Most people’s digital lives are expansive. Many use a single important account to manage their most critical data such as email, photos, files, and notes. Likewise, other accounts may contain financial information or subscriptions, and social media accounts often serve as vital connections to friends, family, and communities. Accessing all this data after someone’s death can be difficult, but there are steps users can take to secure their digital afterlife after their death.
Primary Accounts
Google allows immediate family members and representatives to close an account after someone passes. Account closure requests can be submitted online, as can requests for photos, emails, documents, and other data from different Google products such as Gmail, Google Photos, or YouTube. Family members submitting these requests will need information about the deceased person, such as their name and email address. They will also need documents, including a government-issued ID and the decedent’s death certificate.
Google also allows someone to designate an Inactive Account Manager who will receive a message written by the account owner and any data they choose to share after the account has been inactive for a specified period. Designating an Inactive Account Manager can save family members or representatives time when trying to gain access to the information stored in a deceased person’s Google Account.
Apple
Apple allows designated Legacy Contacts to access the data of a deceased person. A Legacy Contact will need an access key previously established by the decedent and a copy of the deceased’s death certificate. Legacy Contacts can request access through their Apple Account settings or on the web. Without a Legacy Contact access key, things get more complicated: friends or family members trying to access a deceased person’s data may need a court order or other documentation naming them as the rightful inheritor of the deceased’s personal information. Requests to simply delete a deceased person’s Apple Account can be made online.
Apple users can add a Legacy Contact and share an access code in their Apple Account settings. If the designated Legacy Contact doesn’t have an Apple device, the designating person can give them a printed copy of the access key. Taking this step in advance ensures access to valuable photos, files, and notes after a person dies.
Microsoft
Microsoft currently has no options for family members or representatives to access data in a decedent’s account after their death. Microsoft users will need to take other steps, such as using a third-party password manager, to share their digital assets after their death.
Social Media, Music, and Movies
Make a Plan for Your Social Media
Each social media company has different options for what can be done after a user passes away. Facebook allows users to set a legacy contact similarly to Apple and Google. Legacy contacts can request that Facebook memorialize an account, write a memorial message for display, download an archive of photos and profile information, and continue accepting friend requests on behalf of the deceased. Alternatively, they can request that the account be deactivated. If a user did not set a legacy contact before their death, friends or family members can contact Facebook to request memorialization or removal of an account. Instagram, another Meta product, does not have a legacy contact feature, but a family member or digital executor can request memorialization or deletion.
X (formerly Twitter) does not offer a legacy contact option. However, an immediate family member or person authorized to act on behalf of the estate can request that a deceased user’s account be removed. They must provide documents showing their authority and a death certificate.
LinkedIn allows account closure requests by someone authorized to act on behalf of a deceased person. Memorialization requests can be made by people not authorized to act on behalf of the deceased if they can provide an obituary or relevant news article.
Other social media accounts, like Reddit, offer no options in the event of a user’s death. Policies vary site by site, but in most cases, accounts will be deleted after a period of prolonged inactivity.
Use a Password Manager
Third-party password managers such as LastPass or 1Password can be a simple and convenient way to keep track of your online life. Most password managers also offer a secure note feature where users can store information such as voicemail pins, notes on recurring subscriptions, credentials for cryptocurrency wallets, and more. To ensure that these critical accounts can be accessed after death, set up emergency access or keep a printed copy of the login information so that loved ones can access their digital inheritance. Built-in password managers from Apple and Google cannot be accessed in the event of the account owner’s death.
Music, Movies, and Other Media
While books, CDs, and DVDs can be passed down after death, eBooks, digital music libraries, and films purchased online function more like lifetime rentals. These purchases are tied to the account with which the purchase was made, meaning that digital collections can’t be passed down to family or friends as a part of their digital inheritance.
What if I Don’t Want to Pass on My Accounts?
Many accounts will be deleted by the service provider after a period of inactivity. Google users can set their account to delete through the Inactive Account Manager, otherwise Google will delete an inactive account after two years of inactivity. Apple Accounts may be terminated after one year of inactivity and will be inaccessible after death if no one is set as a Legacy Contact. Microsoft accounts will be closed if no activity is detected for two years. Facebook users can choose to have their accounts deleted rather than setting a legacy contact. Inactive account policies vary among other online accounts. Some may be deleted after a year or two, while others may remain open indefinitely.
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