What Happens to Digital Accounts and Subscriptions After Someone Dies?
When someone dies, the obvious paperwork usually comes first: the will, the bank accounts, the funeral arrangements. But increasingly, there’s another side to deal with — one that didn’t really exist a generation ago.
The person’s digital life.
Most people now leave behind dozens (sometimes hundreds) of online accounts: subscriptions, memberships, cloud storage, emails, photos, social media, and more. Some are purely practical. Some hold deep sentimental value. And many continue running quietly in the background long after someone has died — unless someone steps in to deal with them.
Here’s a simple guide to help you work through it.
Start by making a list
Before you start contacting companies, try to gather a full list of the person’s online accounts. This may include:
Email accounts (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
Cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox)
Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, TikTok, etc.)
Streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)
Shopping accounts (Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc.)
Banking or investment apps
Online gaming accounts
Subscriptions and memberships
Loyalty or reward accounts
Photo storage services
Domain names or websites they owned
Professional or work-related accounts
You may find clues by reviewing emails, paperwork, or payment statements.
Check for any passwords or notes
If you’re lucky, your loved one may have left behind a list of logins and passwords — sometimes on paper, sometimes using a password manager. If you have legal authority (such as being executor or administrator), this may make it much easier to access and close accounts.
However, even if you don’t have passwords, many companies have processes for dealing with accounts after death.
Contact the companies
Each platform has its own policies for handling accounts after someone dies. Common options include:
Closing the account entirely
Memorialising certain accounts (e.g. Facebook, Instagram)
Transferring ownership (rare, but sometimes possible for things like domain names)
Most will require:
A death certificate
Proof of your authority to act (grant of probate, letters of administration, etc.)
Proof of your identity
Some may also ask for extra documentation depending on the situation.
Stop automatic payments
It’s common for subscriptions to continue running until cancelled. Watch for:
Monthly or yearly charges for streaming, storage, memberships or software
Small recurring payments that can easily be missed
Services linked to PayPal, credit cards or bank accounts
Where possible, cancel these directly or notify the bank to stop payments once you're authorised to act.
Be mindful of sentimental accounts
Some online accounts hold huge emotional value — family photos, personal messages, or important documents.
Where possible, try to:
Download copies of photos or videos
Save important emails or files
Back up cloud storage
In some cases, it may not be possible to retrieve data after an account is closed, so try to recover what you need before requesting closure.
What happens if you can't access an account?
If you don’t have login details and the company refuses to release information, you may need legal advice. Laws around digital assets after death are still developing in many countries, and access often depends on:
The company’s own policies
Local privacy and data protection laws
Whether legal authority has been granted to you
In some cases, accounts may simply remain dormant or be closed without access to the data.
Keep good records
As with the rest of estate administration, it helps to keep notes of:
Which accounts you’ve dealt with
Dates you contacted companies
Any confirmation emails or letters you receive
Outstanding tasks still to be done
A tool to help you stay organised
Managing digital accounts is just one piece of the paperwork after a death — but one that’s easy to overlook. The After Death Spreadsheet includes space to track all types of accounts, subscriptions and tasks, helping you stay organised as you work through the estate.
A final thought
Dealing with online accounts after someone dies can feel strange — like tidying up part of someone’s private world. But handled carefully, it’s a way to protect their information, prevent identity theft, and give you (and their digital footprint) some peace of mind.
And like all the other admin: one step at a time.
