Breaking News:

NATIONAL NEWS

Making your online accounts accessible when you die

Feb 27, 2024, 7:30 AM

Rebecca Bistany remains locked out of her husband Paul's iPhone, nearly a year and a half after his...

Rebecca Bistany remains locked out of her husband Paul's iPhone, nearly a year and a half after his death. (Courtesy Rebecca Bistany via CNN Newsource)

(Courtesy Rebecca Bistany via CNN Newsource)

Originally Published: 26 FEB 24 08:00 ET

(CNN) — When Rebecca Bistany’s 40-year-old husband Paul died suddenly of a heart attack in November 2022, she didn’t know what kind of assets he left behind for her and their infant daughter.

Compounding her heartache, Paul didn’t leave a will. Bistany wanted to access key business and financial accounts by resetting passwords but found herself in a spot many who lose loved ones encounter: She couldn’t get into his phone, leaving her locked out of everything from personal photos to critical estate information.

Her story is tragic and increasingly common. With password management company NordPass saying each person has an average of 100 online accounts, the deaths of loved ones have become ever more complicated.

During already-difficult grieving times, figuring out how to get into, maintain or shut down accounts can range from the personally difficult to financially necessary. And while digital legacy planning can ease some of that burden, experts say far too few people take advantage of those tools.

“He had a four-digit passcode and I literally tried everything I could,” Bistany, who lives on Long Island, New York, told CNN. “I kept a list of what I tried because the more you got it wrong, the longer it would lock you out. I did it so many times, I can’t even try anymore.”

Although she contacted Apple, AT&T and even the police asking for help unlocking the phone, companies do not allow family members access unless the owner lists them as their legacy contact.

Still, she keeps his phone number active, paying a monthly plan and holding out hope she’ll one day be able to access not only financial accounts but years of photos and videos of their life together.

And even for some people who can access their loved one’s accounts, the process can be daunting. Laura Orrico, a widow from Chicago, said she had to hire an IT professional to help go through everything on her late husband’s computer.

“I had widow brain,” she said. “I couldn’t even organize a drawer let alone figure out his computer.”

Experts recommend people of all ages develop a digital legacy plan, from putting passwords in one place to deciding what happens to your social media presence.

These plans aren’t typically legally binding, unless they’re directly incorporated into a will, but they can be invaluable for loved ones after one’s death.

“Your email account likely has much more important information documented than your physical home office today,” said Tracey Woo, a vice president at wealth management firm RBC Royal Trust.

Here’s a closer look at how to create a digital legacy plan:

Getting started

The first step is to take an inventory of your digital assets and determine which are of value and what accounts could be closed.

Digital assets can include financial, sentimental or informational value, from social media, cloud and email accounts to crypto assets, customer loyalty points within e-wallets and online gaming accounts.

Abby Schneiderman, the co-founder of Everplans, a digital legacy planning service, said one of the most important things someone can do is to make their unlock code for their phone and computer accessible for a trusted love one. That’s because many other accounts can be reset after gaining access to email.

Phones are often needed for text verifications, so it’s helpful to hang onto smartphone devices for awhile before resetting them, too.

Pick a digital executor

Designate a digital executor who can help carry out your digital legacy plan.

Woo advises selecting someone whom you can regularly update on plan changes and let that person, or trusted family members, know what the digital assets are and where they’re located.

She said it is now a standard practice for lawyers who specialize in estate planning and will drafting to ask clients for information on their digital assets. But people who haven’t touched their will in a long time may want to update it now with this information.

Consider a legacy planning service

When Jamie McDonald, a 60-year-old mother of three, was scrolling social media a few years ago while on her vacation with her husband, she came across a thread that she says haunted her for months.

A close-knit family was torn apart when the parents died suddenly in a car accident; the surviving family members were left to divide the house, furniture and more.

“It scared me,” McDonald, a tech advisor from Baltimore, told CNN. “I didn’t want to leave my kids with the burden of decisions … especially in the heat of grief or trauma.”

To manage her anxiety, she joined Everplans, a platform that organizes family documents and important account information and allows users to list what they want done after their deaths.

“I’ve even planned the music I want at my funeral,” McDonald said.

Services like Everplans also leave space for passing down letters to loved ones, sharing family recipes and listing instructions on how to care for pets.

Another digital legacy service, called MyWishes, allows users to create a social media wills to decide what happens to those accounts after death, in addition to detailing other plans they want executed.

