What happens to social media and online accounts when someone dies

How Facebook, Instagram, Google, Apple, X and LinkedIn handle a loved one's account after death, what families can request, and what to set up now.

Most of us now leave behind thousands of photos, messages and posts spread across a dozen accounts. Each company handles death differently, and in most cases nobody, not even family, is given the password. What families can do depends heavily on what the person set up while they were alive.

Platform by platform

Facebook: legacy contacts and memorialization

A Facebook legacy contact is someone you choose to look after your profile once it's memorialized. They can pin a tribute post, update the profile and cover photos, respond to new friend requests, download a copy of what you shared (if you allowed it) and request that the account be deleted. They cannot log in as you, read your messages, or edit your old posts. If you'd rather not have a memorial at all, you can tell Facebook ahead of time to delete your account after you pass.

Instagram

Instagram, also owned by Meta, can memorialize the account of someone who has died. A memorialized profile stays up, but what people can do with it is limited. Immediate family members can ask Instagram to remove the account instead; expect to be asked for proof, such as a death certificate.

Google

Google's Inactive Account Manager is the best way to decide in advance who gets access to your photos, email and files, and whether the account should be deleted. Without it, family can submit a request about a deceased user's account. Google reviews each request and may close the account or provide some content, but it won't share passwords. Closing an account is permanent, so download what you need first if you're able to.

Apple

Apple lets you add one or more Legacy Contacts (iOS 15.2 or later). After your death, they can request access using the access key you share with them plus a death certificate. They can reach data like photos, messages, notes, files and device backups. Purchased movies, music and books aren't included, and neither are saved passwords or payment details in iCloud Keychain. Find it under Settings > your name > Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact.

X and LinkedIn

Neither offers a legacy contact. On X, an authorized estate representative or verified immediate family member can ask for the account to be deactivated, with ID and a death certificate. On LinkedIn, the executor can ask to memorialize or close the profile with a death certificate and proof of their authority. If you don't have those documents, you can still report the death with details like the person's name, profile link and an obituary.

Before you close anything: save the memories

Closing an account is often permanent. Before requesting it:

• Download photos and videos from devices you can legally access, like a shared family computer or tablet.
• Ask friends to send you photos they took with your loved one. A single group text can uncover dozens.
• Screenshot meaningful posts, comments and birthday messages on the profile.
• Keep their phone charged and safe until you've decided what to keep. Don't factory-reset it.

Email, phones and passwords

Email is the master key to most other accounts, which is why companies guard it so closely. Avoid logging into a loved one's accounts with their password unless you're sure you have the legal right to. Terms of service and laws on accessing another person's account vary. Many U.S. states have adopted a uniform law that gives executors a legal path to some digital accounts and generally honors settings the person chose in online tools like legacy contacts. An estate attorney can tell you what applies in your state.

Plan ahead: a 15-minute checklist for your own accounts

1. Facebook: choose a legacy contact, or choose deletion after death.
2. Google: set up Inactive Account Manager and pick who receives your photos and files.
3. Apple: add a Legacy Contact and print or send them the access key.
4. Password manager: use one, and check whether it offers emergency access for a trusted person.
5. Write it down: list your important accounts (not passwords) and your wishes for each, and keep it with your will or important papers.
6. Choose a home for your memories: put the photos and videos that matter most where your family can find them, like a Memory Stamp page.

Policies change, so check each company's help center for the latest steps. This guide is general information, not legal advice.