Facebook offers more control over what happens to your account after death than any other major social media platform. You can designate who manages your memorialized profile, request account deletion, and leave instructions — all through your own account settings, right now.
What Is Facebook Memorialization?
When a Facebook account is memorialized, the word "Remembering" appears before the person's name on their profile. Existing friends can still view the profile and share memories. New friend requests can be accepted by the Legacy Contact. The account cannot be logged into by anyone after memorialization.
A memorialized account remains on Facebook indefinitely unless deletion is requested.
What Is a Legacy Contact?
A Legacy Contact is someone you designate to manage your Facebook profile after it's memorialized. They can:
- Write a pinned post on your profile (for example, sharing information about a memorial service)
- Respond to new friend requests
- Update your profile picture and cover photo
- Request removal of your account
- Download a copy of your Facebook data (if you grant this permission)
A Legacy Contact cannot log in to your account, read your private messages, remove existing posts, or manage ads.
How to Set Up a Legacy Contact
- Open Facebook and go to Settings & Privacy → Settings
- Select Personal Information
- Choose Manage Account
- Select Legacy Contact
- Search for the friend you want to designate and click Choose
- Optionally send them a message to let them know
Your Legacy Contact must be a Facebook user themselves. You can change your Legacy Contact at any time.
Account Deletion Option
If you prefer that your Facebook account be permanently deleted after death (rather than memorialized), you can request this:
- Go to Settings → Personal Information → Manage Account
- Toggle Request account deletion after death
Deletion requires a request from your Legacy Contact or a family member with appropriate documentation.
Instagram (also owned by Meta) has similar memorialization policies but currently doesn't have a Legacy Contact feature in the same way. Family members can contact Instagram to request memorialization or deletion of a deceased user's account with appropriate documentation (a death certificate and proof of relationship).
Why This Matters
An unmanaged account can be distressing for family and friends — receiving friend suggestions from a deceased person, birthday reminders, or "memories" posts. By setting up a Legacy Contact and choosing your preferred post-death status now, you protect your family from these painful experiences and ensure your digital presence reflects your wishes.
For a full overview of digital account planning, see our complete guide to managing your digital legacy. For other platforms, see our guide on what happens to social media accounts after death.