how to access social media accounts after death

Who Can Access Social Media Accounts After My Death?

Legacy Contacts: The Easy Way to Access Social Media Accounts After Death

Remember the days when losing your phone meant losing all your photos, phone numbers, notes, and other memories??

Well, have you ever thought about what would happen to all the data on your phone if you were to pass away? If your family members don’t know your passwords to your phone, computer, or social media accounts, they could be bombarded with well-meaning but heartbreaking messages. Fortunately, estate planning attorneys are always thinking ahead. Here’s how to help your family access your social media accounts after death using legacy contacts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What Is a Legacy Contact?

A legacy contact is a person you designate to manage your online accounts and digital presence after you pass away. Most social media and sharing platforms allow you to appoint a digital successor who can access your photos, posts, and other data. The legacy contact’s permissions vary by platform, but generally allow them to either memorialize your account (such as on Facebook) or close it.

We’re about to give you the instructions for how to do this for yourself. Ready?

What If I Don’t Name a Legacy Contact for My Social Accounts?

Setting up a legacy contact ensures your internet presence is handled according to your wishes, preventing potential confusion or complications for your loved ones. If you never gave permission to a legacy contact during your lifetime, your loved ones will have to take several steps before being able to access your social media accounts after death. For example, they may need to:

  • Get a copy of the death certificate from the county clerk’s office (each platform will likely require its own copy as proof of your passing).
  • Get a letter of testamentary from the probate court to prove they have the legal right to handle matters concerning your estate
  • Reach out to each institution and find out their process for accessing the accounts of deceased users.

All of the above carries additional costs, delays, and heartache for grieving families. The good news? You can set your legacy contact on most major platforms in minutes, and it costs nothing.

We’re about to give you the instructions for how to do this for yourself. Ready?

Setting Your iPhone Legacy Contact with Apple ID

Note: Your Apple ID legacy contact can only access certain data. Any subscriptions, media, or data stored in your Keychain (like passwords and payment information) is off limits to legacy contacts.

Ensure that the contact you want to appoint as your legacy contact is in your address book and that all their information is current and correct. Once you have confirmed that their information is correct:

  • Go to Settings, then tap on your name.
  • Select Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact > Add Legacy Contact.
  • Follow the on-screen steps to add your contact.
  • You’ll be prompted to share an access key with the contact you have chosen by 1) Sending your legacy contact an invite through iMessage or 2) Printing out the access key.
  • If you decide to send it via iMessage, you can personalize the message to include additional information. The recipient will receive a link that will take them to a prompt for them to confirm that they are to be a legacy contact.
  • Once they have confirmed, you will receive an email showing they are a legacy contact.

Setting a Google Legacy Contact

If you have an Android phone or use Google Workplace tools, your Google account significantly influences your online identity. If you saved bills such as a home mortgage or financial statements on your Gmail or Google Drive, this access is crucial for your loved one after your death.

Google will work with next-of-kin who have permission to access your account. However, they will not supply passwords for any reason. To make it easier to access your Google account for your loved one, you can set up access to your accounts by using Inactive Account Manager. This will notify your trusted contacts and allow them access if your account is inactive for a certain amount of time.

The most straightforward way to access your Android phone is to leave your password with your loved one or let them know how to access the password in a legal document such as a Will.

How to Set a Legacy Contact on Facebook

When someone dies, their Facebook page becomes a memorial of their memory where friends and family pay tribute to them. You can nominate a legacy contact in Facebook settings to manage your memorialized account with limited access. 

  • Click on your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
  • Select Settings and Privacy > Settings.
  • On the left, click Accounts Center.
  • Under Account Settings, Click Personal Details > Account ownership and control.
  • Click Memorialization and select your account. Click Next.
  • Type your legacy contact’s name and click on their profile picture.
  • Select whether to give your legacy contact download permission.
  • Click Save.

To let your friend know that they’re now your legacy contact, click Send or click Skip if you don’t want to notify them.

If you decide not to nominate someone as your legacy contact and Facebook becomes aware of your death, they will automatically memorialize your page. Facebook will also add a Remembering label on your profile for your friends and family to be aware of your passing. 

LinkedIn Legacy Settings

LinkedIn has no pre-planning tools, but it allows its member profiles to be memorialized. LinkedIn will automatically add an In Remembrance label to a member’s profile if a member is reported as deceased. Once an account is memorialized, it is locked.

LinkedIn will not disclose any information to anyone, including family members, for any reason. If families supply the required information and legal documentation, they can request to close the account. If an account is marked to be deleted then, it can take up to 30 days to completely delete the data from the LinkedIn program. 

Social Media Is Only the Tip Of the Iceberg 

Remember: this only covers next-of-kin access to social media accounts after death. If you have other digital assets, such as virtual real estate, Paypal balances, YouTube channels, or e-commerce shops like Etsy, these will also need to be liquidated or transferred to new owners.

We’re happy to discuss the next steps to protect your family from heartache. It’s never too early to start planning for the future! Email Yolofsky Law at [email protected] today or schedule a 15-minute call to get started.

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