What Happens to Social Media Accounts When You Die UK (2026)? Facebook, Instagram & More

Facebook (Meta) offers two options for a deceased user's account: memorialisation or permanent deletion. Memorialisation converts the account into a tribute space where friends and family can share memories. A memorialised account: shows the word 'Remembering' before the name; cannot be logged into; cannot be changed unless the deceased previously designated a 'Legacy Contact'. The Legacy Contact is a person nominated by the account holder (in Facebook Settings) who can: pin a tribute post; change the profile picture and cover photo; accept or decline new friend requests. The Legacy Contact cannot read private messages, log in as the deceased, or delete content. Permanent deletion: a family member or executor can request permanent deletion of the account by submitting a Special Request for Deceased Person's Account form on Facebook, along with proof of the user's death (death certificate) and proof of the requester's relationship to the deceased (and, if relevant, documentation of their authority as executor). Facebook will not hand over login credentials to family members or executors — access to the account itself is not granted regardless of legal authority. Facebook also has a 'Tributes only' setting that allows posts from friends while restricting who can see the legacy contact's posts. Practical advice: the account holder should nominate a Legacy Contact in their Facebook Settings and consider leaving a note in their letter of wishes specifying whether they want the account memorialised or deleted.

Instagram is owned by Meta (the same parent company as Facebook) and follows a similar process. On the death of an Instagram user: (1) Memorialisation: a close family member can submit a memorialisation request via Instagram's Help Centre. A memorialised account shows 'Remembering' before the name and cannot be logged into or changed. Before their death, a user can designate an Instagram Legacy Contact (enabled from late 2023) who has limited management rights similar to Facebook's Legacy Contact; (2) Account removal: a family member or executor can request the complete removal of the account by submitting a request through Instagram's Help Centre, providing proof of death and proof of their relationship to the deceased or authority as executor; (3) Content access: Meta will not provide login credentials, messages, or content to family members or executors — even with a grant of probate. Access to the account itself is blocked by the Terms of Service. Instagram content (photos, videos, follower counts) may have significant monetary value for high-follower accounts (influencers, content creators). This value should be declared as a digital estate asset for probate purposes. Sponsored content agreements may also be estate assets — check whether the account had any outstanding brand partnership contracts or pending payments; (4) No automatic deletion: unlike some accounts, an unmemorialised Instagram account will not be deleted automatically just because it has been inactive — it will simply remain dormant unless the family requests memorialisation or deletion. Practical advice: designate an Instagram Legacy Contact in Settings → Account → Legacy Contact, and include a note in your letter of wishes.

Different platforms have different policies: (1) Twitter/X: X (formerly Twitter) does not offer memorialisation. A verified immediate family member or next of kin can request the deactivation and permanent deletion of the account by contacting X Support with proof of death. X does not provide login credentials, account access, or content to family members or executors. An unmemorialised, unfollowed X account may be automatically deactivated after 30 days of inactivity under X's inactive account policy (though this policy has changed over time — check the current terms); (2) LinkedIn: LinkedIn removes profiles of deceased members on request from a family member or colleague. Submit a request through LinkedIn's Help Centre with proof of death. LinkedIn also offers a 'Limit Profile Viewing' form. LinkedIn does not allow profiles to be maintained as memorials; (3) TikTok: TikTok accounts can be reported as deceased through TikTok's privacy reporting form. TikTok will review and may remove or restrict the account. TikTok has no formal memorialisation option as of 2026. High-follower TikTok creator accounts may have significant commercial value (revenue from creator fund, brand deals) — these should be identified as estate assets; (4) Snapchat: Snapchat accounts can be requested for deletion by a verified next of kin by contacting Snapchat's support. Snapchat has no memorialisation option; (5) YouTube/Google: see the Google Inactive Account Manager section below. YouTube channels may have significant monetisation revenue and should be assessed as digital estate assets. Practical step for all platforms: include a list of your accounts and your preferred outcome (deletion or memorialisation) in your letter of wishes, stored securely with your will.

Both Google and Apple have built proactive tools to help users manage what happens to their accounts after death or prolonged inactivity: (1) Google Inactive Account Manager (Google Account Settings → Data & Privacy → Make a plan for your account): allows the user to set a period of inactivity (3, 6, 12, or 18 months) after which Google will either: (a) notify nominated trusted contacts and share specific data (Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, YouTube, etc.) with them; (b) delete the entire Google account and all associated content. If the account holder did not set up Inactive Account Manager, a family member can submit a request to Google to: close the account and request a refund of any Google One storage or other paid services; request content download for specific circumstances (requires formal legal documentation including death certificate and grant of probate). Google will not share login credentials. Note: a monetised YouTube channel with active subscribers may generate revenue even after death — the executor should contact Google's estate support team; (2) Apple Digital Legacy (Apple ID → Settings → Password & Security → Legacy Contact): allows the user to designate one or more Legacy Contacts who receive an 'Access Key' (a QR code). After the user's death, the Legacy Contact provides the Access Key plus a death certificate to Apple, and they receive temporary access to: photos, messages, notes, contacts, email, calendar, health data, and some downloaded content. What Apple Digital Legacy does NOT give access to: password-protected content, App Store purchases (most apps cannot be transferred), DRM-protected music or video, in-app purchases, third-party app data stored in the cloud. Without a Legacy Contact, Apple will not provide account access to anyone — the data is permanently inaccessible after the Apple ID is closed. Practical step: set up Google Inactive Account Manager and Apple Digital Legacy now — both take about 5 minutes.

Social media accounts themselves cannot be 'gifted' in a will in the traditional sense, because the accounts are not owned by the user — they are governed by the platform's Terms of Service, which typically prohibit transfer. The user has a contractual right to use the platform, not a property right in the account. However, certain digital assets connected to social media accounts can and should be addressed in a will: (1) Monetised accounts: a YouTube channel with AdSense revenue, a TikTok creator account with brand deals and Creator Fund income, or an Instagram account with active brand partnership agreements generates income that is estate property. The right to receive this income is an estate asset and should be declared for IHT. The executor may be able to negotiate with the platform to collect any pending payments; (2) Intellectual property: the photos, videos, blog posts, and written content that the deceased created and uploaded may be protected by copyright. Copyright in the UK lasts for 70 years from the death of the creator (Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988). Copyright in content on social media can be left in a will — the beneficiary inherits the right to license or publish the content. The platform may restrict what the beneficiary can actually do with the content, but the underlying intellectual property right belongs to the creator's estate; (3) Digital currency and monetisation balances: Patreon balances, creator fund balances, and pending sponsorship payments are estate assets and should be claimed by the executor; (4) Practical steps in a will: in a letter of wishes (stored securely, not in the will itself — wills become public on probate), leave: usernames and email addresses for each account; your preferred outcome (memorialise or delete); any Legacy Contact designations; where to find any stored passwords or access keys.