Platforms

Each company has its own rules. Some let you name a person in advance; others only act on a death certificate or a court order, and a few won’t release anything at all. Most guides have two halves: what to set up now, and what family or executors can do if someone has died.

1. Google Inactive Account Manager and what family can requestHow to set up Google Inactive Account Manager, and what family or executors can ask Google for after a death, including the US court order rule.
2. Apple Legacy Contact: set it up and what it really gives access toHow Apple Legacy Contact works, what it can and can't unlock, and what family can do after a death if no Legacy Contact was set up.
3. Microsoft account after death: Outlook.com, OneDrive and Microsoft 365What happens to a Microsoft account when someone dies, why email and OneDrive files can go after one year, and what families can do.
4. Facebook and Instagram after death: memorialisation and legacy contactHow Facebook memorialisation and legacy contacts work, what Instagram does with a deceased person's profile, and why private messages stay private.
5. LinkedIn, X and TikTok after death: what family can doWhat LinkedIn, X and TikTok offer when an account holder dies, which documents X asks for, and why none of them offer a planning tool.
6. Email accounts after a death: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, ProtonWhat Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, iCloud and Proton do when an account holder dies, the documents they ask for, and how fast inboxes are deleted.
7. Photos and cloud storage: iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDriveHow to make sure family can get your photos and files from iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox and OneDrive, and what to do if someone has died.
8. Domains and websites after death: keep them from lapsingHow to plan for your domain names and websites, and how executors can stop a dead person's domain from expiring or being lost.
9. Subscriptions and recurring payments after a deathHow to stop a dead person's subscriptions and card payments in the UK and US, and what to record now so your family can do it quickly.
10. PayPal, Venmo and online banks: what happens when someone diesWhat PayPal, Venmo, Monzo, Starling, Revolut and Wise ask for after a death, their probate thresholds, and what to record now.
11. Crypto after death: why it needs its own planWhy crypto is different from every other account after a death, what heirs need to reach it, and where to find detailed guidance.