> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How do I prepare digital assets for death? Privacy, access and family planning - URL: https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/prepare-digital-assets-for-death/ - Published: 2026-10-05T09:26:17.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-05T09:26:17.000Z - Description: A practical Australia-first guide to preparing digital assets for death, covering privacy, access, trusted contacts, family roles and AU/UK/US differences. - Author: Evaheld Team - Tags: Digital Legacy & Private Vaults To prepare digital assets for death, make a clear inventory of accounts, devices, files, subscriptions and online profiles, then record your privacy wishes, choose trusted access people and leave instructions your family can legally and practically follow. The goal is not to share every password; it is to make digital legacy, private vaults, trusted access and family planning workable without exposing private information or breaching platform rules. This article serves Australia as the primary market while explaining important United Kingdom and United States differences. It uses UK English because the supplied ranking material and the wider intended audience are Australian, UK and Commonwealth-facing rather than US-specific. It is general information, not legal advice. Digital assets can sit across estate law, contract terms, privacy law, platform policies, cyber security and family consent, so a solicitor or estate lawyer should review instructions that affect money, business accounts, intellectual property or executor authority. ## What counts as a digital asset? A digital asset is anything valuable, useful, expressive or administratively important that exists in digital form. It includes photos, videos, voice notes, emails, cloud documents, domain names, blogs, websites, online stores, social accounts, gaming accounts, loyalty accounts, cryptocurrency records, online banking access, subscription accounts, device passcodes and files held on phones, laptops, tablets, drives and cloud services. A digital presence is slightly different: it is the public and private trace of a person online, including posts, comments, direct messages, images, profiles and tagged memories. The Australian eSafety Commissioner usefully separates digital assets from digital presence, but families need one practical plan for both. A financial account may belong in an estate file. A photo album may belong in a family archive. A social profile may need memorialisation, deletion or download. A memorial video may need consent before sharing. A password manager may need succession planning. A private family vault may hold instructions that should not become public, while a memorial may hold selected stories and tribute material. A good starting point is Evaheld Memorials’ [digital memories and social media guidance](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/preserving-digital-memories-a-guide-to-photos-and-social-media/), because most families first notice the problem through phones, photos and social media rather than formal estate documents. The [Library of Congress personal digital archiving guidance](https://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/) also makes the central preservation point clear: digital memories need active selection, description and ongoing care, not just storage in an app. ## Prepare digital assets for death with a practical inventory Start with an inventory that someone else could understand. Do not put live passwords in an ordinary document, email or note app. Instead, list the account name, provider, purpose, email address used, whether two-factor authentication is enabled, whether there is money or intellectual property involved, whether the account contains family memories, and what you want to happen after death. Keep passwords in a reputable password manager or another secure process agreed with your lawyer or executor. Use categories. First, list identity and access points: phones, computers, tablets, SIM cards, authenticator apps, password manager, email accounts and cloud storage. Secondly, list money and property: banking, superannuation or pension portals, investment accounts, tax records, cryptocurrency wallets, online businesses, domain names, royalties and payment processors. Thirdly, list personal memories: photos, videos, emails, blogs, documents, messages, scans, family trees and voice recordings. Fourthly, list subscriptions and services: utilities, streaming, software, storage plans, website hosting, newsletters and memberships. Finally, list public presence: social media, professional profiles, public websites, channels and community accounts. For after-death administration, Evaheld Memorials’ [what to do when someone dies checklist](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/what-to-do-when-someone-dies-the-ultimate-checklist/) helps families separate urgent tasks from slower estate work. That distinction matters online too: preserving a phone and identifying the executor may be urgent; deciding whether to delete a social profile may not be. High-risk digital assets deserve extra detail because small gaps can cause large losses. Cryptocurrency wallets may depend on seed phrases that cannot be reset by a bank. A domain name may support a family business, a professional reputation or an email address used for other account recovery. A creator account may contain royalties, copyright records, unpublished work or licensed media. A cloud storage plan may be the only place where scanned wills, insurance papers, medical directives, tax documents and family photographs sit together. For each high-risk item, record whether it has financial value, emotional value, legal value or identity value, then state who should handle it and what should never be published. That wording helps a trusted person understand priorities without turning private access details into public family knowledge. ## Access is not the same as permission A common mistake is assuming that leaving passwords gives family members full legal permission to use every account. Access, authority and ownership are different. Many digital purchases are licences rather than property that can simply be inherited. Some platforms prohibit password sharing. Some providers will close, memorialise or restrict accounts after death. Some may require a death certificate, grant of probate, letters of administration, court order or proof of authority before releasing any information. Official platform tools are safer than improvised access. [Google Inactive Account Manager](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3036546) lets a user choose inactivity settings, trusted contacts and data sharing options. [Apple Legacy Contact](https://support.apple.com/en-au/102631) allows selected people to request access