter and local search results — use it intentionally and support it with local content.

How do I show I’m open to remote work without changing city?

Set your Job Preferences to include Remote and add "Remote" keywords in your headline and About section. This keeps your public city but signals remote availability to recruiters.

My city isn't in the dropdown. What should I do?

Choose the nearest recognized city in LinkedIn's list, then clarify your exact location or service area in your About section to avoid confusion.

Conclusion — update location strategically and automate the follow-up

Updating your LinkedIn location is quick but most effective when paired with aligned profile content and consistent posts. Want to turn a simple location change into greater visibility? Use Linkesy to generate authentic, local-first posts, create images, and auto-schedule a 30-day calendar so your profile update is backed by content that signals authority in your new market. Try Linkesy free or See our plans to grow your presence while saving hours each week.

Need a demo? Schedule one and we’ll show how location-aware content increases local discovery and client leads: Schedule a demo.