Planning access to your digital accounts after death

01

Create a useful account inventory

List important email, storage, social, subscription and professional accounts. Record their purpose, the official support route and whether they contain records someone may need. Keep this inventory protected and separate from a public biography or shared social post.

For example, family photographs, client correspondence and a business domain may all be connected to one email address but require different handling. Do not assume that one trusted person should receive every category of information.

02

Set preferences through official tools

Google's Inactive Account Manager allows selected notifications or data sharing after a chosen period of inactivity. Facebook's legacy-contact model has defined limits; Meta explains that the contact cannot log in as the deceased person or read private messages.

Avoid treating a password list as a complete succession plan. Technical access alone does not resolve authority, confidentiality or the wishes of other people whose information appears in the account.

• Review the options offered by each individual service.
• Choose the intended person and appropriate scope of information.
• Record whether your preference is preservation, sharing or closure.
• Tell the trusted person where your instructions are kept.
• Revisit choices after major family or professional changes.

03

Make the plan understandable to the next person

Use plain language to describe the intended outcome and where to find official instructions. Identify any business accounts that need an organizational handover instead of personal inheritance. Keep legal documents and platform settings consistent through appropriate professional advice.

Review the inventory periodically. A contact who no longer uses the listed email address may miss an important notification, and an old plan may omit a newly important account.

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