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3 guides from the Journal about accounts.
Explainers8 min read
Google Inactive Account Manager lets you choose what happens to your Google account if it goes unused for 3 to 18 months: Google tries to reach you, then notifies up to 10 trusted contacts, can share the data you picked, sends an optional Gmail autoreply and can delete the account. It is free and worth setting up, but it sends one short message and data downloads, not personal letters.
Practical10 min read
The safest way to pass on passwords is not to hand over a list but to leave one way in: set up emergency access or a recovery kit for your password manager, keep a sealed paper note saying where it is, and tell your executor how to find it. Don't write passwords into your will, which can become a public document.
Explainers8 min read
WhatsApp has no memorial setting or legacy contact. Chats are stored on the phone and in its iCloud or Google backup, not readable on WhatsApp's servers, and inactive accounts are generally deleted after about 120 days. So the phone, its passcode and the backup are what your family needs; anyone with the unlocked phone can export chats to keep.
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