You probably have more digital accounts than you realize: email, social media, online banking, photo storage, streaming services, and perhaps shopping accounts. When the time comes, your family will need access to these accounts — and without a plan, they may face months of frustration trying to close accounts, retrieve photos, or stop recurring charges.

Why Digital Legacy Planning Matters

Your digital accounts contain irreplaceable items: decades of emails, thousands of photos, important documents, and financial records. They also contain ongoing obligations: subscriptions that charge monthly, accounts that could be compromised, and profiles that need to be memorialized or closed.

75%
of Americans have no plan for their digital accounts after death
100+
average number of online accounts per person
$240/yr
average cost of forgotten subscriptions that keep charging after death

Accounts to Address

  • Email accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook)
  • Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
  • Banking and investment accounts
  • Photo storage (Google Photos, iCloud, Amazon Photos)
  • Streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime)
  • Shopping accounts (Amazon, Walmart)
  • Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud)
  • Medical portals (MyChart, Medicare.gov)
  • Utility and service accounts

What Major Platforms Offer

Legacy Settings by Platform

PlatformLegacy FeatureWhat It DoesHow to Set Up
GoogleInactive Account ManagerShares data with chosen contacts after inactivity periodGoogle Account > Data & Privacy > Inactive Account Manager
AppleLegacy ContactGives chosen person access to iCloud dataSettings > Apple ID > Legacy Contact
FacebookLegacy Contact or MemorializationLets chosen person manage your profile or memorialize itSettings > General > Memorialization Settings
MicrosoftNext of Kin processFamily can request account access with death certificateMust be requested after death
AmazonNo formal legacy featureFamily must contact customer service to close accountContact support with death certificate

Creating Your Digital Legacy Plan

Steps to Prepare Your Digital Legacy

1
List All Your Online Accounts
Write down every account you have: the website, your username, and your password. Store this list in a secure location — a password manager, a sealed envelope in your safe, or with your attorney.
2
Set Up Legacy Contacts Where Available
Google, Apple, and Facebook all let you designate someone to access your account. Take 10 minutes to configure these settings now.
3
Write Instructions
For each account, note whether you want it closed, memorialized, or transferred. Add these instructions to your letter of intent.
4
Identify Subscriptions
List every recurring charge. Your family will need to cancel these, and they may not know which services you use.
5
Share the Plan
Tell your executor and your financial POA agent where the digital account list is stored. They will need this information.

Password Management

A password manager like 1Password or Bitwarden stores all your passwords securely behind one master password. Share the master password (and the recovery key) with your executor or financial agent. This one step saves your family from the impossible task of guessing dozens of passwords.

Your digital legacy is as real as your physical one. The photos stored in your cloud, the emails that document your relationships, and the accounts that manage your money all need a plan. Take an hour this week to create yours, and give your family the gift of clarity.