When someone dies, their digital life doesn't disappear — it continues to exist across dozens of platforms, accounts, and services. Email inboxes hold years of correspondence. Social media profiles contain memories shared by hundreds of people. A crypto wallet might hold significant financial assets. And cloud storage could be the only place certain family photos exist. This guide covers what actually happens to each type of digital asset and what you need to do about it.
The biggest mistake with digital assets is assuming a death certificate alone will unlock every account. Most major platforms have their own request process, and some never provide direct login access at all.
- Legacy contact tools work better than informal family requests after someone dies.
- Executors should document account ownership and preserve important records before closing anything.
- Crypto, password managers, and cloud accounts need their own access plan before a crisis happens.
What Counts as a Digital Asset
The term "digital asset" covers more than most people expect. For estate purposes, it includes:
- Email accounts — Gmail, Outlook, iCloud Mail, Yahoo Mail
- Social media profiles — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest
- Cloud storage — Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon Photos
- Streaming accounts — Netflix, Spotify, Apple Music, Hulu. Note: most streaming content is licensed, not owned. These accounts typically cannot be inherited — the content license ends with the account holder.
- Cryptocurrency and NFTs — Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital currencies held on exchanges or in personal wallets. These can represent significant financial value.
- Loyalty and rewards points — Airline miles, hotel points, credit card rewards points. Unlike streaming licenses, these often can be transferred.
- Online businesses and revenue accounts — Etsy shops, eBay seller accounts, Patreon creator pages, YouTube channels with monetization, Amazon seller accounts. These are genuine financial assets with ongoing value.
- Domain names and websites — Registered domain names are estate assets and can be transferred or sold.
- Digital photos and videos — Content stored in iCloud Photos, Google Photos, Amazon Photos, or other cloud services. Often irreplaceable.
The key practical distinction is between accounts that are financially valuable (cryptocurrency, online businesses, loyalty points), accounts that hold irreplaceable personal content (photos, email), and accounts that are primarily presence or subscription based (social media, streaming). Each category requires a different approach.
The Legal Framework: RUFADAA
The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) is the primary U.S. legal framework governing executor access to digital accounts. As of 2026, it has been adopted in the majority of U.S. states, though implementations vary.
RUFADAA gives executors and trustees legal authority to access a deceased person's digital assets — but with an important hierarchy of control:
- Platform tools take first priority. If the deceased used a platform's built-in legacy tool (Google's Inactive Account Manager, Facebook's Legacy Contact) to authorize someone, that designation governs.
- Will and estate documents come second. If the will explicitly authorizes the executor to access digital assets, RUFADAA gives that authorization legal force.
- Platform Terms of Service come last. If neither of the above applies, the platform's own terms apply — and most Terms of Service prohibit account sharing and do not provide for inheritance.
The practical implication is stark: without any advance planning, even the court-appointed executor of an estate may find that major platforms will not release account access or content. A death certificate and letters testamentary are often not enough on their own. Planning ahead — specifically setting up legacy contacts and explicitly authorizing digital asset access in estate documents — makes an enormous difference for surviving family.
Email and Cloud Storage
Google / Gmail / Google Drive
Google offers two paths. The first — and best — is Google's Inactive Account Manager (myaccount.google.com/inactive), which allows users to designate a trusted person to receive data or notification if the account becomes inactive for a set period. This must be configured before death.
The second path is the Google deceased user request form at google.com/accounts/data, which allows a family member or estate representative to request account data after death. Google reviews these requests case by case and considers factors like the relationship to the deceased and whether explicit authorization exists. Google does not guarantee access and will not provide the account login credentials under any circumstances — instead, it may share specific data (emails, Drive files) with an authorized family member.
Apple / iCloud
Apple's approach is the most restrictive of the major platforms. Apple introduced a Legacy Contact feature in iOS 15.2 (Settings > [Your Name] > Legacy Contact), which allows a user to designate one or more people to access their account data after death. This is the most reliable way to preserve iCloud data — photos, documents, contacts, and more.
Without a Legacy Contact designation, Apple will not provide account access to anyone — not to a spouse, not to an executor — without a court order. And even with a court order, Apple has stated it processes requests on a case-by-case basis. Contact Apple Support with the death certificate and any available court documentation, but be prepared for a lengthy process with uncertain results.
Microsoft / Outlook / OneDrive
Microsoft has a next-of-kin process: contact Microsoft Support with a death certificate and documentation proving your relationship to the deceased. Microsoft may provide a copy of account content in some cases. This process is more flexible than Apple's but less structured than Google's. Start at microsoft.com/en-us/concern/oss.
