How to Set Up Legacy Contacts on Google, Apple, and Facebook
Prepare for the future by designating legacy contacts on Google, Apple, and Facebook, ensuring your loved ones can manage your digital life with ease and preserve your cherished memories.
How to Enable Legacy Contacts on Google, Apple, and Facebook
Most of us leave behind more than physical belongings. Photos, messages, calendars, notes, and accounts can hold real meaning—and they can also create confusion if no one knows what to do with them.
Designating legacy contacts (or setting up after-death account preferences) is a simple way to reduce stress for the people you trust. It’s not about expecting the worst. It’s about making sure your digital life is handled with care, privacy, and clarity.
What “legacy contact” means (and what it doesn’t)
A practical definition
A legacy contact is someone you choose to help manage parts of your account after you die. Depending on the platform, they may be able to download certain data, post a final message, update a profile photo, or close the account.
Each company uses its own system. Some call it a “legacy contact,” others offer an “inactive account” plan, and some focus on memorialization.
Common misconceptions to clear up
These settings are helpful, but they’re not the same as handing over full access. Before you start, it helps to know what they do—and what they don’t do.
It doesn’t usually share your password. Most platforms avoid giving anyone full login access, even a trusted person.
It doesn’t replace a will or legal authority. These are platform tools, not legal documents.
It doesn’t mean someone can read everything. Access is limited and varies by company and privacy rules.
Why this matters for loved ones
When someone dies, families often need to do small but important tasks: preserve photos, notify friends, stop reminders, or close accounts that keep generating emails. Without a plan, people may spend hours searching for options—or feel stuck because they want to respect privacy.
Setting up legacy options now gives your loved ones a clear path later, without asking them to guess what you would have wanted.
Before you begin: a quick, calm checklist
Choose the right person (and set expectations)
Pick someone who is steady, trustworthy, and comfortable following instructions. This doesn’t have to be the same person who handles finances, and it doesn’t have to be your closest relative.
It helps to tell them you’ve chosen them and what you want them to do. A short conversation now can prevent uncertainty later.
Decide what you want to happen to each account
Different platforms offer different choices. Taking two minutes to decide your preference makes setup much easier.
Do you want your account deleted, memorialized, or left accessible in a limited way?
Is there anything you want saved first (photos, documents, contacts)?
Do you want a final message posted, or would you prefer no public changes?
Write down where your plan lives
Legacy settings work best when someone can find them. Consider keeping a simple note in a secure place that says which platforms you’ve set up and who you named.
If you use a password manager, you can also store a “digital wishes” note there—without sharing passwords you don’t want shared.
Google: set up the Inactive Account Manager
What Google’s tool does
Google doesn’t use the phrase “legacy contact,” but its Inactive Account Manager lets you decide what happens if your Google account becomes inactive for a period of time you choose.
You can name trusted contacts who may be notified and allowed to download certain data. You can also choose to have the account deleted after the inactivity period.
How to enable it (step-by-step)
Set aside 10–15 minutes, especially if you want to choose specific data categories.
Go to your Google Account settings.
Find Data & privacy (wording may vary slightly).
Look for Inactive Account Manager.
Choose an inactivity period (for example, 3, 6, 12, or 18 months).
Add one or more trusted contacts and verify their email addresses.
Select what data (if any) each contact can download.
Decide whether you want your account deleted after the plan runs.
Review and confirm.
Tips to avoid surprises
Google may send alerts before the account is treated as inactive. That’s a good thing—it reduces accidental triggers.
Choose contacts who will respond. If they miss the notification, the benefit of the plan may be delayed.
Be selective with data sharing. You can allow access to some data without opening everything.
Revisit once a year. People’s emails change, and your preferences may change too.
Apple: set up a Legacy Contact for your Apple ID
What Apple’s Legacy Contact allows
Apple’s Legacy Contact feature lets you choose a person who can request access to your Apple account data after your death. This is designed to help loved ones retrieve important photos, notes, and other information stored with Apple.
Apple provides an access key for the legacy contact, and the legacy contact will also need documentation (such as a death certificate) when the time comes.
How to enable it (step-by-step)
You’ll typically set this up on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac signed into your Apple ID.
Open Settings (or System Settings on Mac) and tap your name (Apple ID).
Go to Password & Security.
Select Legacy Contact.
Tap Add Legacy Contact and follow the prompts to choose a person.
Share the access key with them (Apple may offer options to share digitally or print).
Make it workable for the person you chose
The most common snag is that the access key gets lost. The feature only helps if your legacy contact can find what they need.
Tell them where the access key is stored. For example: a safe, a secure folder, or a password manager note.
Confirm they can receive it. If you share it digitally, make sure it’s saved somewhere they can access later.
Keep your contact list current. If relationships or trusted people change, update the setting.
Facebook: choose a legacy contact or request memorialization
What Facebook offers after someone dies
Facebook generally supports two paths: memorializing an account or removing it. Memorialization helps preserve the profile as a place for remembrance, while limiting certain types of access.
You can also choose a legacy contact who may be allowed to manage limited parts of a memorialized account, depending on Facebook’s current settings.
How to set a legacy contact (step-by-step)
Facebook updates menus from time to time, but the setting is usually found in your account preferences.
Open Facebook and go to Settings & privacy.
Go to Settings, then look for Memorialization settings (or similar wording).
Choose Legacy contact and select the person you trust.
Decide whether you want your account memorialized or permanently deleted upon death (if that option is available in your region/account).
Save your changes.
Choosing memorialization vs. deletion
There isn’t a universally “right” choice—only what fits your values and your family’s needs.
Memorialization can preserve photos and posts and give friends a place to share memories.
Deletion can be simpler and more private, especially if you prefer a clean closure.
Legacy contact can help manage small tasks (like a pinned message), but it’s not full account control.
After you set it up: simple next steps that make it stick
Tell your people (without making it heavy)
You don’t need a big conversation. A calm, practical note is often enough: “I set up legacy access for my Google/Apple/Facebook accounts. You’re my contact. Here’s where the info is stored.”
This kind of clarity can feel like a gift later, especially during an already stressful time.
Keep a small “digital plan” in one place
A short list helps your loved ones avoid hunting through devices and emails. Include only what’s necessary.
Which platforms you set up (Google, Apple, Facebook, others)
Who you named as the contact for each
Where the access key or instructions are stored
Your preference: delete, memorialize, or limited access
Review once a year
People change phones, emails, and relationships. A quick annual check—perhaps around a birthday or New Year—keeps your choices current.
If you update nothing else, confirm your legacy contact is still the right person and that they can still be reached.
Related Reading
- The Digital Estate Checklist Most People Forget
- What Happens to Your Online Accounts When You Die?
- Why You Should Never Store Passwords in a Will
Organize Your Digital Life Before It Becomes Someone Else's Problem
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