Written by Daniel Tanguay, founder of Solexi.ai.
A digital legacy policy is a platform’s official procedure for what happens to an account when its holder dies. These policies differ widely: some can be set up in advance in a few minutes, others leave relatives only an after-the-fact request, sometimes subject to a court order.
Five platforms cover most of a family’s digital life: Google, Apple, Facebook, Instagram and Microsoft. For each one, the useful question has two halves: what can I configure while alive, and what will still be possible for my relatives if I configure nothing?
Every row links to the platform’s own documentation. Procedures change: the last review date is shown at the bottom of this page.
Two constants stand out. First, preparing in advance always yields more options than acting afterwards — a contact named while alive gets rights no later request reproduces. Second, no platform hands over login access: "recovering the password" is never part of the process.
This comparison describes platform procedures, not the law that governs an estate. The legal treatment of an account, its content or a digital asset depends on the country, the service agreement and the type of asset. For those questions, a notary or a lawyer remains the right professional.
| Platform | Legacy feature | Can configure before death? | Trusted person? | What happens after death | Key restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inactive Account Manager | Yes | Yes — several contacts notified after a chosen period of inactivity | A relative can submit a request about the account; Google reviews it case by case | No credentials are handed over; the outcome of a request is not guaranteed | |
| Apple | Legacy Contact (Digital Legacy) | Yes | Yes — one or more Legacy Contacts, each with an access key to keep | Without a Legacy Contact, an access request is possible and may require a court order | Some data remains inaccessible; the access key and a death certificate are required |
| Legacy contact + memorialized account | Yes | Yes — one legacy contact for the main profile | A relative can request memorialization or removal of the account | The legacy contact cannot log in or read private messages | |
| Memorialized profile | Partly — a "delete after death" option exists in the settings | Depends on the account configuration | A relative can report the death to obtain memorialization, or request deletion | Nobody can log into a memorialized profile; it can no longer be changed | |
| Microsoft | No trusted-contact mechanism | No | No | The account can be closed if the credentials are known; otherwise it closes after two years of inactivity | Access to content (Outlook.com, OneDrive) requires a valid subpoena or court order and remains uncertain |
Platform policies change without notice. Always check the official page linked below before starting a procedure.
One card per provider, with the official mechanism, its limits, the official source and the date it was last checked.
Official mechanism : Inactive Account Manager
Limitations : No credentials are handed over; the outcome of a request is not guaranteed
Reviewed on 2026-08-22
Official mechanism : Legacy Contact (Digital Legacy)
Limitations : Some data remains inaccessible; the access key and a death certificate are required
Reviewed on 2026-08-22
Official mechanism : Legacy contact + memorialized account
Limitations : The legacy contact cannot log in or read private messages
Reviewed on 2026-08-22
Official mechanism : Memorialized profile
Limitations : Nobody can log into a memorialized profile; it can no longer be changed
Reviewed on 2026-08-22
Official mechanism : No trusted-contact mechanism
Limitations : Access to content (Outlook.com, OneDrive) requires a valid subpoena or court order and remains uncertain
Reviewed on 2026-08-22
Google and Apple are the only two of the five offering a full mechanism you can configure in advance: Inactive Account Manager at Google, Legacy Contact at Apple. Facebook offers a legacy contact with narrower powers.
On Facebook, no: the official documentation states that a legacy contact cannot log into the account or read messages. The other platforms also restrict access to specific categories of data.
Relatives have to go through a formal request with supporting documents, and the result depends on the platform. At Microsoft, access to the content of a personal account requires a valid subpoena or court order.
No policy here provides for that, and it creates an immediate security risk. A password manager with emergency access is a safer answer than a list on paper.
Last reviewed : 2026-08-22
Solexi does not replace a legal will, a notary or a lawyer. Solexi helps you gather, organize and pass on your information.