Dropbox
Submit a request to Dropbox Support with a death certificate and documentation of your authority (letters testamentary or relationship to the deceased). Dropbox reviews these requests individually.
Cryptocurrency and NFTs
Cryptocurrency is the digital asset category with the highest risk of permanent, irretrievable loss — and where advance planning matters most.
Crypto held on an exchange (custodial wallets)
If the deceased held cryptocurrency on a centralized exchange — Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini, Binance.US, or similar — the process resembles a bank account. Contact the exchange's estate or bereavement services team. You will need:
- Certified death certificate
- Letters testamentary or letters of administration from the probate court
- Your own photo ID
The exchange can transfer the account balance to a beneficiary or estate account, or liquidate the cryptocurrency to cash for the estate. Most major exchanges have established this process and will walk you through it.
Crypto in a self-custody wallet (non-custodial)
This is where permanent loss becomes a serious risk. If the deceased held cryptocurrency in a personal wallet — a hardware wallet (Ledger, Trezor), a software wallet, or a mobile wallet — access requires either the private key or the 12- or 24-word seed phrase (also called a recovery phrase or mnemonic).
Without the seed phrase, the funds are permanently inaccessible. No exchange, no government, no court, and no technical service can recover them. This is the fundamental design of blockchain technology. Estimates suggest that $100 billion or more in Bitcoin alone has been permanently lost because owners died without passing on their seed phrases.
If a hardware wallet device, handwritten seed phrase, or printed recovery phrase is found among the deceased's possessions, handle it with extreme care. Do not share the information widely — whoever has the seed phrase has full and irrevocable access to those funds. Transfer the assets promptly to a new secure wallet controlled by the estate or beneficiary.
Loyalty Points and Rewards Miles
Unlike streaming service licenses, loyalty points and frequent flyer miles are generally transferable — and they can represent real value. Act promptly, because some programs have expiration policies that continue running after death.
Airline miles
Most major carriers allow transfer of miles to a surviving spouse or to the estate:
- American Airlines AAdvantage: Contact AAdvantage customer service. Surviving spouse or executor can request transfer with death certificate and proof of relationship or letters testamentary.
- Delta SkyMiles: Contact Delta's SkyMiles service center. Allows transfer to a family member or estate.
- United MileagePlus: Contact MileagePlus customer service. Miles can be transferred to the estate or a surviving spouse.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards: Contact Southwest customer service. Allows transfer to a next of kin or estate.
Hotel points
Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, and most major hotel loyalty programs allow transfer of points to a surviving spouse or estate with a death certificate and documentation of relationship. Contact the program's customer service directly.
Credit card rewards points
Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, and similar programs generally allow the surviving spouse or authorized estate representative to use or transfer points. Contact the card issuer's customer service. For deceased account holders, the balance should be established before the account is closed.
Online Businesses and Revenue Streams
If the deceased had an active online business or monetized online presence, these are genuine estate assets that require active management — not just cancellation.
Common examples include Etsy shops, eBay seller accounts, Patreon creator pages, YouTube channels with ad revenue or membership income, Amazon seller accounts, and personal websites with affiliate revenue or advertising. These may have:
- Pending payments owed to the deceased — estate assets that should be collected
- Outstanding obligations (unfulfilled orders, subscriptions) — liabilities the executor must address
- Ongoing value that could be transferred or sold as part of the estate
The executor's general steps for each platform:
- Notify the platform of the death (usually through customer support or an estate notification form)
- Request access with letters testamentary to manage the account temporarily
- Collect any pending payments owed to the estate
- Decide whether to transfer the business (if it has ongoing value) or close it
YouTube channels can be transferred through Google's estate process, which is the same process used for Google account access generally. Etsy and Amazon seller accounts have established estate contact processes through their seller support teams.
Digital Photos and Memories
For many families, digital photos are the digital asset that matters most — not financially, but personally. Years of photos and videos stored in the cloud may exist nowhere else.
The challenge is that platform accounts are often deleted after periods of inactivity, and access can be denied to family members without advance planning:
- Google Photos / Google Drive: Google deletes inactive accounts after two years of inactivity, following a notification period. Use the deceased user data request form promptly to request a data export before this occurs.
- iCloud Photos: Apple's Legacy Contact is the most reliable way to preserve iCloud photos and videos. Without it, access may be denied even to immediate family. Act quickly and contact Apple Support with all available documentation.
- Amazon Photos: Amazon has an estate process — contact Customer Service with a death certificate and letters testamentary to request data access or account transfer.
- Facebook / Instagram: Photos remain accessible on a memorialized profile. The Legacy Contact (if designated) can download content. A removal request will delete photos permanently — consider downloading a data archive first.