For example, Lucy Watts, a MyWishes user and disability activist who died in 2023, left a handful of goodbye and birthday messages for loved ones that were made public after her death.

James Norris, founder of the MyWishes, said thinking through these details is “often overlooked” but can make a big difference to someone a person leaves behind.

Password managers can help

Nikki Earnhart, a widow from Illinois, has been unable to access her husband’s Google Documents, where he kept a list of important passwords, since his death in March 2022.

“Google will not allow me to have access to his email account,” she said. “It has been terrible.”

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment about this specific case or its policies. But last year, the company announced it reserves the right to delete inactive accounts after two years. Now Earnhart is worried Google will permanently delete his account.

Although some people write passwords on a list somewhere, many experts recommend using a password manager, such as 1Password, LastPass or NordPass, to manage many passwords in one spot — you only ever need to remember one password, not hundreds.

Many password managers allow family members and third parties to access your account upon death.

It’s also smart to back up digital assets stored in the cloud, such as photos, videos and important documents. Most cloud services terminate access at death.

Use legacy features

Some of the hardships endured by widows, such as Bistany who is unable to get into her late husband’s locked iPhone, could have been avoided if he had enabled Apple’s Legacy ID feature. In 2022, Apple added a way for users to name one or more legacy contacts – essentially an executor to their iPhone and iCloud accounts – for people to access their devices and data after death.

Apple states on its website that an estate executor can also get a court order or show other legal documentation to gain access to someone’s devices or account if a Legacy ID is not set.

Google also has an inactive account tool that can be enabled to allow a trusted person to access their accounts if there’s been no activity after a certain period of time.

Some social media accounts, such as Facebook, have legacy tools, too. For example, a user can select a person to oversee their account, such as accepting friend requests on behalf of their memorialized profile, or decide ahead of time if they want to permanently delete their page after death.

When to start

Although Schneiderman said many Everplans’ members are in their 50s and 60s, more younger users are finding their way to the platform.

Scheiderman also urges young people to start having conversations with their parents now, if they haven’t already. “Gaining access to this information is critical ahead of time,” she said.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

National News

Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow USAID funds...

ELLEN KNICKMEYER and LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press

Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow funds for foreign aid to flow again

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift a three-week funding freeze that has shut down U.S. aid and development programs abroad.

5 hours ago

This photo provided by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission shows an Igloo 90 Qt. Flip & Tow Rol...

Associated Press

Igloo recalls 1 million coolers after fingertip amputation injuries

The now-recalled “Igloo 90 Qt. Flip & Tow Rolling Coolers” have a tow handle can pinch users' fingertips against the product.

12 hours ago

FILE - People wave signs to passing cars during a pro-transgender rights protest outside of Seattle...

LEA SKENE Associated Press

Federal judge pauses President Trump’s order restricting gender-affirming care for trans youth

Trumps order blocks support for gender-affirming health care for transgender people under age 19.

13 hours ago

This photo provided by Bud Light shows Bud Light's 2025 Super Bowl NFL football spot.  ( Bud Light ...

Mariah Maynes

Super Bowl commercials rely on comedy and nostalgia to avoid potential missteps

Most of the commercials airing during this year's Super Bowl are going for laughs, with advertisers betting that America could use a little break.

4 days ago

Kansas City Chiefs fan Rose Loftus, 9, from Dallas, ties her hair while wearing a Taylor Swift frie...

DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer

Taylor Swift makes her Super Bowl return to watch Travis Kelce and his Chiefs face the Eagles

Taylor Swift was spotted in a Superdome suite about 90 minutes before the 2025 Super Bowl kickoff.

4 days ago

Nineteen states sued President Donald Trump on Friday to stop Elon Musk’s DOGE from accessing ...

ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE, ASSOCIATED PRESS

19 states sue to stop DOGE from accessing Americans’ personal data

Nineteen states sued President Donald Trump on Friday to stop Elon Musk’s DOGE from accessing records that contain personal data for millions of Americans.

6 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Filing taxes online using a computer...

The Law Offices of Jordan F. Wilcox

Tax time is approaching. What to do if you have debilitating IRS debt

Is the IRS threatening you with wage garnishment, asset seizure or business closure? Here are some ideas to resolve your tax dilemma.

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

Making your online accounts accessible when you die