Close email and social media accounts
Managing a deceased person's social media profile helps to prevent unwanted messages, alerts, and communication.
Typically, these accounts are deleted, removing them entirely from the platform; personal data such as photos or videos can be saved beforehand as needed.
However, some social media profiles can be "memorialized," allowing the deceased's content to remain published but with certain settings.
These settings allow a surviving family to customize many functions, such as how friends continue to connect with the deceased, or preventing new people from finding the account.
If direct access is available via saved or known passwords, obtain access to the deceased’s email and social media accounts.
Managing email accounts
Email accounts should be monitored for important payment information, but can ultimately be closed if desired. Consider using an “out of office” message that automatically replies to all senders notifying them about the passing of the deceased.
Managing social media accounts
Review the links below for more information on how to manage an account on various social media platforms.
Helpful Tips
How to request access to a deceased person’s email account
Follow the procedures set out by the email service provider.
Links to the most common email providers' procedures for gaining access to an email account are provided below. Submit a request to the email service provider with any required supporting documentation.
Important
Yahoo’s terms of service prohibit them allowing access/giving passwords to a deceased person’s account.
Personal Considerations
Do you have access to the deceased's email?
If the person’s password was saved on their computer, tablet or cellphone, you should be able to access the full email account from there.
If email is not accessible via a desktop or laptop login, most people add their most important email address to their phone.
Find and forward relevant emails about accounts to another address in case the phone service is terminated or the email login access expires.
For example, if you needed to reset a password for another account tied to a particular cell phone or email account, closing those accounts would mean you cannot get the password reset.
Most email service providers have specified steps you can take to get access to these email accounts.
Review the provided links for more information about how to do this.
If the person’s password was saved on their computer, tablet or cellphone, you should be able to access the full email account from there.
If email is not accessible via a desktop or laptop login, most people add their most important email address to their phone.
Find and forward relevant emails about accounts to another address in case the phone service is terminated or the email login access expires.
For example, if you needed to reset a password for another account tied to a particular cell phone or email account, closing those accounts would mean you cannot get the password reset.
Most email service providers have specified steps you can take to get access to these email accounts.
Review the provided links for more information about how to do this.
