Digital Assets After Death: Social Media, Crypto, Subscriptions, and Email

When someone dies, their digital life is often just as complex as their physical one — and in many cases, even harder to untangle.

Most estate planning still doesn't address digital assets in any meaningful way. Wills mention the house, the car, the bank accounts — but they rarely mention the cryptocurrency wallet, the subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud, the Instagram account with ten thousand followers, or the email that serves as the key to every other account.

The result is that families lose access to important accounts, keep paying for subscriptions nobody is using, miss financial assets they didn't know existed, and struggle to memorialize or close online accounts that keep sending notifications to grieving loved ones.

This guide covers everything you need to know about handling digital assets after a death — from finding accounts to accessing devices, managing social media, dealing with cryptocurrency, canceling subscriptions, and protecting against identity theft.

Why Digital Assets Matter

Digital assets aren't just social media profiles. They encompass a wide range of accounts and property that can have significant financial, emotional, and legal implications.

Financial accounts. Online banking, investment platforms, PayPal, Venmo, cryptocurrency exchanges — these can hold real money that belongs to the estate. Missing them means the estate loses those funds. (See our guide on what happens to bank accounts when someone dies for the full breakdown.)

Sentimental assets. Photos stored in iCloud or Google Photos, emails, text messages, social media posts — these are often the most precious things a family wants to preserve after a loss. Once an account is deleted or locked, they may be gone forever.

Ongoing financial obligations. Subscriptions, auto-pay bills, streaming services, cloud storage, software licenses — these keep charging the deceased's credit card or bank account every month. Until they're canceled, the estate is losing money.

Revenue-generating assets. Websites, blogs, YouTube channels, online stores, affiliate accounts, domain names — some people have digital assets that generate ongoing income. These need to be managed or transferred, not just shut down.

Intellectual property. E-books, digital art, music, software, patents filed digitally — these have real value and real ownership rights that need to be addressed as part of the estate.

The consequences of not addressing digital assets can be severe. Families lose thousands of dollars in unclaimed accounts and unnecessary subscription charges. Sentimental photos and messages disappear permanently. And the deceased's identity becomes vulnerable to theft — deceased individuals are actually among the most common targets for identity fraud.

How to Find Digital Accounts

The first challenge is simply figuring out what accounts your loved one had. There's no central registry of digital accounts, so you'll need to do some detective work.

Check their devices

If you can access their phone, tablet, or computer, start with saved passwords. On an iPhone, go to Settings, then Passwords — this will show every account that has a saved login. On Android, go to Settings, then Google, then Passwords. On a computer, check the browser's saved passwords — in Chrome, go to Settings, then Passwords and Autofill, then Google Password Manager. These saved password lists are often the most comprehensive inventory of someone's digital life.

Check their email

Email is the thread that connects almost every digital account. If you can access their email, search for terms like “welcome to,” “your account,” “subscription confirmation,” “payment receipt,” “your order,” “verify your email,” and “password reset.” This will surface most of the accounts they've created over the years.

Check credit card and bank statements

Go through at least three to six months of statements and look for any recurring charges. These will reveal subscriptions and services that may not show up anywhere else. Look for charges from companies you don't recognize — many subscription services use billing names that are different from their brand names.

Check physical records

Look through their desk, filing cabinets, and personal papers for written lists of passwords, account numbers, or notes about online accounts. Many people — especially older adults — keep a written record of their passwords somewhere in their home.

Look for a password manager

If your loved one used a password manager like 1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden, or Dashlane, getting access to it is the single most valuable thing you can do. A password manager contains the keys to their entire digital life. Check their phone's app list, their computer's installed programs, and their browser extensions.

