Handling a Loved One’s Digital Accounts After Death

The Growing Challenge of Digital Estates

The average American dies with roughly 100 online accounts active — email, Facebook, Instagram, Google Drive, Netflix, Spotify, a Coinbase wallet, a LastPass vault, a $12/month newsletter they signed up for in 2019 and forgot about. Each is governed by a terms-of-service contract the deceased agreed to, and those contracts often restrict what happens at death. RUFADAA (the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act) has been adopted by nearly every state and creates a three-tier priority: the user's own platform tools first, estate planning documents second, terms of service last.

The average American has approximately 100 online accounts, according to password management studies. Each of these accounts is governed by a terms of service agreement that the deceased accepted when they created the account—and those terms often restrict what happens after death.

Some platforms delete accounts after a period of inactivity. Others memorialize them.

A few allow designated contacts to access limited information. Understanding the legal framework and the platform-specific policies is essential for executors who need to manage these digital assets.

This guide covers what counts as a digital asset, the legal framework governing fiduciary access to digital accounts, platform-specific policies for the major tech companies, and practical steps for managing a loved one’s digital life. For a more technical treatment focused on the legal and tax aspects, see our attorney-focused guide on digital assets in probate.

What Counts as a Digital Asset

Digital assets encompass a broad and growing category of property. Email accounts (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) may contain important communications, financial records, and sentimental messages.

Social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok) have both emotional value (photos, memories) and potential financial value (monetized accounts with followers). Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud) may hold documents, photos, and videos that exist nowhere else.

Financial digital assets include online banking portals, investment platform accounts, PayPal and Venmo balances, cryptocurrency wallets (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.), NFTs, and domain names. Some of these may hold significant monetary value.

Cryptocurrency is particularly challenging because it is typically secured by a private key—a long string of random characters—and if the private key is lost, the cryptocurrency is permanently inaccessible. There is no “forgot password” option for blockchain-based assets.

Subscription services (Netflix, Spotify, Amazon Prime, gym memberships, software licenses) are also digital assets, though they typically have no resale value and simply need to be canceled to stop ongoing charges. Online businesses (e-commerce stores, content creator accounts, affiliate marketing programs) may have significant value and require active management to preserve. Digital photos, music libraries, and e-book collections have sentimental value but are typically governed by license agreements that may or may not transfer upon death.

The Legal Framework: RUFADAA and Your Rights as Executor

The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) is the primary law governing executor access to digital accounts. As of 2024, nearly all states have adopted some version of RUFADAA. The law creates a three-tiered priority system for determining who can access a deceased person’s digital accounts: first, the user’s own directions through an online tool (like Google’s Inactive Account Manager); second, the user’s estate planning documents (will or trust); third, the platform’s terms of service.

Under RUFADAA, an executor with letters testamentary can request access to a “catalogue” of the deceased’s digital assets (a list of accounts and communications, but not the content of communications) from a platform provider. To access the actual content of electronic communications (email messages, private social media messages), the executor generally needs either a court order or explicit authorization in the deceased’s will or trust. This distinction between “catalogue” and “content” is crucial and frequently misunderstood.

Many estate planning attorneys now include a “digital assets” provision in wills and trusts that explicitly authorizes the executor or trustee to access all digital accounts and their content. If the deceased’s will was created before RUFADAA was enacted (or before digital assets became a standard estate planning concern), it may not include this authorization.

In that case, the executor may need a court order to access certain types of content. Consult a probate attorney about your specific rights. For more information, see our guide on what to do when someone dies.

Platform-Specific Policies: Google, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft

Google offers the most proactive approach to digital estate management through its Inactive Account Manager. Users can designate trusted contacts who will receive access to specified data if the account becomes inactive for a set period (3 to 18 months).

If the deceased set up the Inactive Account Manager, the designated contacts will receive notification and access automatically. If not, family members can submit a request to Google for access, but the process is lengthy (often 3 to 6 months) and Google may deny access to the content of emails, providing only account closure.

Facebook offers two options: memorialization and account deletion. A memorialized account displays “Remembering” next to the person’s name, and a legacy contact (if one was designated) can manage certain aspects of the memorialized profile.

If the deceased designated a legacy contact, that person can post tribute messages, update the profile picture, and request account deletion. They cannot read private messages or remove existing posts. If no legacy contact was designated, immediate family members can request memorialization or account deletion by providing proof of death.

Apple introduced Legacy Contact in iOS 15.2, allowing users to designate someone who can access their Apple ID data after death. If the deceased set up a Legacy Contact, that person can request access using the access key Apple provides and a death certificate.

If no Legacy Contact was designated, family members must obtain a court order to access iCloud data. Microsoft offers a Next of Kin process for Outlook.com and other Microsoft accounts: family members can request account closure and receive a DVD of the account’s content (emails, OneDrive files), but the process requires a death certificate, proof of relationship, and can take several months.

