What happens to your Facebook, Instagram, Google and Apple accounts when you die?

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Short answer

Each platform has its own setting. Facebook lets you choose a legacy contact or ask for deletion. Instagram accounts can be memorialised or removed by family. Google’s Inactive Account Manager shares data with up to 10 people after 3 to 18 months of inactivity. Apple lets you add Legacy Contacts who can request access after your death.

Key facts

  • Sharing your password is usually against the platform’s terms. Use the official legacy settings instead.
  • A Facebook legacy contact can manage a memorialised profile but cannot read your messages.
  • Instagram has no legacy contact. Family can ask to memorialise or remove the account.
  • Apple Legacy Contacts need an access key plus a death certificate. Data stays available for three years after the first approved request.
  • Write down which accounts exist and what you want done with each one.

Why plan for your digital accounts?

Photos, emails, cloud files, subscriptions and social media profiles are part of modern life, and part of what we leave behind. Without planning, families can be locked out of photos, keep paying for subscriptions, or watch a profile of someone who died send birthday reminders. Most large platforms now offer settings you can use while you are alive.

Facebook: legacy contact or deletion

  • In Settings, under memorialisation, you can choose one legacy contact or ask for your account to be deleted after your death.
  • Once the account is memorialised, your legacy contact can write a pinned post, update the profile and cover photo, and respond to friend requests.
  • They cannot log in as you, read your messages or remove friends.
  • Family or friends can request memorialisation by sending proof of death through Facebook’s form.

Instagram: memorialise or remove

Instagram does not offer a legacy contact. Anyone can ask Instagram to memorialise an account by providing proof of death, such as an obituary. Memorialised accounts show “Remembering” next to the name and nobody can log in. Immediate family members can ask for the account to be removed, with documents such as a death certificate.

Google: Inactive Account Manager

  • Choose how long your account must be inactive before Google acts: between 3 and 18 months.
  • Add up to 10 people to be notified, and choose which data each one may download, such as Gmail, Photos or Drive.
  • You can also ask Google to delete the account after the waiting period.
  • Without this setting, family can still ask Google for help, but there is no guarantee of access.

Apple: Legacy Contact

  • Add one or more Legacy Contacts in your Apple Account settings. They don’t need an Apple device.
  • Each contact receives an access key. After your death they submit the key and a death certificate to Apple.
  • They can then access data such as photos, messages, notes and files for three years, after which the account is deleted.
  • Passwords in your Keychain, payment details and purchased media are not passed on.

Other accounts to think about

  • Email: often the key to every other account through password resets.
  • Phone: your family may need your phone number to receive two-factor codes. Tell your executor not to cancel it straight away.
  • Subscriptions and online shops: streaming, cloud storage, memberships.
  • myGov and online banking: family should not use your login. Institutions have their own processes for executors.
  • Crypto and digital assets: see crypto and digital assets in your estate plan.

A simple digital legacy plan

  1. List your important accounts and what you want done with each: keep, memorialise, download or delete.
  2. Turn on the legacy settings on Facebook, Google and Apple.
  3. Store recovery details and instructions securely, not in your will. A will can become a public document after probate.
  4. Tell your executor where the instructions are.

Common questions

Can my family log in to my Facebook after I die?

Not legitimately. Facebook does not give anyone your password. A legacy contact can manage a memorialised profile, but cannot log in as you or read your messages.

How do I memorialise an Instagram account?

Send Instagram a memorialisation request through its help centre, with proof of death such as an obituary or news article. Immediate family can instead request removal with documents like a death certificate.

Can I leave my social media accounts in my will?

You can state your wishes in your will, but platforms follow their own terms, and a will may become public after probate. It is better to use each platform’s legacy setting and keep instructions in a secure place.

What happens to my iCloud photos when I die?

If you added an Apple Legacy Contact, they can request access with their access key and a death certificate. Without one, family may need a court order to get access, and that is not guaranteed.

Sources and official help

These guides are general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws differ between states and territories and change over time. Speak to a solicitor or your state or territory public trustee about your situation.