Legacy Settings
Online profiles and accounts form what is known as a "digital legacy."
Social media accounts often say in their terms and conditions that they are private and can't be shared.
Because of this, some social media companies and internet service providers have set up tools that let the account owner choose how the account can be accessed in the event of incapacity or death.
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to use legacy tools on some popular websites. It doesn't take long! There may be changes from time to time, so if you see any new steps, please let us know at so we can update the details.
Facebook offers the account holder three legacy options:
- Have your account permanently deleted when you die.
- Memorialise your account and appoint a Legacy Contact. They must have a Facebook account to manage the memorialised account, but the functionality available to them is limited.
- Set up a new tribute section, where friends and family can share posts on a separate page. (This is not yet available in all countries).
How to use
If you want to have your account permanently deleted on your death, follow the process below:
- In the drop-down menu on your account, click on ‘Settings & Privacy’.
- Scroll down and click ‘Settings’.
- Once under ‘General Account Settings’, click on ‘Memorialization Settings’ and select Edit
- Tap ‘Delete Account After Death’, select ‘Yes, Delete After Death’ and click ‘Save’.
What happens if you do nothing?
Currently, if you don’t use any of Facebook’s legacy tools then Facebook’s default is to memorialise the account:
The word ‘remembering’ will appear next to the user’s handle. You have the option to allow friends and family to share posts on your memorialised timeline. Facebook won’t serve a memorialised profile in the birthday reminders or people you may know features. The account is locked and no one can log in. If there is no legacy contact appointed, a loved one will need to notify Facebook by completing a ‘Request to Memorialise Form’.
Further details can be found here.
There are no legacy tools available during the life of the Instagram account holder and when the account holder passes away, there are only two options for the account either memorialisation or deletion.
How to use
For Memorialisation a person authorised to act on behalf of the estate or a verified immediate family member must submit a request for the account to be memorialised. The applicant will need to provide the full name and Instagram handle of the deceased person, and a copy of the death certificate.
What happens if you do nothing?
Currently, the only alternative to Memorialisation is deletion and an authorised person must complete a form called the ‘Removal Request for Deceased Person’ on Instagram. They must provide proof of death in order to have an account permanently deleted. Alternatively, the account will remain frozen and inaccessible.
Further details can be found here.
Apple
Apple offers a legacy tool called Legacy Contact that allows a nominated contact access to your Apple account after you have died. The device must have iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 or macOS 12.1 and later versions.
How to use
- Open ‘Settings’.
- Tap your name.
- Select ‘Password & Security’.
- Click on ‘Legacy Contact’.
- Tap ‘Add Legacy Contact’, then ‘Add Legacy Contact’ again. You may be required to authenticate yourself at this point. If you are in a Family Sharing group, you can select another group member as your contact, or you can tap ‘Choose Someone Else’. If you aren’t in a Family Sharing group, or you chose someone else, select someone from the list of contacts. Tap the email or mobile phone number of the contact to select it.
- On the ‘Access to Your Digital Legacy’ screen, read the notification, then tap ‘Continue’.
- Select either to ‘Send a Message’ to the contact containing an access key, or to ‘Print a Copy’ of the access key to share manually or add to your estate planning documentation.
What happens if you do nothing?
Currently, if a Legacy Contact has not been nominated then no one has access to the account and it will ultimately be deleted after Apple’s retention policy has lapsed due to an unpaid iCloud account. If your loved ones wanted to access your account, they would have to obtain a court order.
Further details can be found here.
Google’s legacy tool is Inactive Account Manager and you can:
- Decide when Google should consider the account inactive;
- Choose up to ten people to notify if your Google account becomes inactive;
- Choose which data your trusted contacts get access to, and
- Decide if your inactive account should be deleted.
How to use
- Access Inactive Account Manager from the Accounts page – or use this link.
- Click ‘Start’. This shows a page reading ‘Plan what happens to your data if you can’t use your Google Account any more’. It asks you how long to wait before putting your plan into action. You must give Google a mobile phone number where a warning text message can be sent before your account is marked as inactive. You can also give another email address that is associated with the account.
- You can then choose up to 10 people for Google to notify via email if your Google account becomes inactive. You are also given the option of setting up AutoReply to inform anyone that you are no longer using this account.
- The next window offers you the chance to decide if your inactive Google Account should be deleted.
- You will be asked to review your plan before confirming.
What happens if you do nothing?
If the account holder has not set up Google Inactive Account Manager, the executor of the estate may need a court order to obtain the account holder’s data.
Further details can be found here.
Twitter does not offer any legacy tools. In the event of the death of an account holder, Twitter will work with a person authorised to act on behalf of the estate or with a verified immediate family member of the deceased to have the account deactivated.
How to use
The applicant will need to provide the following information:
- The username of the deceased user’s Twitter account (e.g. @username or twitter.com/username).
- A copy of the death certificate.
- Proof of identification.
- A signed statement including first and last name, email address, contact information, relationship to the deceased user or their estate, action requested (e.g. ‘please deactivate the Twitter account’), and a brief description of the details that evidence this account belonged to the deceased, if the name on the account does not match the name on death certificate.
What happens if you do nothing?
Currently, if this option is not used, the account will remain live for six months before being deleted due to inactivity.
Further details can be found here.
LinkedIn does not currently have tools that allow someone to decide what will happen to their account when they die.
What to do?
If you have the authority to act, you will need to contact LinkedIn and provide a range of information.
What happens if you do nothing?
The account will remain active until LinkedIn has been advised that the account holder is deceased and then the account will be hidden.
Further details can be found here.