What Happens To Your Facebook Page When You Die? Here's What You, And Your Loved Ones Should Do

Death might not be something you think about often, but if you have a Facebook account you should plan out how to have your profile page deleted or memorialized. But you’ll first have to pick a person to be your Legacy Contact in case something happens to you, so that person can memorialize your account or delete it.

We’ll explain what the exact role of a Legacy Contact is and how to delete or memorialize your account in the case of death.

What Is A Facebook Legacy Contact?

A legacy contact is a person on Facebook, either a friend or a family member, who you choose to look after your account if you die. Your legacy contact will be able to delete your account or memorialize it. If the account is memorialized, the designated person will be able to write a pinned post, such as a final message or information about a memorial service.

What A Legacy Contact Can Do

The person will also be allowed to respond to friend requests and update your profile picture or cover photo. Your legacy contact will be able to download an archived copy of your Facebook account. The legacy contact won’t be able to log into your account, can’t change posts or pictures you have shared previously, not allowed to read your messages and remove friends.

What Is A Memorialized Facebook Account?

A memorialized Facebook account has the word “Remembering” next to the person’s name on their profile page. Content uploaded by the deceased user stays on Facebook, visible to those it was shared with. Memorialized profiles don’t show up as suggestions for People You May Know, ads or birthday alerts.

Picking A Legacy Contact To Memorialize Your Account

To have someone memorialize your account, first choose a legacy contact.

• Go to the top right of Facebook and click the downward arrow and select Settings

• Got the left side menu and select Security

• Select Legacy Contact, located right before Deactivate Your Account.

• Add legacy contact by typing in person’s name

• You can then choose to send that person about your choice at that moment, or click Not Now if you don’t want that person to know about your decision yet. Don’t forget to tell the person though, since they will have to memorialize your account in case you die.

How To Delete Your Facebook Account After Death

If you don’t want your account to be memorialized you can delete it:

• Go to the top right of Facebook and click the downward arrow and select Settings

• Go to the left side menu and select Security

• Click Legacy Contact, located right before Deactivate Your Account.

• Select “Request account deletion.”

• A screen will pop up asking you to confirm that you want your account deleted in the case of death.

If you didn’t pick a legacy contact, a loved one can fill out a memorialization request. The form asks for the deceased person’s name, date of death and optional proof of death, such as an obituary link.

A loved one can also fill out a Special Request for Deceased Person's Account form, which gives users various options including, “Please memorialize this account” or “Please remove this account.”