What is a digital legacy?

Digital legacy vs digital continuity

A digital legacy is content: it already exists whether you prepare it or not. Digital continuity is an arrangement: it is what you put in place so that content stays understandable and reachable by the right people.

Put simply: legacy answers “what am I leaving behind?”, continuity answers “how will my family find their way through it?”. The two pages on this site follow exactly that split.

• Digital legacy: the what — accounts, files, memories, assets, instructions.
• Digital continuity: the how — structure, access, trusted people, review.

The eight types of digital legacy

Every digital legacy fits into a small number of categories. Naming them is the fastest way to spot what is recorded nowhere.

• Accounts: email, social media, messaging, work accounts.
• Files: documents, backups, archives, working folders.
• Photos: the most fragile content, often living only on a phone.
• Videos: family films, event recordings, published content.
• Subscriptions: what keeps charging after you.
• Instructions: what you want to happen to each item.
• Digital assets: domain names, websites, shops, monetized content, wallets.
• Online identity: public profiles, reviews, posts, reputation.

What platforms already provide

Several major services offer their own legacy mechanism. Google lets you configure an Inactive Account Manager that notifies chosen contacts after a period of inactivity. Apple lets you name one or more Legacy Contacts who can request access to certain account data after a death.

Those tools only cover their own platform, have to be switched on in advance, and do not replace an overall arrangement. Two dedicated pages on this site cover them in detail.

Trusted contacts and planning

A trusted contact is someone you designate to receive access to certain information. Depending on the context, that designation can be purely practical (inside a tool like Solexi) or legal (a will, mandate or power of attorney drafted with a professional).

Planning means connecting the two: the content on one side, the people and legal documents on the other. Without that link, a flawless will can still leave a family unable to find a single statement.

• Decide who may see what, and tell them.
• Write your intention account by account: keep, pass on, close.
• Switch on the official legacy tools where they exist.
• Re-read the whole thing once a year.

Pricing, in plain words

• 14 days free, 1 GB included during the trial
• Then CAD $199, one time only
• Lifetime access, 10 GB included
• No monthly subscription, no renewal

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between digital legacy and digital continuity?

A digital legacy is what a person leaves behind in digital form. Digital continuity is the preparation, structure and mechanisms that let authorized people understand and manage that legacy over time.

Does a digital legacy have legal value?

Some parts do — domain names, monetized assets, content under contract — and others do not, such as photos, messages and profiles. The legal treatment depends on the country, the service’s terms and the type of asset.

Are my online photos part of my legacy?

Yes, and they are usually the most exposed files: held in a single account, with no local copy and no indication of who will be able to retrieve them.

Where do I start when preparing a digital legacy?

With the inventory: list what exists, category by category. Access, instructions and trusted people come afterwards.

Sources & Further Reading

• Google — Inactive Account Manager
  https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3036546
• Apple — Digital Legacy program
  https://support.apple.com/digital-legacy

Last reviewed : 2026-08-21