In today’s online world, social media and digital accounts are deeply woven into our daily lives. We use them to connect with friends and family, share photos, and keep a record of important moments. But what happens to these accounts after we die?
The answer depends entirely on the platform. Some platforms let you name someone in advance — often called a “Legacy Contact” — who can step in and manage limited aspects of your account after your death. Others have no advance option at all, and instead require a family member or your estate’s executor to make a request after the fact, usually with a death certificate and proof of your passing.
It’s worth understanding that these platform tools are separate from your Will. Naming a Legacy Contact on Facebook, for example, does not replace naming an executor in your Will, and a platform’s internal policy about who can access an account is not the same as a legal grant of authority under BC law. The two work best together: your Will and estate plan establish who has legal authority to act on your behalf, while a platform’s Legacy Contact or similar tool determines what that person — or anyone else you choose — can actually do within that specific account.
Below is a breakdown of what to expect from the major platforms, whether an advance option exists, and where to find the platform’s current, official instructions.
Which Platforms Let You Plan Ahead?
A few platforms allow you to designate someone in advance to manage limited parts of your account after you die. This is generally a stronger option than leaving it to chance, since it avoids your family or executor having to navigate an unfamiliar request process during an already difficult time.
- Platforms with an advance option: Facebook, Apple/iCloud, and Google.
- Platforms without an advance option: Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). On these, a family member or your executor must contact the platform after your death and provide documentation.
Facebook offers a “Legacy Contact” feature that you can set up in advance. Your Legacy Contact is a friend or family member you choose to manage certain aspects of your account once your profile has been memorialized.
Once Facebook is notified of your death, your account is memorialized — the word “Remembering” appears next to your name, and no one can log in to it. Your Legacy Contact can write a pinned post (for example, to share memorial service details), respond to new friend requests, and update your profile picture. If you’ve given permission, they can also download an archive of the photos and posts you shared. Alternatively, you can choose to have your account permanently deleted once Facebook is notified of your death, rather than memorialized.
A Legacy Contact cannot log in as you or read your private messages.
Get more information on Facebook accounts
Instagram does not currently offer an advance Legacy Contact option. Instead, after a death, anyone can request that a profile be memorialized by providing proof of death, such as a link to an obituary.
A memorialized Instagram profile shows the word “Remembering” next to the person’s name, cannot be logged into by anyone, and existing posts remain visible to their original audience. Permanent removal is more restrictive — only a verified immediate family member can request it, and Instagram requires proof of authority under local law that the requester is the lawful representative of the deceased or their estate.
Get more information on Instagram accounts
Google (Gmail, Photos, Drive, YouTube)
Google’s version of a Legacy Contact is called “Inactive Account Manager.” You can set it up in advance to designate up to 10 trusted contacts who will be notified — and optionally given access to specific data — after your account has been inactive for a set period of time (you choose the length, from three to eighteen months).
This tool isn’t specific to death; it’s based purely on inactivity. You choose in advance exactly what data each trusted contact can access (for example, Gmail, Photos, or Drive), and you can also have Google automatically delete your account after the inactivity period instead.
Get more information on Google accounts
Apple / iCloud
Apple offers a Legacy Contact feature similar to Facebook’s. You can designate one or more people in advance who will be given an “access key” — a code they’ll need, along with a copy of your death certificate, to request access to your Apple account data after you pass away.
Legacy Contacts can access photos, messages, notes, files, and device backups stored in iCloud. They cannot access anything protected by iCloud Keychain (your saved passwords and payment information), nor purchased movies, music, books, or subscriptions.
Because the access key is essential and can’t be recovered later if lost, many people choose to print a copy and store it with their estate planning documents.
Get more information on Apple or iCloud accounts
LinkedIn does not offer an advance Legacy Contact option. After a death, there are two paths depending on who is making the request:
If you are not authorized to act on behalf of the deceased’s estate, you can report the person as deceased, and LinkedIn will memorialize the profile.
If you are the executor or otherwise legally authorized to act on behalf of the estate, you can instead request that the account be closed. This requires a death certificate and a legal document showing your authority to act (such as a Grant of Probate or equivalent).
Get more information on LinkedIn accounts
X (formerly Twitter)
X does not offer an advance planning option, and unlike Facebook or Instagram, it has no memorialization feature at all. The only option available is deactivation.
X can work with a verified immediate family member, or someone authorized to act on behalf of the estate, to have an account deactivated after death. This requires a death certificate and a copy of the requester’s government-issued ID. X states plainly that it cannot provide account access to anyone, regardless of their relationship to the deceased.
For more information on X accounts, search “deceased account”
Planning Ahead
Setting up a Legacy Contact where one is available — Facebook, Apple, and Google all offer this — is one of the simplest steps you can take to make things easier for your family. For platforms without an advance option, such as Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, the best preparation is making sure your executor knows your accounts exist and has a general sense of your wishes for each one (memorialize, delete, or leave as-is).
Because platform policies change and login procedures are updated frequently, always confirm the current process directly on the platform’s own help page rather than relying on older instructions — the links above go directly to each platform’s current guidance.
For a broader look at organizing your digital accounts as part of your overall estate plan, see our full guide on digital assets and estate planning in BC.
If you need guidance on including your digital assets and online accounts in your estate plan, contact Deborah Todd Law for a consultation.
