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To preserve someone’s online stories, make a list of where they live, decide what the person wants saved or kept private, export chosen material while they can still access it, and keep checked copies in more than one place. Treat platform legacy features as limited, service-specific tools—not as a complete family archive or permission to read and share everything.
What belongs in a digital legacy?
A digital legacy is the collection of online accounts and digital files that may matter to the people a person leaves behind. It can include public posts, photographs, videos, personal websites, drafts, documents, and the context that helps others understand them. The Library of Congress notes that a blog, website, social-media page, or other online presence can be a rich source of information worth saving for the future (Library of Congress guidance on personal web content).
Start by locating material, not by assuming that a social profile tells the whole story. The Library of Congress recommends finding websites and personal digital records before deciding what to retain (Library of Congress: Personal Archiving).
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- Email and cloud-storage accounts.
- Social profiles, personal websites, blogs, and online portfolios.
- Photo and video libraries, including older uploads and drafts.
- Computers, phones, removable drives, and other local storage.
- Documents or creative projects held in apps or services.
For each location, note the account or device, who can currently access it, and what kinds of stories or records it contains. Include older versions and drafts when they add context missing from a final post or file.
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Decide what to save, share, and keep private
The account holder should choose which material has lasting value and who, if anyone, may see it. One person might want family photos shared with relatives, personal writing preserved for one trusted contact, and private conversations left unread. Record these preferences clearly and separately from technical access instructions.
Being able to reach an account does not automatically mean a person has permission to publish, read, or distribute everything in it. Some content may be private, and platform features can restrict access to it. For example, Meta has said that Facebook legacy contacts cannot read the deceased person’s private messages; check Facebook’s current help information because the cited feature announcement is from 2015 (Meta’s 2015 legacy contact announcement).
Export chosen stories into a family archive
An account is not an archive. A profile can be memorialized, become inaccessible, or change under a platform’s policies. Export the material the account holder wants preserved while they can still access and select it. Save useful stories, photographs, posts, documents, and relevant metadata as files the family can retain independently.
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Give files descriptive names and arrange them in a simple folder structure. Keep a short inventory explaining what each folder contains, where the files came from, and relevant dates. For web material, the Library of Congress recommends retaining details such as the site name and date created, along with a brief description of the files and directory structure (Library of Congress guidance on personal web content).
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Keep a copy of the archive inventory with important papers in a secure place, and tell the intended contact where to find it. Instructions should explain where access keys or credentials are stored without exposing them unnecessarily.
Keep separate copies and check that they still work
The Library of Congress advises making at least two copies of selected information, preferably on separate media and in different locations. A computer and a portable hard drive can be part of a plan; cloud storage may add another copy, but should not be the only location if relatives need access independent of the account holder’s online account. Store the copies as far apart as practical to reduce the chance that one event affects them all.
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Open files at least once a year to check that they remain readable. The Library of Congress recommends making new media copies every five years or when necessary to reduce the risk of data loss (Library of Congress guidance on personal web content; Library of Congress: Personal Archiving). These intervals are maintenance prompts, not a guarantee that any storage device will last that long.
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Services use different mechanisms: an access key and proof of death, a nominated contact for a memorialized profile, or a trigger based on inactivity. Their rules determine who can request access, what data may be shared, and whether the account remains online or is removed. None should be treated as a substitute for an independent archive.
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| Service or approach | How access is initiated | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Legacy Contact | The named contact uses an access key and must provide required legal documentation. | May provide access to certain Apple Account data after death. Some end-to-end encrypted data may remain inaccessible; documentation requirements vary by country or region. See Apple Support: How to add a Legacy Contact for your Apple Account. |
| Facebook legacy contact | A contact is designated to manage a memorialized profile under Facebook’s feature rules. | Meta’s 2015 announcement described limited profile management and an optional archive of shared photos, posts, and profile information. It said the contact cannot log in as the deceased or read private messages. Check current Facebook help for present permissions: Meta’s 2015 announcement. |
| Google Inactive Account Manager | The Associated Press’s October 23, 2024 explainer describes an inactivity-based option for notifying contacts and sharing selected data. | Exact current controls, timing, and menu paths are not established here. Check Google’s live settings and help documentation; the AP explainer is a dated overview, not a current settings reference: Associated Press: preparing online accounts. |
Apple: nominate a contact and preserve the access key
Apple says Legacy Contact is a way to give a trusted person access to certain data in an Apple Account after the account holder dies (Apple Support). The contact needs the access key and required documentation, and some encrypted data may not be available. Keep the key with estate instructions in a place the named person can locate; verify the country- or region-specific documentation requirements with Apple.
Facebook: distinguish memorialization from a full account handover
Meta’s 2015 announcement described a limited role for a legacy contact, including managing certain profile features and, if authorized, downloading an archive of shared photos, posts, and profile information. It explicitly ruled out logging in as the deceased or viewing private messages (Meta’s 2015 announcement). Meta later announced a Tributes section and additional controls for legacy contacts (Meta’s 2019 memorialization update). These announcements are dated, so confirm current choices and permissions in Facebook’s help material. Meta reported in 2019 that more than 30 million people viewed memorialized profiles each month; that is a company-reported figure from that year, not a current usage estimate (Meta’s 2019 announcement).
Google: check the live settings rather than relying on a remembered menu path
The Associated Press described Google’s Inactive Account Manager in an October 23, 2024 account-planning explainer as a way to notify contacts and share selected data after inactivity (Associated Press explainer). Check Google’s current settings and help before relying on particular controls or timing.
Make the plan findable and revisit it
A digital legacy plan is useful only if the chosen person can find the instructions and the copies. Store the archive summary and access instructions securely, tell the trusted contact where they are, and keep sensitive keys or passwords out of documents that are broadly accessible. Revisit the inventory, contact details, platform preferences, and stored copies periodically; accounts and storage arrangements change.
Access rights after death can depend on local law and the service’s requirements. Apple itself notes that required documentation differs across countries and regions (Apple Support); the applicable rules elsewhere depend on jurisdiction. Where legal authority is uncertain, consult an appropriate local professional rather than assuming that being a relative or named contact grants unrestricted account access.
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