Once access is obtained, download and back up all photos and videos locally immediately. Do not rely on platform access remaining available indefinitely.
Planning Your Own Digital Estate
If reading this article has made you think about your own digital life, that reaction is well-founded. The steps to protect your digital estate are straightforward — they just need to be taken before the need arises.
Create a secure account inventory
Use a password manager — 1Password, Bitwarden, or LastPass — to maintain a complete list of your accounts and credentials. Choose a password manager that has an emergency access feature allowing you to designate a trusted person to request access.
Set up platform legacy contacts now
- Google: myaccount.google.com/inactive — set your Inactive Account Manager and designate a trusted contact
- Apple: Settings > [Your Name] > Legacy Contact — add one or more legacy contacts who will receive an access key
- Facebook: Settings > Memorialization Settings > Legacy Contact
Add digital assets to your will
Explicitly authorize your executor to access your digital accounts and assets in your will. This authorization is important under RUFADAA — it gives your executor legal standing that they would not otherwise have. A simple clause explicitly granting your executor access to digital accounts is enough.
Create a private digital estate letter
Write a private document — separate from your will — that tells your executor where to find accounts, how to access your password manager, where seed phrases or hardware wallets are stored, and which accounts have financial value versus which can simply be closed. Keep this document securely with your estate documents and tell your executor where it is. Update it annually.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the platform and whether the deceased made arrangements in advance. Facebook and Instagram can be memorialized — the profile stays visible with a "Remembering" designation — or removed entirely. Twitter/X only offers deactivation. LinkedIn accounts can be removed by request. TikTok has a removal request process. Without legacy contact designations made before death, families typically submit formal requests to each platform with a death certificate.
Access depends on the provider. Google offers a deceased user data request process at google.com/accounts/data, but access is not guaranteed without prior setup of Google's Inactive Account Manager. Apple will not grant iCloud or email access without a court order, and even then has discretion. Microsoft has a next-of-kin process where family can request content with a death certificate and proof of relationship. The most reliable approach is for individuals to set up legacy contacts and data-sharing designations before death.
Crypto held on an exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Gemini) can be transferred or liquidated by the estate with a death certificate and letters testamentary — contact the exchange's estate services team. Crypto in a self-custody wallet requires the private key or 12 to 24-word seed phrase. Without it, the funds are permanently and irretrievably inaccessible. No court order or technical service can recover them. Documenting seed phrases and ensuring your executor knows how to find them is essential.
Yes, in most cases. American (AAdvantage), Delta (SkyMiles), United (MileagePlus), and Southwest (Rapid Rewards) all allow miles to be transferred to a surviving spouse or to the estate. You will need a death certificate and proof of relationship. Contact the airline's loyalty program customer service directly. Act promptly — some programs have expiration policies that continue running after death.
Use a password manager to maintain a complete account inventory. Set up Google's Inactive Account Manager and Apple's Legacy Contact. Explicitly authorize your executor to access digital assets in your will — this gives them standing under RUFADAA. Create a private digital estate letter (separate from your will, which becomes public record) listing accounts, access instructions, and where seed phrases are stored. Give it directly to your executor and update it annually.
We reviewed this page against official government, court, regulator, and primary-source materials where available. Exact procedures can still vary by state, county, institution, or provider.
Social Media: Platform by Platform
Facebook and Instagram (Meta)
Meta offers two options: memorialization or removal.
A memorialized Facebook profile displays "Remembering" next to the person's name. The profile remains visible to friends and family for ongoing tributes, and no one can log in to it. A designated Legacy Contact — someone the account holder designated before death — can manage certain aspects of the memorialized profile, including pinning a tribute post and deciding whether to accept new friend requests. The Legacy Contact must be set up before death at Facebook.com (Settings > Memorialization Settings).
Without a Legacy Contact, memorialization requests can be submitted at facebook.com/help/1506822589577997. A removal request can be submitted through the same portal if the family prefers the profile be taken down entirely. Both require proof of death and proof of relationship.
Instagram follows the same process — it is owned by Meta and uses the same memorialization and removal request system.
Twitter / X
Twitter/X does not offer a memorialization option. The only path is deactivation — permanently closing the account. Submit a request through help.twitter.com. You will need a death certificate and, in some cases, proof that you are an immediate family member or authorized representative. Twitter/X does not grant access to the account's content — only closure.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn does not have a legacy contact or memorialization feature. Family members or colleagues can submit a removal request through linkedin.com/help. The request requires the member's LinkedIn profile URL and confirmation of their death. Processing typically takes a few weeks.
TikTok
TikTok allows family members to submit a removal request through the Help Center. There is no memorialization option. Provide the profile link and documentation of the death.