Memorialising a Loved One on Facebook

Taking care of your digital footprint extends beyond your current online activities.  Have you considered what might happen to your Facebook account in the unfortunate event of your passing? 

Facebook's legacy contact feature allows you to choose a trusted individual to manage aspects of your profile after your death. In this blog post, we'll walk you through how to set up a legacy contact, and we'll cover what this person can and cannot do with your account. 

How Do I Set Up Facebook Memorialisation and Legacy Settings?

Here's a written breakdown of the steps for both desktop and mobile:

From a Desktop

• Access Settings: Click on your profile picture in the top right corner and select "Settings & privacy," then "Settings."
• Account Center: Under "Accounts Center," click "See More in Accounts Center," and select "Personal details."
• Account Ownership and Control: Choose "Account ownership and control," and then select "Memorialization."
• Account Options: Decide if you want your page deleted or memorialized after the passing of an administrator.
• Designate your Legacy Contact: Select a trusted employee, partner, or designated representative as your legacy contact.

From a Mobile

• Access Settings: Tap the three lines (hamburger menu) in the top right corner of the Facebook app. Scroll down and tap "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings."
• Account Center: Under "Accounts Center," click "See More in Accounts Center" and select "Personal details."
• Account Ownership and Control: Choose "Account ownership and control," and then select "Memorialization."
• Account Options: Decide if you want your page deleted or memorialized after the passing of an administrator.
• Designate your Legacy Contact: Select a trusted employee, partner, or designated representative as your legacy contact.

What Can a Facebook Legacy Contact Do?

They'll be able to:

• Manage tribute posts on your main profile, which includes deciding who can post and who can see posts, and removing tags
• Request the deletion of your main profile and any additional profiles associated with your account
• Respond to new friend requests
• Update your profile picture and cover photo

Your legacy contact can only manage posts made after you've passed away. They won't be able to post as you or see your messages.