Digital Accounts After a Death

Most of us leave behind email, photos, bank accounts, subscriptions and social media. Without a plan, families can be locked out of important records, or left open to identity theft. A little preparation helps your loved ones in a hard time.

• Families
• Executors
• Everyone

If you are planning ahead

• Make a list of your important accounts: email, phone, banks, insurance, utilities, subscriptions, cloud photos, social media and online stores
• Use a password manager and tell a trusted person how to get into it, or leave sealed instructions with your will. See Password Managers
• Set up legacy options offered by services. Many let you name a legacy contact or an inactive account manager who can access or delete data
• Keep recovery phone numbers and emails current
• Back up photos and files in more than one place. See Backups
• Tell your executor and put digital wishes in writing, or in your will, as the law in your area allows. See Insurance & Important Documents

Do not put passwords directly into a will, which can become public. Use a secure method.

If a loved one has died

1. Get several copies of the death certificate. Many companies ask for one.
2. Find the list of accounts, or check mail, bank statements and the phone for clues.
3. Do not log in as them if you are not authorized; it may breach terms of service or law. Contact each company about its process for deceased users.
4. Ask email and cloud providers about their deceased user procedures. Rules vary. Some allow access with a court order or by an executor.
5. On social media, you may be able to memorialize or delete the account.
6. Cancel subscriptions and automatic payments.
7. Notify the credit bureaus of the death to help prevent identity theft. See Identity Theft.

Watch for scams

• Scammers read obituaries and may call or email about "debts" or "prizes" for the dead. Do not send money or personal details. See Phone Scams and Elder Fraud.
• Do not share the person's Social Security number except with verified institutions.
• Be careful with tools that claim to "recover" accounts for a fee.

Last updated: October 8, 2026