When someone dies, their accounts don't stop existing — they just sit there, still logging in, still billing, still holding photos and messages nobody else can reach. We've already covered the bigger picture of what happens to your digital life when you die. This is the practical follow-up: what to actually click, and who to actually contact, for each major platform.

None of this replaces legal advice, and every platform can change its process without notice — treat it as a starting point, not a script. In almost every case, having a death certificate ready before you start will save you a second round of forms.

Facebook
A nominated Legacy Contact can manage a memorialised profile. Without one, a verified family member can request memorialisation or removal via Meta's Help Centre, with a death certificate.
Instagram
Owned by Meta — the same process as Facebook. A verified family member can request memorialisation or removal, but can't log in as the account holder.
Google / Gmail
If Inactive Account Manager was set up in advance, named trusted contacts get automatic access. Otherwise, next-of-kin can submit a request — Google may grant limited access or closure, but it isn't guaranteed.
Apple / iCloud
Since iOS 15.2, up to five Legacy Contacts can request access to photos, files and messages. Without one set up beforehand, Apple typically requires a court order — even for a spouse.
Microsoft / Outlook
Microsoft won't hand over login credentials to next-of-kin. Family can request account closure with a death certificate; inactive accounts close automatically after two years.
TikTok
No formal legacy or memorialisation feature exists yet. A family member can report the account and request deactivation via TikTok's support form, with proof of death.
Spotify
No death-specific process — the subscription just keeps billing until someone cancels it. Contact Spotify support with proof of death, or cancel directly if you have the login.
PayPal
Contact PayPal's bereavement team with a death certificate. Any balance is normally released to the estate once identity — and probate, if required — is confirmed.

The step that actually saves time

Every one of these processes moves faster with two things: a death certificate, and proof of who you are to the account holder. The thing that slows families down almost every time isn't the platform's process — it's not knowing which platforms exist in the first place.

Before you need this list: write down which accounts you actually have — not just the big ones. A record of "I have a Spotify family plan, a PayPal account, and I use Outlook for work" takes five minutes to write and can save your family weeks of guessing later.

This is exactly what Sudden's Digital module is for — one place to record which accounts exist, so the people you love aren't starting from a blank page while they're grieving.