How to Create a Digital Legacy Plan for Your Online Accounts

Learn how to inventory your online accounts, choose legacy contacts, and give loved ones clear, legal access to your digital life.

Why a Digital Legacy Plan Matters

Most of us carry our lives inside our phones and laptops — photos, banking, subscriptions, social media, and years of email. That convenience comes with a hidden cost: when we pass away or become incapacitated, our loved ones often can't get in. Passwords, two-factor authentication, and strict privacy laws were built to keep strangers out — but they don't know the difference between a hacker and a grieving spouse.

As one estate-planning resource put it, the average person under 70 has more than 160 online accounts, and the prospect of wading through online passwords and navigating account settings pages for social media profiles may seem overwhelming and tedious. Without a plan, relying on a phone is a risky strategy that often fails, since a locked phone may not open at all, and even if family members get in, two-factor authentication requiring specific apps or secondary emails can leave them trapped with no way to reset credentials.

A digital legacy plan closes that gap. It's a simple, organized way to document your online presence, decide what should happen to each account, and give someone you trust the tools and authority to carry out your wishes.

Understanding the Law: What Happens to Accounts Without a Plan

Many families assume a spouse or executor can simply log in and handle things. That's not how it works. An executor does not automatically gain access to all of the deceased person's online accounts unless the deceased person has provided specific consent.

In the United States, most states have adopted a model law called the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA). RUFADAA provides the executor of an estate, or an attorney, with access to someone's online accounts after death or incapacitation, extending the power traditionally given to executors managing tangible assets to digital assets as well.

RUFADAA creates a clear order of priority for who controls your accounts:

1. Platform tools you set up yourself. First priority goes to directions you provided using online tools offered by the custodian, such as Google's Inactive Account Manager or Facebook's legacy contact settings.
2. Your legal documents. Second priority goes to directions in your will, trust, power of attorney, or other legal documents specifically addressing digital assets.
3. The platform's terms of service. Third priority defaults to the service provider's terms of service if you provided no other directions.

This hierarchy matters because platform-provided tools like Google's Inactive Account Manager or Facebook's Legacy Contact take absolute priority over all other instructions, including wills and terms of service — so if you set Google's Inactive Account Manager to delete your account, that instruction will be followed regardless of what your will says. In other words, the settings you configure today on your actual accounts often carry more legal weight than what's written in your estate documents. Both pieces need to work together.

Step 1: Take Inventory of Your Digital Assets

You can't plan for what you haven't identified. Start by listing every account and asset that matters, including:

• Email accounts (primary and secondary)
• Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X)
• Cloud storage and photos (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox)
• Financial and shopping accounts, PayPal, and cryptocurrency wallets
• Subscriptions (streaming, software, domain names)
• Devices themselves — phones, laptops, tablets

Making a list of the digital accounts you own can help your loved ones protect your memories as well as your estate and identity, so be thorough with your inventory and include as many assets as possible. As you go, review the service agreement for each account in case there are measures you must take to ensure others can use your access after you die.

Step 2: Decide What Should Happen to Each Account

For every account, ask: should it be preserved, archived, memorialized, or deleted? Outline your wishes by listing your intentions for each asset or account — should your social media accounts be deleted immediately, or should the contents be archived? Writing this down prevents guesswork and disagreement among family members later.

Step 3: Set Up Legacy Tools on Your Actual Accounts

Because platform settings override even your will, this step is essential — not optional.

Google. Google's Inactive Account Manager, found at myaccount.google.com/inactive, lets you set an inactivity window of 3, 6, 12, or 18 months, list up to ten people, and choose exactly which data each of them receives.

Apple. You can set an Apple Legacy Contact under Settings > [Your Name] > Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact, giving someone an access key they use after your death to request your data. Keep in mind that legacy contacts will not be able to access information saved in Keychain, like passwords, or payment information saved on Apple Pay.

Facebook/Meta. Facebook's Legacy Contact is set up under Settings, then Memorialization Settings, where you pick a friend — or choose Delete Account instead if you'd rather the account be removed after you die. A designated contact has limited powers: a Legacy Contact can write a pinned post, update profile and cover photos, and request removal of the account, but cannot read private messages or remove past posts or friends.

Other platforms. Not every service offers these tools yet. Legacy contacts are a relatively new tool, and many online accounts — Microsoft, Yahoo, Instagram, and Twitter, for example — do not yet have a legacy contact process; some, like Microsoft, don't provide any way to access an account after a person passes away, while others will deactivate or delete an account once they receive appropriate proof of death.

Step 4: Secure Passwords the Right Way

Never store passwords in your will. Do not include your passwords or other digital asset access information in your will, because when you die your will becomes a public document that anyone can read, including any sensitive information it contains.

Instead, use a dedicated password manager. A password manager with an emergency access feature, like 1Password, Bitwarden, or LastPass, ensures trusted contacts can get in if something happens. Store the master password or emergency key separately and securely, and let your named contact or executor know where to find it.

Step 5: Name a Digital Executor and Align Your Legal Documents

Consider appointing someone specifically to manage your online life, separate from your general estate executor if needed. A digital executor is a person you name to manage your online life after you pass away, handling tasks like closing social media profiles, downloading family photos, and managing digital subscriptions — you need one because a traditional executor may not have the technical skills or legal authority to bypass tech companies' security measures.

Then make sure your formal estate documents reference your digital plan. Coordinate the details of your digital estate plan with your formal will; to avoid confusion, your will should refer to your digital estate plan and appoint a personal representative to manage your digital accounts and assets after your death.

Step 6: Share, Store, and Revisit Your Plan

A plan no one can find isn't much of a plan. Choose who will have access to your digital accounts and documents, provide a copy to the executor of your estate, and share a copy with loved ones or friends if you choose — if there are accounts you want left to specific people, inform them directly.

Finally, revisit your plan periodically. New accounts appear, old ones close, and platform tools change their features. Treat your digital legacy plan the way you would any other important document — reviewed and updated as your life evolves.

Preserving What Matters Most

Beyond passwords and settings, a digital legacy plan is ultimately about preserving connection. The accounts, photos, and messages you leave behind often carry more emotional weight than financial value. Taking the time now to organize your digital life — and to think intentionally about the voice, stories, and memories you want to leave for the people you love — is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give your family.

A Final Note

Digital estate planning touches on evolving state laws, platform policies, and sometimes tax or financial considerations. This article is educational and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice.