What to Do With a Deceased Family Member's Digital Files

You've lost a family member and now face a problem nobody prepared you for: locked smartphones, inaccessible accounts, years of photos and memories trapped behind passwords nobody knows. You are not alone. This is an increasingly common situation, and unfortunately almost nobody knows what to do.

First of all: take the time you need

There's no immediate rush for most digital accounts. Platforms don't delete data overnight — usually there are months, sometimes years, before an inactive account is removed. Take time to grieve before tackling practical matters.

What to do in the first days

• Collect devices — smartphones, tablets, computers, external hard drives. Don't format anything.
• Look for written passwords — notebooks, drawers, wallets. Many people wrote them on paper.
• Check password managers — 1Password, Bitwarden, iCloud/Google Keychain.
• Recover the main email — it's the key to recovering all other passwords.

How to unlock main accounts

iPhone and iPad

If you don't know the passcode, Apple does not grant access even to heirs without a court order. If the deceased had set up an Apple Legacy Contact, use the access code provided through that feature.

Google (Gmail, Drive, Photos)

You can request access to the deceased's data through a formal procedure at g.co/accounts/deceased — requires a death certificate and takes time.

Facebook and Instagram

Meta allows you to memorialise the profile, request removal, or — if a legacy contact was nominated — access specific content. All requests at facebook.com/special-request/deceased.

Online bank accounts

The traditional inheritance procedure is required with death certificate and documentation proving heir status. Processing times vary from weeks to months.

The hardest files to recover

Photos on private cloud

If the deceased used iCloud or Google Photos without configuring legacy settings, photos may be inaccessible. First look for physical backups — hard drives, USB sticks.

Cryptocurrencies

This is the most critical case. Without the seed phrase (12 or 24 words), cryptocurrencies are lost forever — nobody can recover them. Look for papers with random words, hardware wallets, files named "seed" or "recovery".

When you need a lawyer

Consult a legal professional for: access to online bank accounts and investments, recovery of significant cryptocurrency holdings, disputes between heirs over digital assets, requests that platforms refuse.

How to prevent your loved ones from facing this situation

Dealing with a deceased family member's digital files is frustrating and painful. You can make sure your loved ones don't face the same problem.

EternalMemory lets you store everything encrypted, designate who receives what, leave practical instructions, and configure automatic delivery. A concrete act of care for those you love.

If you're reading this because you've just lost someone, I'm sorry. Take care of yourself first. The files can wait — people can't.

Questions? Write to info@eternalmemory.me