Accessing Accounts Without Passwords

If the deceased used a password manager (LastPass, 1Password, Dashlane, Bitwarden), accessing it provides the keys to nearly everything. Many password managers have an emergency access or legacy contact feature that allows a designated person to request access after a waiting period. If you know which password manager the deceased used, check whether this feature was enabled. If you have access to the deceased’s devices (phone, laptop), the password manager may still be logged in.

If there is no password manager, check the deceased’s devices for saved passwords. Browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox) store passwords that can be accessed through the browser’s settings if the device is unlocked. Phones may store passwords in the operating system’s keychain (Apple Keychain, Google Password Manager). If the device is locked, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance—Apple, for example, requires a court order to unlock a deceased person’s device unless a Legacy Contact was set up.

For accounts where you have no access at all, contact the platform directly and follow their deceased account holder process. You will typically need a certified death certificate, proof of your relationship to the deceased (or letters testamentary if you are the executor), and the deceased’s identifying information (full name, email address, username). Be patient—the process can take weeks to months, and platforms err on the side of privacy, which means they may deny access even to legitimate executors in some circumstances.

Cryptocurrency and NFTs: Unique Challenges

Cryptocurrency is arguably the most challenging digital asset in estate administration. Unlike bank accounts or brokerage accounts, there is no institution you can call with a death certificate and letters testamentary to gain access.

Cryptocurrency is controlled by private keys—long strings of random characters—and whoever controls the private key controls the cryptocurrency. If the deceased stored their private key in a hardware wallet (a physical USB-like device), on a piece of paper, or in a password manager, you need to find it. If the private key is lost, the cryptocurrency is gone forever.

If the deceased used a cryptocurrency exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance, Gemini) rather than self-custody, the process is somewhat similar to accessing a traditional financial account. You can contact the exchange’s estate services department with a death certificate and letters testamentary to gain access to the account.

The exchange will verify your authority and either transfer the assets to the estate’s account or liquidate them. Coinbase, for example, has a specific process for deceased account holders that typically takes two to four weeks.

The tax implications of inherited cryptocurrency are significant. Cryptocurrency is treated as property for federal tax purposes, and inherited crypto receives a stepped-up basis to its fair market value on the date of death.

This can be a substantial benefit if the deceased purchased Bitcoin at $500 and it was worth $50,000 at death. However, determining the date-of-death value requires documenting the cryptocurrency’s price on a specific exchange at a specific time, which can be complicated if the deceased held multiple types of cryptocurrency. Work with a CPA who has cryptocurrency experience to ensure proper reporting.

Canceling Subscriptions and Closing Unnecessary Accounts

After addressing the high-priority digital accounts (financial accounts, email, cloud storage with unique photos), turn your attention to canceling subscriptions and closing accounts that are generating ongoing charges. Check the deceased’s bank and credit card statements for recurring charges: streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Spotify, Apple Music), software subscriptions (Adobe, Microsoft 365, antivirus), shopping memberships (Amazon Prime, Costco), fitness and wellness subscriptions, meal kits, and news subscriptions.

For most subscription services, you can cancel by logging into the account and following the cancellation process. If you cannot access the account, contact the service’s customer support, explain that the account holder has died, and provide a death certificate.

Most services will cancel the account and stop charges immediately. If the deceased’s credit card has already been canceled, subscription charges may stop automatically when the card number is no longer valid—but some services will attempt to collect via other means.

Do not overlook accounts that may have monetary value. Email marketing lists, website domain names, social media accounts with large followings, affiliate marketing accounts, and online marketplace seller accounts (Amazon, eBay, Etsy) may have transferable value.

Before closing these accounts, evaluate whether they should be maintained, transferred, or sold as part of the estate. For guidance on this and other aspects of managing a digital estate, consult your probate attorney and see our guide on choosing an executor for information on the skills needed to manage digital assets.

Creating Your Own Digital Estate Plan

If managing a loved one’s digital accounts has taught you anything, it should be to prepare your own digital estate plan. Start by creating a full inventory of your digital accounts: email, social media, cloud storage, financial accounts, cryptocurrency, subscriptions, and any online businesses or accounts with monetary value. Include the account name, username, and the location of your password (in your password manager, not the password itself in a will or other document that becomes public).

Use a password manager with an emergency access or legacy contact feature, and designate a trusted person to receive access after your death or incapacity. Set up Google’s Inactive Account Manager, Facebook’s legacy contact, and Apple’s Legacy Contact. These platform-specific tools are the most reliable way to ensure your loved ones can access your accounts, because they follow the RUFADAA priority system (user’s online tool directions take precedence over all other methods).

Finally, include a digital assets provision in your will or trust that explicitly authorizes your executor or trustee to access, manage, and distribute your digital assets and the content of your electronic communications. This provision should reference RUFADAA and expressly override any terms of service that would restrict fiduciary access.

Share the location of your digital asset inventory and password manager access with your executor, and update both regularly as you create or close accounts. For more on planning ahead, see our guide on how to avoid probate.