How to Access Devices

Getting into your loved one's devices is often the first hurdle — and it can be the hardest.

iPhone and iPad

If you know the passcode, you can access the device directly. If you don't know the passcode, your options depend on whether your loved one set up any advance access. Apple Digital Legacy is a feature that allows someone to designate a “Legacy Contact” who can request access to their Apple account after death. If you were designated as a Legacy Contact, you can request access through Apple's website with a death certificate and the access key they shared with you. If there's no Legacy Contact and no passcode, you'll need to contact Apple with a death certificate and a court order (letters testamentary — learn how to get these in our Executor 101 guide). Apple will provide access to the account data, but the process can take several weeks.

Android devices

Google has an “Inactive Account Manager” that works similarly to Apple's Digital Legacy. If the deceased set it up, designated contacts will automatically receive access after a specified period of inactivity. If not, you'll need to submit a request to Google with a death certificate and proof of your legal authority over the estate. Google's process can be slow, and they may not grant full access to the device itself — only to certain account data.

Computers

If the computer is password-protected and you don't have the login, a computer repair shop can often help bypass the login to access the hard drive. This is legal when you have proper legal authority over the estate. For Mac computers, an Apple Store can sometimes help with proof of death and legal authority. For Windows computers, there are legitimate tools and services that can reset or bypass the password.

Social Media: Memorialize, Delete, or Download

Each social media platform handles death differently. Before you take any action, decide what the family wants: do you want to preserve the account as a memorial, delete it entirely, or download the data first? In most cases, downloading the data before making any other decision is the safest approach.

Facebook and Instagram

Facebook and Instagram (both owned by Meta) offer two options: memorialization or deletion. A memorialized account stays visible with “Remembering” shown next to the person's name. Friends can still post memories on the timeline. If the deceased designated a “Legacy Contact” in their Facebook settings, that person can manage the memorialized account — including pinning posts, updating the profile picture, and responding to friend requests. To memorialize or delete an account, you'll need to submit a request to Meta with proof of death. If you have login access, you can also download all their data (photos, posts, messages) before taking any action.

Twitter/X

Twitter/X allows family members or estate representatives to request deactivation of a deceased person's account. You'll need to submit a deactivation request with a copy of the death certificate and your identification. Twitter does not currently offer a memorialization option, so deactivation (which leads to permanent deletion after 30 days) is the only path. Download any data you want to preserve before submitting the request.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn allows verified family members to request removal of a deceased person's profile. You'll need to submit a request through their help center with proof of death. There is no memorialization option — the profile will be removed entirely.

YouTube

YouTube accounts are tied to Google accounts. If the deceased had a YouTube channel, especially one with subscribers or monetized content, you'll want to carefully consider your options. Google's Inactive Account Manager may apply. Otherwise, you can request access or deletion through Google's deceased user process. If the channel generates revenue, consult with an attorney about how to handle it as part of the estate.

Download data first

Before memorializing or deleting any social media account, always download the data if possible. Most platforms offer a data export feature that will give you photos, posts, messages, and other content in a downloadable file. Once an account is deleted, this data is gone permanently.

Cryptocurrency: The Most Urgent Digital Asset

Cryptocurrency requires the most urgent attention because it's the most likely to become permanently inaccessible.

Exchange-based crypto (like Coinbase, Kraken, or Binance) is generally accessible through the normal estate process. Contact the exchange with a death certificate and letters testamentary, and they'll work with you to transfer the assets to the estate. This is similar to working with any other financial institution.

Hardware wallets and self-custody crypto are a completely different situation. If your loved one stored cryptocurrency in a hardware wallet (like a Ledger or Trezor) or a software wallet on their phone or computer, you need the “seed phrase” to access it. A seed phrase is a series of 12 to 24 random words that serves as the master key to the wallet. Without the seed phrase, the cryptocurrency is permanently inaccessible — there is no recovery, no customer service to call, no court order that can help. The funds are effectively gone forever.

How to look for a seed phrase: Search their home for a piece of paper, metal card, or notebook with a list of seemingly random words — typically 12 or 24 words like “abandon bicycle craft dolphin elephant forest...” Check their safe, filing cabinet, desk drawers, and any secure storage. Some people store seed phrases in password managers or encrypted files on their computer.

