A Practical Digital Legacy Checklist

When someone dies, their digital life doesn't disappear neatly. Phones stay locked, cloud accounts keep billing, and photos sit in places only they knew about. This checklist is meant to make that part a little less overwhelming. You don't have to do it all at once.

Start with the devices

The phone is usually the most urgent place to begin. It holds photos, messages, passwords, and access to email and banking apps.

• If you have the PIN or passcode, write it down before anything else.
• Keep the phone charged and avoid restarting it if biometric unlock is uncertain.
• Check whether the person set up a legacy contact on iPhone or Google.
• Make a list of other devices: tablets, laptops, cameras, external drives.

Don't rush to wipe anything. Copies can be made without destroying the originals.

Find the cloud accounts

Most photos now live in the cloud. The main ones to look for are iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Amazon Photos.

• Search email inboxes for billing receipts or storage notifications.
• Look for password managers like 1Password, Bitwarden, or Dashlane.
• Check browsers for saved passwords.
• If a legacy contact was named, follow the platform's process to request access.

Once you have access, download the most important photos and videos to at least two places before making big changes.

Deal with passwords and subscriptions

A password manager is the fastest way in. If there isn't one, look for a handwritten list, a notebook, or a document they kept for this purpose.

• Cancel subscriptions that are no longer needed.
• Update payment methods on accounts the family wants to keep.
• Note any digital purchases like ebooks, music, or software licenses.

Be careful with shared accounts. A family Netflix or Amazon account may be tied to the person, and changing the wrong thing can lock other family members out.

Social media and communication accounts

Each platform has its own rules for what happens after a death. Some allow memorialization, some let you close the account, and some do nothing unless you have legal authority.

• Apple Legacy Contact and Google Inactive Account Manager can be set up in advance.
• Facebook and Instagram allow memorialization or deletion by an immediate family member.
• WhatsApp, Telegram, and similar apps usually can't be accessed.

Think carefully about what the person would have wanted. Some families find comfort in a memorialized profile; others want it closed.

Keep the stories, not just the files

Photos matter because of the stories behind them. As you go through devices and accounts, write down what you learn:

• Who is in the photo and when was it taken?
• What was happening that day?
• Who took it?

A private online memorial can be a good place to store both the photos and the stories together, so the people who knew the person can add what they remember too.

You can take your time

Digital legacy work doesn't have to happen in one weekend. The most important first step is to stop anything from being lost: secure the devices, save the photos, and pause subscriptions. The rest can wait until you have the energy for it.