How to sort out online accounts

Step 1: Make a list of your online accounts

You might have online or social media accounts. The information and data they hold are sometimes called digital assets.

It can be helpful to think about what you want to happen to these accounts and the assets they contain after you've died. You might like to think of managing your online accounts as like managing what happens to your physical belongings.

You can put plans in place to decide what you'd like to happen to them. Planning for this now can make things easier for those important to you to carry out your wishes and sort out your online accounts after you die.

Make a list of the online accounts you have, even the ones you use rarely. Then you'll be able to decide what you'd like to happen to them.

We've listed some online accounts you might have below.

• Music, streaming, and other media subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, newspaper subscriptions).
• Social media (Facebook, X (previously called Twitter), TikTok, Instagram).
• Professional sites (LinkedIn, Google Apps).
• Email (Gmail, Hotmail).
• Gaming accounts (Xbox network, PlayStation network, My Nintendo).
• Cloud storage services (Dropbox, Apple iCloud, Google photos).
• Accounts that hold money and currencies and assets of a financial value (gambling accounts, cryptocurrency wallets, shopping accounts).
• Smartphone or tablet apps.
• Online accounts for utility or mobile network providers.

Life Ledger is a website where you can add details about your digital accounts. This means the people dealing with your affairs can easily notify your accounts after your death. If you are receiving end of life care, this service is free. Find out more about storing your details online on the Life Ledger website.  

Step 2: Decide what you'd like to happen to each account

Online accounts and social media sites have different options for what you can do. Look at the settings, options or terms of service for each account you have.

Social media accounts

Below, we've listed some of options you might have for social media accounts.

• Memorialise a social media account so your posts and pictures can be seen by friends, but no one can make changes to it . It will stay available on the site in your memory. Instagram and Facebook have this option.
• Set up a Legacy Contact. This person can manage your account after you die but cannot create new posts or read your messages. Facebook has this option. Find out more about Facebook's 'Legacy contact' option.  
• Download photos from the account to share with others, if you want to further protect them by having copies . You could save them to a hard drive, memory stick, on another device, or send them to someone you trust.
• Deactivate an account so that it's no longer publicly available. In some cases, the information stored with the company may still be accessible in the future if someone needs it .
• Delete an account so that the account and all its contents are no longer available publicly or privately. All the information may be permanently deleted.

Read more about account options on the Digital Legacy Association website.  

Other online accounts

Other online accounts (such as email, messengers, gaming or storage accounts) might have different management options. Check with each account what you can do.

Think about if you:

• want people important to you to have access to your photos, videos or other media after you've died
• have important documents saved in your email folders that others may need
• have private information you do not want people close to you to access.

Some services (such as Apple and Google) allow you to give someone access to parts of your account after you die or when your account becomes inactive. Check with the company if they have this option.

Find out more about Apple's 'Legacy Contact' option.  

Find out more about Google's 'Inactive account manager' option.  Please note, you need to sign into your Google account to access the information in this link.

Step 3: Write your wishes down

Decide what you want to do with each account and, if you can, put these plans in place with the appropriate account provider. Wherever you decide to write down and store your wishes, it might be helpful to include:

• the name of the account (for example, Facebook, Netflix, Gmail)
• your username/ID number/email address
• what you'd like to happen to it
• details of any special digital assets (for example, photos, videos, or anything of financial value).

If you're unsure about what to include, ask a solicitor.

Find a solicitor:

• in England and Wales  
• in Northern Ireland  
• in Scotland.  

Where to write and store your wishes

You can write and store your wishes for your online accounts in two ways.

Separately - in a digital Will or other document

You might like to write down your wishes on a piece of paper. Or you can document them in a letter of wishes (sometimes called a digital Will).

It's different to a Will. It is not legally binding, but it can help people important to you find your accounts and know what your wishes are.

Writing your digital wishes down separately also protects your personal details. Your main Will might become public information after your death, so sensitive details could be seen by others.

Use a template from the Digital Legacy Association to make a digital Will.  

Store your wishes online using the MyWishes website.  

In your Will

You can add preferences for your online accounts to your main Will, which is a legal document. But sometimes the company's terms of service mean what you've asked to happen is not possible. It's best to check what your options are with each company. You'll need to update your Will if the company changes these options.

If you do not have a Will, write instructions about your online accounts and keep them in a safe place. Let someone close to you know where they can find them.

Step 4: Choose a digital executor

A digital executor is a person you choose to have access to your accounts after you die. You might want to choose someone you trust, like a friend or family member. You can appoint a solicitor as a digital executor, but this mostly happens for business-related digital assets.

You can choose more than one digital executor. And you choose which accounts they can get access to (if this is an option with the company).

In some circumstances, you might feel it is suitable to pass on your passwords. If you do, check with each account before giving someone else your password. Someone else may not be able to access your account without breaking the terms and conditions of the company.

Let your digital executor(s) know where they can find your wishes.

Step 5: Leave behind memories

Using digital accounts to create and store personal content is becoming more popular. And there's lots of digital information you can leave behind.

Some people decide they'd like to keep digital data such as photos, videos, voice recordings or digital messages for those important to them to access after they've died. The content that remains after someone has died forms part of their digital legacy. Read our blog post about how to make sure your photos, videos, playlists and social media do not get lost after you die.

You might like to think about creating and leaving a message for those important to you. For example, recording a video or voice message, or writing a letter for an important birthday or event. You could also make a music playlist from your music library. This could be comforting for those important to you after you've died.

Read more ideas about leaving behind memories.

You could store digital memories separately on an accessible device, memory stick or hard drive. Or send them to your digital executor.

MyWishes is an organisation that allows you to digitally store and share things you'd like to leave behind. Visit the MyWishes website.  

Stories for Life can interview you and record your stories to share with people important to you. Visit the Stories for Life website.  

Who can help?

Organisations like the Digital Legacy Association and MyWishes have guides that explain the options for different online accounts.

They also have free tools and templates to document your wishes for your digital accounts. You can fill these in online or offline, and print once complete.

If you are receiving care and would like help with planning ahead for your digital accounts, speak to a healthcare professional looking after you. They might be able to help you make a plan for your digital accounts and other parts of your care.

Useful websites

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