When someone passes away, social media accounts don't automatically disappear. Most platforms offer two options: the account receives a memorial status (it remains visible, but no one can log in anymore) or it is permanently deleted at the request of next of kin. Which option applies, and who can request it, varies by platform and is usually governed through a separate form that sits apart from your regular account settings.
The most important thing to remember: platforms only deal with what happens to the visible page. They say nothing about your passwords, your private messages, or what you actually want to happen to your online life. You need to document that separately, and that's precisely where most people drop the ball.
What platforms do themselves
Facebook and Instagram
Facebook and Instagram have used memorial status the longest. A family member or friend can report that someone has passed away, after which the account receives the designation "In memory." Friends can still leave messages on the timeline, but no one can log in anymore, unless a "legacy contact" has been designated in advance. If someone prefers the account to disappear entirely, they can request deletion instead — but that must be proven with a death certificate, and that process can be slow.
LinkedIn has no memorial status. Family members or colleagues can use a form to request that the profile be removed. Until that happens, the profile simply stays online, including any automatic congratulations on work anniversaries. For many people, that feels uncomfortable, especially because there's no one to proactively handle it.
X, TikTok and Snapchat
For platforms like X, TikTok and Snapchat, the policy is less developed. Usually an account can be deactivated or deleted on request, but a memorial status like on Facebook often doesn't exist. In practice, such accounts sometimes remain untouched for years, simply because no one knows the deletion option exists or because no one bothers to go through the process.
Why to handle passwords and wishes separately
A platform's form only deals with the outside: visible or not, memorial or deleted. It says nothing about what you actually want. Do you want your photos to be kept for your children? Should a precious message actually be taken offline? Can a friend still scroll through your messages, or would you rather not? Those are choices only you can make, and they won't be documented anywhere unless you write them down yourself.
There's also the practical problem: platforms almost never ask for your password, but without access, family members often can't handle much themselves, especially if an account isn't linked to an email address they know. An overview of your accounts and the associated login details, kept safe and encrypted, makes it much easier for the people who remain to do what you would want. In a digital vault where you store passwords and documents encrypted you can keep that information separate from your regular password manager, along with a brief explanation per account of what should happen.
How to document this now
The easiest way is to separate two things: practical access (which accounts, which login details, who can access them) and your personal wishes (what should happen, and why). For your wishes, a brief message can clarify a lot — a message you prepare now for the right moment ensures that your loved ones won't have to guess what you meant. the recording of a will, so that it becomes part of the broader arrangements you leave behind.
You don't need to work this all out right away. Start with a list of the accounts you find most important, and feel free to expand it later. On the frequently asked questions page you'll find more information about how trusted buddies get access and when exactly that happens.
You don't have to arrange all of this at once. Create a free account at PSILY and set up your first overview and message in ten minutes — your loved ones will thank you for it later.