My Social Media Accounts
What happens to your digital accounts after death and how to leave clear instructions.
What happens to them when I am gone?
It is important to think about this, even though it is not an easy subject. What happens to your social media accounts after death depends on each platform, but there are ways to protect your information and decide what will happen to your accounts.
Facebook offers two main options:
Memorialized account
You can appoint a legacy contact to manage your account after your death. That person may pin posts, accept friend requests, and update your profile picture, but cannot sign in as you.
To configure it:
Go to Settings and privacy > Settings > General > Memorialization settings.
Permanent deletion
You can request that your account be deleted automatically after your death.
Family members or friends can request that an account be memorialized or deleted by submitting documentation such as a death certificate.
Instagram does not offer a legacy contact option like Facebook.
X (Twitter)
X does not have a memorial account feature.
A family member or legal representative can request account deletion by submitting documents such as a death certificate and proof of relationship.
Google (Gmail, YouTube, Drive, and others)
Google offers a useful tool called Inactive Account Manager.
You can decide when your account should be considered inactive, for example after six months without activity.
You may choose up to ten people to receive your data or decide what should happen to your accounts.
You can also ask Google to delete everything after a specified period.
To activate it:
Visit https://myaccount.google.com/inactive.
Steps you can take now to protect your information
- Create a list of your accounts and passwords—or, better yet, use a password manager with emergency access.
- Choose someone you trust and tell them what you want done if you are no longer here.
- Consider leaving instructions in a digital will.
With this information, you can begin by writing a message to your legacy contact and explaining step by step how to carry out your wishes.