How to Handle Your Loved One’s Social Media Accounts After They Have Passed

It’s probably not the first thing (or maybe not even in the top 20) you think of when someone you love dies, but you may at some point wonder what to do with their social media accounts.

There are three options for managing social media accounts, and we’ll briefly cover each. But first, some ideas to keep in mind as you decide what to do.

First, take your time. This is probably not urgent, and two of the three options are permanent, so you cannot change your mind. In the early days of searing grief, you may feel strongly one way, but as you process and think about it, you might come to a different decision. It’s good to take the time to make sure it’s the right decision for you and your loved one.

Second, consult friends and family. While it probably doesn’t matter what all 457 of their Instagram followers think about what you do with their account, your loved one’s closest friends and family should have a voice. And if not a vote in your decision, they should be given time to download or screenshot memories before you delete an account.

Third, consider what your loved one might have wanted. Maybe they were more private, and you would rather delete them. Maybe they would have loved their friends and family to have access to the memories. These are good conversations to have while people are living, but obviously, sometimes that is not possible, so just use your best judgment.

Options

I will provide a link at the end with instructions on how to use each of these options on the various social media platforms—it’s super helpful because they are all unique and require a different process.

• The first option is to maintain the account as is. In fact, this is the default option of social media companies. To do anything else, you have to go through a process including documentation of the death. Social media accounts can be a treasure trove of photos, videos, and other memories, and they can be a nice way to share memories.

  Some things to keep in mind:

  • If you keep the account intact, consider designating someone (or a few people) to maintain it

  • This is the only option of the three that is not permanent. You can always go back and do something else if it isn’t working out for you.

  • As a hybrid option, sometimes people choose to keep the account open but only keep family and very close friends on it. This can be hurtful if you remove people before they’ve had a chance to save their memories, but it can be simpler to maintain over time.

• The second option is to memorialize the account. I believe that Facebook and Instagram are the only companies offering this option. It requires you to provide proof of the person’s death and your relationship status to the person. This option makes it clear that the person is deceased and leaves the page open to view photos and memories, but it does not let anyone add to the page. It also removes any auto-reminders of birthdays, etc.

  This is a mostly permanent option, meaning you can’t convert it back into a regular account, though you could have it deleted later if you wanted to.

• The last option is to delete the account. This is permanent; there is no undoing or changing your mind later. If you choose this option, you should be absolutely sure this is what you want, that you have taken the time to download photos, videos, and other memories, and that you have given other friends and family the opportunity to do the same.

  Some reasons you might want to delete could include:

  • The memories and reminders are painful

  • Concerns about getting hacked

  • Concerns over your loved one’s privacy

  • Not wanting to deal with the hassle of monitoring the account

  Some reasons you might want to consider other options could be:

  • The permanence of account deletion

  • You generally have to go through hoops to delete, including documenting the death and proving your relationship

  • Other friends and family might have strong objections

There are pros and cons to each option and no perfect answer for everyone. You’ll have to decide which option works best for you and your loved one’s friends and family.

If you do decide to memorialize or delete accounts, here is a wonderful guide on exactly how to do that. Side note: I have read in other places that Twitter/X does not have any options in place for doing something with their accounts after someone dies, but as the social media landscape changes rapidly, you can easily do your own research if these options no longer work.

Click the link below for the guide

Consumer Resources Guide to Closing Social Media Accounts of Your Deceased Loved Ones