What happens to my Facebook account when I die?
By Erin McCune . May 17, 2021
Ten or twenty years ago this would have been a strange question but now many of us are spending more time connecting virtually these days, sharing photos, stories, and memories on social media. So, what happens to your legacy and followers when you pass away; and what precautions do you and your next of kin need to take.
The site with the most options today is Facebook, which allows you to designate a legacy contact. When Facebook becomes aware that you’ve passed away, your account will automatically become Memorialized, which changes your name to reflect that your page is “remembering” you, and no one can log in directly to your account. Your named legacy contact will be able to make certain changes:
- Pin a tribute post to the profile
- Change the profile photo and cover photo
- Respond to new friend requests (they cannot remove friends)
- Untag photos of you
- Decide who can see and post tributes
How do you designate a Facebook legacy contact? Visit Settings & Privacy > Settings > Memorialization Settings > (Choose your friend) > Add > Send (to notify them)
Getting Organized
Not surprisingly, the best thing you can do is designate a digital executor, someone responsible for your online life when you’re no longer there. However, social media platforms vary dramatically in how much control you can have over your digital estate.
As you’ve seen here, access to many social media sites will depend on your loved ones having access to their usernames & passwords. Providing clear and updated instructions is now more important than ever. Don’t accidentally lock your loved ones out of your online life! Fill out our Legacy Worksheet and appoint your Digital Executor today with Easeeent.com!
Author
Rachel Sommer
Related Posts
Book Review: Digital Asset Entanglement: Unraveling the Intersection of Estate Laws and Technology
I have friends that own an escape room. They put you in a themed room and give you a short introduction, then you have to figure out a series of clues to “escape” the room before the time runs out. Along the way, you have to search the room to find clues, opening everything that […]
20 Positive Death Quotes – including the “secret” Betty White now knows.
Death is often listed as people’s top fear, and yet many of the wisest people don’t fear death at all. In fact, they approach death with humor, good spirits, even a sense of expectation. Here are 20 quotes about death from authors, celebrities, and philosophers, framing death as a positive (or at least not a […]
How to Write a Great Obituary That Prevents Identity Theft
Obituaries are meant to celebrate your loved one’s life, not be an excuse for identity theft! However, the sad truth about obituaries is that they’re often the source of valuable information in the hands of thieves looking to commit identity theft after someone has passed away. In fact, 2.5 million identities are stolen post-death every […]
How to Connect with Your Parents using “36 questions to fall in love”
So many families are disappointed after the matriarch or patriarch of the family passes away, because they wish they would have captured more of their legacy through stories. Although it can be hard to think about losing your parents or grandparents, you’ll be more disappointed if you don’t take the time to capture their history […]
How to manage an Apple ID after death
Almost anyone that uses an Apple device such as an iPhone or Mac has an Apple ID. Given the importance of digital devices in our daily lives, these accounts often contain important information about ourselves. If something happens to you, what happens to this data? In this article, we’ll answer these questions about managing your […]
3 Tips on How to Digitize & Organize Photos and Record Memories
Many of us have some physical photos, along with an ever-increasing number of digital photos. Most of us also have a social media presence, and may want to store memories and stories to pass on to our loved ones. Here are three simple tips on how to organize photos and record memories. NOTE: we have […]
4 Tips to Prevent Identity Theft After Death
Preventing identity theft is always a concern for those alive and well. But what about those who have passed away? Identify theft of dead people is surprisingly common, ID Analytics reported that 2.5 million deceased Americans’ identities are misused each year. Criminals have even been known to file tax returns on behalf of the deceased, […]
7 Tips for Leaving Cryptocurrency to your next-of-kin in your will
Even though cryptocurrency is fairly new, it’s taken the world by storm. Finder reports that about 23% of adults now own digital currency, and more people are adding it to their financial plans. Given the growing value of cryptocurrency, it’s important to think about how to properly plan for it in your estate planning. Recent […]
5 things to know about Apple’s new Digital Legacy feature
Updated on December 14, 2021: Digital Legacy functionality is now live! At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2021, one of the new features announced for iOS 15 (available on iPad and on macOS Monterey) is Digital Legacy, the ability to select a Legacy Contact. Although the feature only received 14 seconds of airtime in the keynote, […]
Would you have a Death Picnic?
The early 19th century birthed what is called the park cemetery movement. Now the trend is resurfacing.
One thought on “What happens to my Facebook account when I die?”
Comments are closed.