I’m sure most of us have someone we would trust with our house keys — but have you chosen someone to look after your digital life?
I can already hear you saying, “Huh? What are you talking about?”
Well, my friend, if you read my last article about digital legacies, you’ll already know how important — and surprisingly simple — it is to start managing the digital life we leave behind. If you haven’t read it yet, go check it out now. I’ll wait…..
Now that we’re all up to speed, let’s talk about what a legacy contact is, why it matters, and how you can assign one.
When it comes to legacy contacts, there are a few very important things to note:
Not all platforms have one
Those that have one, are not all called legacy contacts
A legacy contact does not have full access to the account in question.
So, let's start with the obvious question: What exactly is a legacy contact?
A legacy contact, or similar feature, is someone who you choose to manage certain aspects of your account after your death. When we say manage, we actually mean they carry out actions such as memorialising or closing the account—not taking it over, don’t worry, your suspiciously well-protected "Recipes" folder is safe.
A legacy contact cannot log in as you, continue posting on your behalf, or freely browse and download everything in your account. As funny as it would be to see someone posting as you from the great beyond, that's not how it works. Their permissions are limited and do vary depending on the platform, but the purpose of it is to help carry out your wishes while protecting your privacy.
Throughout this article, I'll use the term legacy contact for consistency. However, it's worth remembering that not every platform uses that name. For example, Facebook, Instagram, and Apple all use the term Legacy Contact, while Google refers to the same feature as Inactive Account Manager. Although the names differ, they all serve a similar purpose: helping you decide what happens to your digital accounts if you're no longer able to manage them yourself.
OK, next obvious question: Who do I choose as my legacy contact?
That, my friend, is a damn good question!
Like most things when it comes to handling your estate, this person should ideally be:
Someone you trust.
Someone who is likely to outlive you
Bonus points if they are someone who is somewhat organised and comfortable with technology.
Lets not forget the most critical part of choosing this person:
Are they happy to do it?
You wouldn't name someone as the executor of your estate and then say, "Surprise! Tag, you're it!" The same applies here. Choosing a legacy contact should be a conversation, not a surprise. In fact, it's the perfect conversation to have while you're completing your digital legacy planning like we talked about in the last article.
When you have this conversation with your person, make sure they are aware of what their role is and what your wishes are. This will be made super easy with our digital legacy inventory, which is coming soon.
Now what you all have been waiting for: How do I set up a Legacy Contact?
We will break this down into the four most common platforms, Facebook, Instagram, Apple and Google. We’re keeping it super simple, because words are hard sometimes.
Facebook:
Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
Select Settings and privacy, then click Settings.
Click Accounts Centre, then click Manage accounts.
Click Account ownership and control.
Click Memorialisation and select your account.
Click Memorialise account, then click Next.
Type a friend's name into the text box, then click on their profile picture.
Select whether to give your legacy contact permission to download a copy of what you've shared on Facebook
Click Save.
To let your friend know that they're now your legacy contact, click Send or click Skip if you do not want to notify them.
Instagram:
Being a Meta product, setting up a legacy contact is almost exactly the same
Click your profile picture in the bottom right of Instagram.
Click the three lines in the top right of Instagram
Click Accounts Centre, then click Manage accounts.
Click Account ownership and control.
Click Memorialisation and select your account.
Click Memorialise account, then click Next.
Type a friend's name into the text box, then click on their profile picture.
Select whether to give your legacy contact permission to download a copy of what you've shared on Instagram
Click Save.
To let your friend know that they're now your legacy contact, click Send or click Skip if you do not want to notify them.
Apple:
Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap your name at the top of the screen.
Tap Sign-In & Security.
Tap Legacy Contact.
Tap Add Legacy Contact.
Follow the instructions on screen and select the person you would like to appoint as your Legacy Contact.
Review the information about what your Legacy Contact will be able to access, then follow the instructions to create your Legacy Contact access key.
Choose how you would like to share the access key with your Legacy Contact. You can send it to them electronically or print a copy.
Make sure your Legacy Contact knows that they have been chosen and knows where to find their access key.
Your Legacy Contact will need the access key and a death certificate to request access to your Apple Account after your death.
Google:
Go to your Google Account.
Click Data & privacy.
Scroll down to Download or delete your data.
Click Make a plan for your digital legacy.
Under Inactive Account Manager, click Start.
Choose how long Google should wait before considering your account inactive.
Add a phone number and email address where Google can contact you before your account is considered inactive.
Click Next.
Choose the people you would like to notify when your account becomes inactive.
Select whether you want to give them access to specific information from your Google Account.
If you choose to share data, select which Google products and information you would like them to access.
Click Next.
Choose whether you want your Google Account to be deleted after your account has been inactive for the selected period.
Review your settings, then click Confirm plan.
Why does any of this even matter? You’re dead right?... Right?
As I've just shown you, setting up a legacy contact, or similar feature only takes a couple of minutes, but it can save your family hours of frustration later. Without one, your loved ones may need to contact each platform individually, provide copies of death certificates, wait for responses, or simply leave accounts sitting unmanaged. Abandoned accounts could potentially become vulnerable to hacking or misuse—something no family should have to worry about while they're grieving.
It's just one of those small things that often gets pushed aside because it doesn't feel urgent—but when the time comes, it can make a world of difference.
If you're ready to take the next step, keep an eye out for the Fairlight Digital Legacy Inventory, you won’t miss it, I'll make a whole song and dance about it when it's available. It's designed to help you record your digital accounts, your wishes, and the important information your loved ones may need—all in one place.
While you're thinking about it, why not take five minutes today and nominate your legacy contact? Future you—and your loved ones—will thank you for it.
Until next time