to certain Apple Account data after death using an access key and death certificate, while excluding some data such as iCloud Keychain passwords and purchased media licences. [X explains its deceased family member account process](https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/contact-x-about-a-deceased-family-members-account), and [Microsoft explains access to Outlook.com, OneDrive and other services after death](https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/accounts-billing/manage/accessing-outlook-com-onedrive-and-other-microsoft-services-when-someone-has-died). These processes are not identical, which is why your inventory should record provider-specific wishes. When the plan involves a memorial, families should also decide [who controls an online memorial](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/who-controls-an-online-memorial/) before too many relatives are editing, uploading or downloading material. Shared permissions are usually safer than shared passwords. There is also a timing issue. Some accounts should be secured immediately after death to reduce fraud risk; others should be left untouched until the executor or personal representative has authority. Logging into a deceased person’s account without permission may breach provider terms or local law, even when the intention is compassionate. A clear plan reduces that pressure. It can say, for example, that the executor should request formal account closure, the technical helper should preserve family photos only after authority is confirmed, and the memorial admin should use selected copies rather than original private accounts. ## Privacy, consent and family boundaries Digital planning should protect the living as well as honour the person who has died. A phone can contain other people’s medical information, children’s images, intimate messages, business records, passwords, location data and family conflict. A cloud photo library may include thousands of ordinary images and a small number of deeply private files. A group chat may contain bereavement support that was never intended for publication. In Australia, the [OAIC explains personal information](https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/your-personal-information/what-is-personal-information) by focusing on information about an identified or reasonably identifiable individual; living people may still be identifiable inside a deceased person’s archive. In the UK, the deceased themselves are generally outside UK GDPR personal data protection, but living relatives’ data can still be affected. In the US, privacy rules vary by state, sector and account provider, and platform terms often matter as much as statute. Before publishing anything, sort material into private, family-only and public. Private material may include identity documents, passwords, account notes, health records, legal papers and sensitive messages. Family-only material may include home videos, voice notes, photo albums, letters and stories that relatives can view by invitation. Public material may include a life story, selected images, funeral details, tributes and moderated condolence messages. Evaheld Memorials’ [private and public online memorials](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/private-vs-public-online-memorials/) guidance is useful when a family wants a respectful tribute without exposing material that belongs in a private archive. Consent should be practical rather than abstract. If a video includes children, living relatives, patients, clients, pupils or colleagues, ask whether it belongs in a public memorial at all. If a photograph was taken in a private home or hospital, consider whether family-only sharing is kinder. If a message thread includes several people, the deceased person’s family may not be the only people with privacy interests. Preparing digital assets for death works best when the plan names these boundaries in plain language: what may be shared widely, what may be shared by invitation, what should be archived quietly, and what should be deleted or left alone. ## Security: keep instructions useful but protected Security has to be practical. If the plan is too secret, no one can use it. If it is too open, it creates risk. The safest approach is to tell trusted people where the plan is stored, give them enough information to act, and protect the actual credentials. The UK [National Cyber Security Centre password manager advice](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/password-managers) explains why reusing passwords is risky and why password managers can help. Australia’s cyber security guidance on [passphrases](https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/securing-your-accounts/passphrases) and [multi-factor authentication](https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/securing-your-accounts/multi-factor-authentication) supports the same principle: make important accounts hard to compromise while leaving trusted access instructions. Do not write seed phrases, recovery codes or master passwords in an ordinary will if that document may become accessible to more people than intended. Do not send a password list through email. Do not leave all access with one relative who may be grieving, overseas, unwell or in conflict with others. Consider naming one person for legal authority, one person for technical help and one person for memory preservation, with clear boundaries. ## Jurisdiction differences for Australia, the UK and the US Australia has no single national digital assets law that solves every account access issue. State and territory succession law, privacy principles, contract terms, executor authority and platform rules all matter. Families should treat digital assets like a category inside estate planning, not a separate informal favour. Death certificates and executor authority often become the practical evidence that providers request. In the United Kingdom, bereavement administration starts with registering the death and following government steps. The [GOV.UK when someone dies service](https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies) is the official route for general post-death tasks. Digital account access still depends heavily on provider terms, evidence of death and the authority of the person making the request. UK families should be especially careful not to assume that GDPR gives broad rights over a deceased person’s accounts. In the United States, many states have adopted or adapted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. The [Uniform Law Commission’s RUFADAA materials](https://www.uniformlaws.org/committees/community-home?CommunityKey=f7237fc4-74c2-4728-81c6-b39a91ecdf22) explain the model law behind fiduciary access to digital assets, but state adoption and account-provider tools still matter. US families