Digital Legacy - Facebook

Our lives now exist across thousands of digital moments: photos shared with family, messages exchanged with friends, documents stored in the cloud, and accounts that record our work, interests, and memories. Together, these form our digital legacy, the collection of digital assets and digital presence that represent who we are online.

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Facebook

Facebook allows you to decide what happens to your account if you pass away.
You can either:

  • Appoint a Legacy Contact to manage a memorialised version of your profile, or
  • Choose to have your account permanently deleted.

If you don’t make a choice, Facebook will automatically memorialise your main profile once they’re notified of your passing.

(See: Facebook Help – What happens to your account if you pass away)

Memorialised Profiles

A memorialised profile becomes a place for friends and family to share memories.
Key features include:

  • The word “Remembering” appears next to your name.
  • Friends can post tributes depending on your privacy settings.
  • Your photos and posts remain visible to the audience you originally shared them with.
  • Memorialised profiles don’t appear in friend suggestions, birthday reminders or ads.
  • No one can log in to a memorialised account.
  • If no legacy contact was chosen, the account’s content and settings can’t be changed.

If the person was the sole admin of a Facebook Page, the Page will be removed once the profile is memorialised. Groups with a sole admin will be paused until a new admin is appointed.

Legacy Contacts

If digital accounts are not inA legacy contact is someone you nominate to manage parts of your memorialised profile.

They can:

  • Accept new friend requests.
  • Update your profile and cover photos.
  • Write a pinned post (for example, to share funeral details).
  • Request deletion of the profile.
  • Download a copy of what you shared (if this permission was enabled).

You can update or remove your legacy contact at any time.

⚠️ Tip: Choose someone you trust, and tell them about your decision. If you do not appoint a legacy contact, no one can make changes to your memorialised account.

Delete Your Account After Death

You can update or remove your legacy contact at any time.

  • Go to Settings and Privacy → Settings → Accounts Centre.
  • Select Personal details → Account ownership and control → Memorialisation.
  • Choose Delete after death or Memorialise account, and follow the prompts.
📝 Note: Minors can’t select a legacy contact, and if you’re under 18 and choose “Delete after death”, you can’t change it until you reach adulthood.

For Friends and Family

If someone you know has passed away, you can:

  • Request memorialisation of their profile, providing proof such as an obituary or death certificate.
  • Ask for account removal, if you are an immediate family member and have the required documentation.
  • Create a group to share memories and photos if you’d like a dedicated space for remembrance.
📝 Note: Facebook cannot share login details or grant account access to anyone—even family members—after someone passes away.

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Forevermore’s Tip

Including Facebook in your digital-legacy plan ensures your wishes are respected and prevents distress for loved ones.

Consider discussing your memorialisation or deletion preference with your digital executor and recording it in your Forevermore Digital Legacy Plan.