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Platform guides

Step-by-step instructions for setting up legacy contacts and managing your accounts on each major platform.

Steps last checked against each platform's help pages in September 2026. Platforms change their menus often, so the wording on your screen may differ slightly.

Start with Facebook, Apple, and Google. These three cover the majority of most people's digital life and each has a proper legacy contact feature. The others can follow.

Facebook lets you choose a legacy contact: one person who can look after your profile once it has been memorialised after your death. They can pin a post, update your profile photo, and manage tributes, but they cannot log in as you or read your messages. If you prefer, you can instead ask Facebook to delete your account permanently after your death.

Step-by-step

  1. 1On Facebook, go to Settings & privacy → Settings → Accounts Centre.
  2. 2Tap Profiles and personal details, then Account ownership and control, then Memorialisation, and choose your Facebook profile.
  3. 3Choose a legacy contact by typing a friend's name and selecting them. You must be 18 or over to do this.
  4. 4Decide whether your legacy contact may download a copy of what you have shared on Facebook. Allowing this is the only way they can save your photos and posts through Facebook.
  5. 5Choose whether to send your legacy contact a message letting them know. It is a good idea to tell them yourself as well.
  6. 6Alternatively, in the same Memorialisation settings, you can choose to have your account deleted after your death instead.
  7. 7After your death, someone needs to tell Facebook by requesting memorialisation, with proof of death such as a death certificate or obituary. Your legacy contact can only act once the account is memorialised.

They can

  • Write a pinned post on your profile, for example with funeral details
  • Update your profile picture and cover photo
  • Decide who can see and post tributes, and remove tributes
  • Respond to new friend requests
  • Request that your account be removed
  • Download a copy of what you shared, but only if you gave them permission

They cannot

  • Log in to your account
  • Read your messages
  • Remove friends or send new friend requests

Tip: Choose someone who is comfortable with Facebook and whom you trust to respond thoughtfully to people who reach out after your death. Tell them you have chosen them, and if you want your photos saved, remember to allow downloads.

Facebook Help: about legacy contacts →

Done with the platforms?

Next up: make sure your executor knows which accounts you have, including the ones with no legacy tool, and how to deal with each.

Password access guide →