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What happens to your Instagram account when you die

Instagram does not let you choose a legacy contact. What happens to your account depends on the requests other people make, so your written wishes matter.

Request onlyOfficial help centre

What happens if nothing is set up

Because there is no setting to choose in advance, an Instagram account stays exactly as it was until someone reports the death.

Once memorialised, the account is frozen. Its posts stay visible to the same audience, but no one can log in, edit the profile or remove content.

If your family would rather the account disappeared, an immediate family member can ask for removal, but they will need to prove their relationship and the death.

Steps

What to do instead

There is no Instagram setting to switch on, so the best thing you can do is make your wishes easy to find and follow.

  1. Decide what you want

    Choose between memorialisation, removal, or leaving the account alone.

  2. Write it down

    Record your choice and your username in a note for a family member or your executor.

  3. Mention linked accounts

    If your Instagram is linked to Facebook through Accounts Center, note your wishes for each, because they are handled separately.

  4. Save what matters

    If there are photos you want kept, consider downloading a copy of your data now and storing it somewhere your family can reach.

Instagram's options can change, so check its help centre for the current memorialisation and removal forms.

What your family can request

Instagram has separate forms for memorialisation and removal.

  • Anyone can request memorialisation of the account
  • Verified immediate family can request removal of the account
  • No one can be given login details or access to direct messages

Documents usually requested

  • Proof of death, such as a link to an obituary or news article, for memorialisation
  • A death certificate, for removal
  • Proof of being immediate family, such as a birth certificate, or proof of legal authority, for removal

Policies change. Treat this as a starting point and confirm on each service's own help pages.

FAQ

Questions about Instagram

Not at the time of writing. Unlike Facebook, Instagram does not let you name someone to manage your account after death.

Anyone who can show proof of death, such as an obituary or news article, can ask Instagram to memorialise the account.

No. Memorialised accounts cannot be logged into or changed, and their posts stay as they were.

Write them down for the person most likely to make the request. Some people keep this in a sealed note for their executor in Sealkept, delivered only if they stop checking in.

Other services

Other accounts to plan for

Back to all accounts

Related reading

One service at a time. Or the whole picture at once.

Write one sealed note to your executor in Sealkept listing every account and what you want done. It's delivered only if you stop checking in.

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