should check state law, probate requirements and online-tool settings before assuming an executor can access content. ## What to do with memories, social media and memorial content After an inventory, decide what deserves preservation. Family photographs, scanned letters, voice recordings, eulogies, recipes, family history interviews, funeral livestream recordings, blog posts and milestone messages can be more meaningful than a long list of dormant accounts. The [US National Archives family archives advice](https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives) stresses prevention of damage and careful handling, which applies just as much to digital copies and captions as to paper. If a family will create a tribute, Evaheld Memorials’ [Meaningful online memorial inclusions](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/what-to-include-in-an-online-memorial/) can help distinguish a public remembrance from a private archive. A memorial does not need every file. It needs the chosen life story, accurate dates, selected images, service information where appropriate, and a place for family and friends to contribute safely. For example, a family remembering [Steve Jobs](https://evaheldmemorials.com/m/steve-jobs) might think about public creativity, business records and intellectual property very differently from private family photographs. A tribute to [Princess Diana](https://evaheldmemorials.com/m/princess-diana) shows how public memory and private dignity can sit in tension. A literary memorial for [Maya Angelou](https://evaheldmemorials.com/m/maya-angelou) reminds families that words, recordings and life stories can become central digital assets in their own right. ## Family planning: choose roles before grief makes decisions harder A practical digital plan names roles. The executor or personal representative may handle formal estate and provider requests. A technical helper may assist with downloads, backups and device preservation. A memory organiser may gather photos and stories. A privacy reviewer may check whether material should remain family-only. A memorial admin may approve tributes and update service details. Evaheld Memorials explains [inviting family and friends to help build the memorial](https://evaheldmemorials.com/faq/can-i-invite-family-and-friends-to-help-build-the-memorial), which is especially useful when one person has the legal role but several relatives hold memories, captions and photographs. If emotions are strained, written roles protect relationships. They also reduce the risk that someone deletes an account, publishes private messages or changes a memorial before the family has agreed. Family planning should also name alternates. A trusted person may die first, become too unwell to help, move overseas, lose contact with the family or no longer be suitable. Write down at least one substitute for each important role, and review the list after marriage, separation, bereavement, business changes, diagnosis, relocation or a major account change. The plan should be short enough that your trusted people can use it under stress, but detailed enough that they do not need to guess your wishes. ## Downloads, backups and long-term access No digital service can honestly promise absolute permanence. Families should keep their own copies of essential memories and instructions. Export or download important albums, messages, videos and tribute content where platform rules allow. Keep at least two backups in different places, with readable file names and a simple index. Evaheld Memorials’ [memorial-content download guidance](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/download-online-memorial-content/) is useful for families who want to preserve a tribute beyond the platform where it first appears. Identity risk continues after death. The [US Federal Trade Commission identity theft guidance](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-know-about-identity-theft) explains how personal information can be misused, and its [deceased relatives debt guidance](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/debts-and-deceased-relatives) helps families understand debt-collector contact after a death. Even outside the US, the practical lesson is global: protect identity documents, close or secure accounts methodically, and keep records of every notification. ## A practical checklist to prepare digital assets for death First, make a digital inventory with accounts, devices, cloud services, domains, subscriptions, social profiles, valuable files and memory collections. Secondly, record wishes for each category: preserve, transfer, memorialise, delete, close, archive or review. Thirdly, set official tools such as Google Inactive Account Manager and Apple Legacy Contact where relevant. Fourthly, secure passwords through a password manager or lawyer-approved process rather than an exposed document. Fifthly, separate estate records from memorial content. Sixthly, name trusted roles and alternates. Seventhly, make backups of irreplaceable photos, videos, voice notes and documents. Eighthly, write privacy rules for private, family-only and public material. Ninthly, review the plan after major life events, device changes, relationship changes, business changes or relocation across jurisdictions. Tenthly, tell your trusted people where the instructions are stored. When the time comes to present selected memories publicly, [online memorials versus obituaries and tribute pages](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/online-memorial-vs-obituary-vs-tribute-page/) can help a family choose the right format. If voice recordings, music or video are part of the remembrance, [adding videos and music thoughtfully](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/adding-videos-and-music-to-memorials/) can protect consent, tone and dignity. Privacy should remain adjustable. A family may begin privately, invite close relatives, review contributions and later share selected material more widely. Evaheld Memorials explains [keeping the memorial private until you are ready](https://evaheldmemorials.com/faq/will-my-memorial-stay-private-until-i-am-ready-to-share), so relatives can start with a controlled draft rather than rushing public sharing. For a calm next step, Evaheld Memorials can help families [prepare digital assets for death](https://evaheldmemorials.com/) by turning selected stories, photos and tributes into a family-controlled memorial while keeping private records separate. [![prepare digital assets for death: Digital assets checklist beside family photos](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/content/images/2026/10/prepare-digital-assets-for-death-1.webp)](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/preserving-digital-memories-a-guide-to-photos-and-social-media/) [![Private memorial access roles on a