Digital Legacy – What Happens to Social Media, Email, and Files After Death | Muistovalkea
· 5 min
Everyone leaves a digital legacy – social media accounts, emails, photos, and subscriptions. Managing them after death requires planning.
- Facebook, Instagram, and Google offer post-death account management tools
- Finding passwords without preparation is difficult or impossible
- A digital will (password list, instructions) makes the next of kin's task significantly easier
Digital life doesn't end at death
We die, but our digital footprint remains: social media accounts, emails, photos, subscriptions, gaming accounts, cryptocurrencies, online banking credentials, and thousands of other digital traces.
Managing a digital legacy is one of the post-death tasks that the next of kin often don't expect -- and for which few have a ready plan.
What a digital legacy includes
Social media
- Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, YouTube
Communication
- Email (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo), WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal
Photos and memories
- Phone gallery, Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox
Finances
- Online banking, investment services, cryptocurrencies, PayPal
Subscriptions
- Netflix, Spotify, Disney+, newspapers, apps, cloud services
Work and hobbies
- Work accounts, gaming accounts, online shop accounts
Service-specific instructions
Memorialisation:
- A pre-designated "legacy contact" can change the profile to memorial status
- The account name changes to: "Remembering [name]"
- Friends can write memories on the wall
- No one can log into the account
Account deletion:
- A family member requests deletion via Facebook's form + death certificate
- Processing typically takes 1–4 weeks
Preparation:
- Designate a legacy contact: Settings → Memorialisation Settings
- Memorialisation or deletion (same Meta company as Facebook)
- A family member applies for memorialisation or deletion via a form + death certificate
Google (Gmail, YouTube, Google Photos)
Inactive Account Manager:
- Google offers a tool that allows the user to define in advance what happens to the account if it is not used for a certain period (3–18 months)
- Can automatically send data to designated people or delete the account
- The best preparation -- set this up now
Without preparation:
- A family member applies for access to the Google account with a death certificate
- The process can take weeks and the outcome is not guaranteed
Apple (iCloud, Apple ID)
- Digital Legacy programme: the user can designate "Digital Legacy Contact" persons
- Without preparation: Apple may grant access based on a death certificate and a court order
- Important: the iPhone PIN code is the key to everything -- without it, access is extremely difficult
Microsoft (Outlook, OneDrive)
- "Next of Kin" process: death certificate, next of kin's ID
- Processing takes several weeks
- Access is granted on a limited basis (not the entire account)
Spotify, Netflix, and other subscriptions
- Cancel the subscription via customer service
- A death certificate is usually sufficient
- Check recurring charges on the bank account
Finding passwords
When passwords are not known
This is the most common and most difficult problem. If the deceased didn't leave passwords behind:
- Check the phone's notes -- many people save passwords in the Notes app
- Check browser saved passwords -- Chrome, Safari, and Firefox save passwords
- Check a password manager -- 1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden
- Check physical belongings -- passwords written on paper
- Contact the service provider -- with a death certificate
Unlocking the phone
- PIN code: Known → easy. Not known → difficult.
- Face ID / Touch ID: Does not work after death (biometrics change).
- Apple: Apple will not unlock phones without a court order
- Android: In some situations, Google may help with a death certificate
Digital will
What is it?
A digital will is a document in which you record instructions for your digital assets. It is not legally binding (in the sense of inheritance law), but it makes the next of kin's task vastly easier.
What it should contain
- Password manager master password or a list of the most important credentials
- Phone PIN code
- Computer password
- Email credentials (the key to everything else)
- Instructions for social media accounts:
- Facebook: memorialise or delete?
- Instagram: memorialise or delete?
- Others: delete
- List of subscriptions: Netflix, Spotify, newspapers, etc.
- Wishes for photos: Where they are, who should receive them
- Cryptocurrencies: Wallet addresses and keys (critical -- without these, assets are permanently lost)
- Work credentials: If the employer needs access
- Special wishes: Final messages, blogs, writings
How to store it
- Password manager (1Password, Bitwarden) -- the most secure
- Sealed envelope in a safe or safety deposit box
- With a notary alongside a traditional will
- Not in email or a cloud service without encryption
Checklist for the next of kin
First week
- Find out the deceased's phone PIN code (if possible)
- Check the bank account for recurring charges
- Cancel unnecessary subscriptions immediately
- Inform the employer -- they will need access to work accounts
First month
- Change the Facebook account to memorial status or request deletion
- Change the Instagram account to memorial status
- Check emails -- there may be important messages
- Save photos from the phone and cloud services
- Cancel email-linked subscriptions
First months
- Close all unnecessary accounts
- Transfer valuable files (photos, videos, documents) to the family
- Consider creating a memorial page
Cryptocurrencies -- a special case
If the deceased held Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, the situation is critical:
- Without the private key or seed phrase recovery words, assets are permanently lost
- No entity can recover them
- If you find papers related to crypto, store them carefully and contact a specialist
- Cryptocurrencies must be reported as assets in the estate inventory
Frequently asked questions
What happens to a Facebook account after death?
Memorialisation or deletion. A family member or a pre-designated contact decides.
How can I access the email?
With a death certificate from the service provider (Google, Microsoft). The process takes weeks.
Should subscriptions be cancelled?
Yes. Check the bank account for recurring payments and cancel unnecessary subscriptions.
What is a digital will?
A document containing passwords, instructions for social media accounts, and a list of subscriptions. It makes the next of kin's task significantly easier.
How can you save photos?
From the phone with the PIN code, from cloud services with the password. Without these, contact the service provider with a death certificate.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What happens to a Facebook account after death?
Facebook offers two options: 1) Memorialisation – the account name changes to 'Remembering [name]', no one can log in, but friends can write memories on the wall. 2) Account deletion – a family member or a pre-designated 'legacy contact' can request deletion. Both options require a death certificate.
How can I access the deceased's email?
It depends on the service provider. Google: a family member can request access via the Inactive Account Manager feature or with a death certificate. Microsoft/Outlook: 'Next of Kin' process with a death certificate. Without passwords and preparation, access can be difficult or impossible. The best solution: a digital will with passwords recorded.
Should the deceased's subscriptions be cancelled?
Yes. Cancelling Netflix, Spotify, newspaper subscriptions, and other recurring payments is important to stop charges. Check the deceased's bank account for recurring payments. Most services will cancel a subscription upon presentation of a death certificate.
What is a digital will?
A digital will is a document in which a person records instructions for their digital assets: passwords or the master password for a password manager, instructions for social media accounts (delete or memorialise), a list of subscriptions, wishes for photos and files. It is not legally binding like a traditional will, but it makes the next of kin's task vastly easier.
How can you save the deceased's photos?
Photos may be on the phone, computer, cloud service (Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox), or a memory card. Unlocking the phone requires a PIN code or biometric authentication. Accessing cloud services requires a password. If the password is not known, contact the service provider with a death certificate – the process may take weeks.