What happens to your digital life when you die?

Nothing disappears on its own. Your accounts stay open, your files stay stored and your subscriptions keep being charged until someone intervenes. What happens next depends on the platform, the account type, the jurisdiction, the settings you turned on, and whether you named someone in advance.

Try it free for 14 days

Why there is no single answer

Two people who die on the same day can face completely different outcomes depending on the services they used. There is no universal rule and no shared procedure across platforms.

  • The platform: every service publishes its own terms and its own process.
  • The account type: personal, business and family accounts are not handled the same way.
  • The jurisdiction: estate and personal-data rules differ by country and, in Canada, by province.
  • The settings you configured: a legacy tool switched on while you were alive changes the outcome entirely.
  • Whether someone was designated: without that, relatives must file a formal request.
  • Provider policy: it evolves, and a procedure you once read about may have changed.

What actually happens, service by service

Three outcomes dominate, sometimes combined within the same account.

  • The account stays active until it is reported, and charges continue.
  • The account is closed after being reported, without content being handed to the family.
  • Part of the content is passed on — only where the person had switched on a mechanism designed for that.

Files, purchases and licensed content

A file you created — a photo, a video, a document — can generally be copied and passed on if someone can reach it.

Content bought in a digital store is often a personal-use licence rather than transferable property. The terms depend on the service in question: check the provider’s own conditions rather than assuming a general rule.

What your family will actually run into

The first obstacle is rarely legal. It is informational: the family does not know which accounts existed, which email address was the login, or which device received the verification codes.

The second obstacle is time. Formal requests to large platforms need supporting documents and often take weeks or longer, with no guaranteed outcome.

What genuinely changes the outcome

Three actions make a real difference: turn on the official mechanisms of the platforms you use, write down the accounts that matter, and tell a trusted person where that list lives.

None of them requires sharing a password, and all three fit into a single sitting.

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

Are my accounts deleted automatically when I die?

No. Unless the death is reported, an account stays open. Some platforms remove accounts after a long period of inactivity, but the delay and the practice vary from service to service.

Can my family just log in with my credentials?

Logging in as a deceased person generally breaches the terms of service, and may be regulated by law depending on the jurisdiction. The intended route is the platform’s legacy mechanism or a formal request.

Is a will enough for my online accounts?

A will expresses your wishes, but it does not provide access and does not automatically override a platform’s internal procedures. The two layers complement each other.

What happens to photos stored only online?

They stay stored but become unreachable if nobody can open the account. It is the most common loss, and the easiest to avoid with a regular copy or export.

Sources & Further Reading

Last reviewed : 2026-08-21

Solexi does not replace a legal will, a notary or a lawyer. Solexi helps you gather, organize and pass on your information.

Try it free for 14 days · See how Solexi works