screen](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/content/images/2026/10/prepare-digital-assets-for-death-2.webp)](https://evaheldmemorials.com/faq/will-my-memorial-stay-private-until-i-am-ready-to-share) [![Protected digital memory archive with backups](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/content/images/2026/10/prepare-digital-assets-for-death-3.webp)](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/download-online-memorial-content/) ## FAQs ### How do I prepare digital assets for death? Privacy, access and family planning Start with an inventory, set privacy wishes, nominate trusted access people and use official account tools where available. Keep private records separate from public remembrance, then use [digital memories and social media guidance](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/preserving-digital-memories-a-guide-to-photos-and-social-media/) to decide what belongs in a family archive or memorial. The [Google Inactive Account Manager](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3036546) is one example of a provider tool that should be set while you are alive. ### Should I give my executor all my passwords? Usually, no. It is safer to leave instructions and use a secure password manager or lawyer-approved process than to place passwords in an ordinary document. Families should also understand [who controls an online memorial](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/who-controls-an-online-memorial/) so memorial permissions are not confused with estate authority. The [National Cyber Security Centre password manager advice](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online/password-managers) explains why strong, separate credentials matter. ### What digital assets should be included in an estate plan? Include devices, email, cloud storage, social media, domain names, online businesses, payment accounts, subscriptions, cryptocurrency records, family photos and important documents. The [what to do when someone dies checklist](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/what-to-do-when-someone-dies-the-ultimate-checklist/) helps families keep digital tasks beside legal and administrative steps. The [RUFADAA materials](https://www.uniformlaws.org/committees/community-home?CommunityKey=f7237fc4-74c2-4728-81c6-b39a91ecdf22) show why US fiduciary access can depend on specific law and provider tools. ### Can family access my Apple or Google account after death? Access depends on what you set up, the provider’s rules and the evidence your family can provide. Your plan should note legacy contacts, recovery details and what you want preserved, while [memorial-content download guidance](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/download-online-memorial-content/) can help with family copies of selected remembrance material. [Apple Legacy Contact](https://support.apple.com/en-au/102631) explains the access key and death certificate process for eligible Apple Account data. ### What should stay private rather than go into a memorial? Keep passwords, identity documents, financial records, health information, sensitive messages, children’s private images and unresolved family conflict out of public memorials. Evaheld Memorials’ [private and public online memorials](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/private-vs-public-online-memorials/) guidance can help separate private archives from shareable remembrance. The [OAIC personal information guidance](https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/your-privacy-rights/your-personal-information/what-is-personal-information) is a useful reminder that living people may still be identifiable in a deceased person’s files. ### How should social media accounts be handled after death? Check each platform’s official process before logging in, posting, deleting or downloading content. Families can use [online memorials versus obituaries and tribute pages](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/online-memorial-vs-obituary-vs-tribute-page/) to decide whether social media should remain the main remembrance space or sit beside a dedicated memorial. [X’s deceased account process](https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/contact-x-about-a-deceased-family-members-account) shows how provider rules can shape what relatives can request. ### How do I preserve photos, videos and voice notes? Make more than one copy, use understandable file names, add dates and captions where possible, and separate private material from memorial-ready material. Evaheld Memorials’ [adding videos and music thoughtfully](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/adding-videos-and-music-to-memorials/) guidance helps families share richer media with consent and care. The [National Archives family archives advice](https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives) supports careful handling and preservation of family materials. ### What is different in Australia, the UK and the US? Australia relies on state and territory succession rules, provider policies and privacy context; the UK uses local death registration and provider processes; the US may involve state versions of digital fiduciary access law. Evaheld Memorials’ [Meaningful online memorial inclusions](https://evaheldmemorials.com/blog/what-to-include-in-an-online-memorial/) are broadly useful, but legal authority should be checked locally. [GOV.UK’s after-death steps](https://www.gov.uk/when-someone-dies) show the UK’s official administrative pathway. ### How often should I update my digital asset plan? Review it after major account changes, new devices, relationship changes, business changes, relocation, illness, estate updates or a new memorial preference. The ability to [keep the memorial private until you are ready](https://evaheldmemorials.com/faq/will-my-memorial-stay-private-until-i-am-ready-to-share) also means families can begin with a controlled draft rather than rushing public sharing. Australia’s [multi-factor authentication guidance](https://www.cyber.gov.au/protect-yourself/securing-your-accounts/multi-factor-authentication) is worth revisiting whenever security settings change. ### Can relatives contribute memories without seeing private records? Yes. Give relatives contribution access only to the memorial or shared memory area, not to the estate file, password manager or full device archive. Evaheld Memorials explains [inviting family and friends to help build the memorial](https://evaheldmemorials.com/faq/can-i-invite-family-and-friends-to-help-build-the-memorial) without handing over every private record. The [Library of Congress personal archiving guidance](https://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/) reinforces that selected digital memories can be preserved without saving or publishing everything.