Important: If you find a seed phrase or gain access to a crypto wallet, consult with an estate attorney before moving any funds. Cryptocurrency transactions are taxable events, and moving funds incorrectly could create significant tax liability for the estate.

Subscriptions and Recurring Charges

Subscription charges add up fast, and they'll keep billing until someone cancels them. Make this a priority early in the estate settlement process.

Common subscriptions to look for: Streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Premium). Software subscriptions (Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, antivirus programs). Cloud storage (iCloud, Google One, Dropbox). News and media (newspapers, magazines, Substack). Meal kits and delivery services. Gym memberships and fitness apps. Dating apps. Gaming subscriptions (Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus). Professional memberships and associations.

How to find them all: Check credit card and bank statements for recurring charges. On an iPhone, go to Settings, then tap your name, then Subscriptions to see all App Store subscriptions. On Android, open the Google Play Store and check Payments and Subscriptions. Check PayPal for recurring payment agreements. Check Amazon for Subscribe and Save orders and Prime membership.

Keep records of every cancellation. Note the date you canceled, any confirmation numbers, the name of the person you spoke to, and whether any refund was promised. Some companies will refund charges made after the date of death if you provide a death certificate. Others won't. Having a record protects the estate either way.

Email: Keep It Active As Long as Possible

Email is the master key to someone's entire digital life. Almost every online account uses email for login, password resets, and two-factor authentication. Losing access to email means losing access to everything else.

Do not close the email account right away. Keep it active for at least 12 to 18 months, or for the entire duration of the estate settlement process. You'll need it to reset passwords on other accounts, receive important communications from financial institutions, and verify two-factor authentication codes.

Set up email forwarding. If you can access the email account, set up forwarding to your own email address (or the executor's email). This ensures you don't miss important messages — like bills, account notifications, or legal correspondence — even if you're not checking the deceased's inbox regularly.

Use email for account discovery. As mentioned in the “finding accounts” section, searching the email inbox is one of the most effective ways to build a comprehensive list of digital accounts. Take the time to do a thorough search before you close or stop monitoring the account.

Protecting Against Identity Theft

Deceased individuals are prime targets for identity theft. Criminals use publicly available obituary information to open fraudulent accounts, file fake tax returns, and make unauthorized charges. The Federal Trade Commission reports that identity theft of the deceased costs families and institutions billions of dollars each year.

Notify the three major credit bureaus. Send a copy of the death certificate to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion and request that the deceased's credit file be flagged with a “deceased” alert. This makes it significantly harder for someone to open new accounts in their name.

Notify the IRS. File the deceased's final tax return as soon as possible. This helps prevent someone from filing a fraudulent return in their name to claim a refund. You can also send a copy of the death certificate to the IRS to flag the Social Security number.

Notify the Social Security Administration. The funeral home typically reports the death to Social Security, but confirm that it's been done. The SSA maintains the Death Master File, which is used by financial institutions to prevent fraud.

Consider a credit freeze. You can request a credit freeze on the deceased's credit report with each bureau. This prevents any new credit accounts from being opened in their name. Unlike a fraud alert, a credit freeze is a hard block that requires specific action to remove.

A System for Tracking It All

Digital assets add a whole new layer of complexity to an already overwhelming process. Between finding accounts, accessing devices, managing social media, canceling subscriptions, and protecting against identity theft, there are dozens of tasks that need to be tracked and completed.

That's why Afterward includes digital asset tracking as part of the estate settlement process. You can log every digital account you discover, track its status (active, memorialized, closed, transferred), note login credentials securely, and keep a record of every action you take. When everything is in one place, nothing falls through the cracks.

If you're dealing with digital assets as part of an estate, you don't have to navigate it alone. Afterward gives you a clear system, a shared space for your family, and step-by-step guidance for every part of the process — including the digital parts that most guides skip entirely.

Afterward is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. For questions specific to your situation, please consult with an estate planning or probate attorney in your state.