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Digital Estate Planning

What Happens to Your Online Accounts When You Die? A Guide to Digital Estate Planning

You have probably given some thought to what happens to your house, your savings or your belongings after you are gone. However, have you ever stopped to consider what happens to your Facebook profile, your email account or all those photos and videos you have stored in the cloud?  In today’s day and age, so much of our lives exist online, the average person has over 100 different online accounts.

Each one holds a piece of our lives, memories, conversations, financial information, and even real monetary value.

Here’s the thing that most people do not realise, when you die, your digital life does not just disappear. Your accounts keep existing and your loved ones are left to figure out what to do with them, most of the time without passwords, or instructions and while they are grieving.

Nine out of ten Australians have a social media account and 83% of them have not discussed with their families about what needs to be done after they are gone.

What Exactly is Digital Estate Planning?

Digital estate planning is simply the process of organizing your online accounts and digital assets, so they can be properly managed or transferred after your death.  Like a traditional will that covers your physical properties, a digital estate plan covers everything from social media profiles to cryptocurrency wallets. This helps in ensuring that your loved ones have all the information they need to carry out your wishes.

What Counts as Digital Assets?

Digital assets are everything that can be stored or managed online, including:
  • Email Accounts: Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Outlook often act as the central key to all your other accounts.
  • Social Media Profiles: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and others are archives of photos, videos, conversations and connections over the years.
  • Photos and Videos: stored on Google Photos, iCloud, and your device are irreplaceable memories
  • Financial Accounts: Online banking services, platforms like PayPal, Google Pay and other payment services hold crucial information and may require immediate action after death.
  • Cryptocurrency: Without access to hardware wallets where cryptocurrency is stored people lose on a lot of money. Currently billions of dollars are locked in wallets owned by people who passed away without sharing the keys.
  • Digital Purchases: iTunes, Kindle Books, Steam game libraries are digital collections made by the owner.
  • Loyalty Programs: Credit card points, Airline Miles and other rewards can often be transferred to the beneficiaries.
  • Professional Accounts: Intellectual property, GitHub repositories, portfolios are stored online and hold substantial value.
  • Subscriptions: YouTube, Netflix, Cloud Services and others are ongoing subscriptions and must be cancelled to avoid continuous payments.
  • Cloud Storage: iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive might have important files and documents stored.

What Options do you have?

Without a proper plan your accounts continue being active which makes them prone to identity theft and sometimes continued payments for subscriptions. Most platforms have policies that can help you decide what you want to do with your accounts.  For instance,

Google (Drive, Gmail, YouTube, Photos): has an Inactive Accounts Manager where you can set a timeout period of 3, 6, or 12 months of inactivity, after which Google notifies your designated contacts and shares your account data with them. You choose exactly what to share and whether to delete the account afterwards.

Meta (Facebook and Instagram): lets you designate a legacy contact who can manage your memorialized profile. Your legacy contact can pin tribute posts and update your profile pictures but do not have access to your private messages. You can also opt for having your account permanently deleted instead.

The biggest challenge families face is simply getting access. Without passwords or device PINs, even basic tasks become difficult. Loved ones can’t retrieve photos, contacts, or important information stored on a phone or laptop. Some families spend months dealing with contacting each platform individually, providing death certificates, and navigating confusing procedures.

This is why planning ahead matters so much.

Creating a Digital Estate Plan is overwhelming when you don’t have a clear breakdown on what needs to be done. Below are the Steps you can take to get started.

Step 1: Create a List of Digital Assets: List every account you can think of, check your email for registration confirmations, your phone for apps you might have logged into, and check your bank account for subscription charges.

Step 2: Secure Your Passwords: Use a password manager to store all your credentials securely. These tools create one central, encrypted vault that your designated person can access with one master password.

Step 3: Set Up Legacy Contacts: Take a few minutes right now to configure your Facebook Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager, and Apple Legacy Contacts. These tools are free and save your family significant hassle.

Step 4: Write Clear Instructions: For each account, document what you want to happen.

Step 5: Choose a Digital Executor: Pick someone you trust to carry out your digital wishes. Have an honest conversation with them about your plans and where to find everything they’ll need.

Step 6: Store Your Plan Securely: Keep your plan somewhere safe but accessible. Review and update it at least once a year.

Taking the time to create a digital estate plan is one of the most thoughtful things you can do for your loved ones. It protects your privacy, preserves what matters most to you, and spares your family from unnecessary stress during an already difficult time. Technology changes quickly, but the need for clarity, organization, and care never does. Start with your most important accounts, use the tools platforms already provide, and have honest conversations with the people you trust.

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