Facebook after a death: memorialize, download or close

Start with the three choices

Facebook gives families a few paths, and they lead to different places. A memorialized account stays online as a place for friends to remember the person. A download gives you a copy of the person's posts, photos and messages. Closing the account removes it. Pick the one that matches what the person wanted, or what the family needs.

Check Facebook's current help page for the exact steps and the forms it asks for today. The company changes its process from time to time, so the page is the source to trust.

Memorializing the account

A memorialized account keeps the profile visible. Friends can still post memories on the timeline. The word Remembering usually appears next to the person's name. The account can no longer be logged into, and it stops showing up in places like birthday reminders or friend suggestions.

To ask for this, you usually need to show that you are family or a close friend, and you need proof of the death. A death certificate or an obituary link is the kind of thing Facebook asks for. The help page lists what counts and how to send it.

If the person named a legacy contact before they died, that person can request memorialization and can do a few things with the profile, such as change the cover photo or accept friend requests. A legacy contact cannot read private messages.

Downloading a copy

A download is often the most useful step for a family. It gives you the photos and posts the person shared, which can matter for a slideshow, for relatives who want copies, or just to keep.

Facebook has a way to request this for a deceased person's account. You will usually need to prove your connection and provide proof of death. Ask for the copy before you close the account, because once it is closed the data is gone. The help page explains the current request route.

If you have the person's password and can log in, you can also download the data from inside the account. That is faster, but it does not cover private messages the way some people expect. Read what the download includes before you rely on it. Our guide on why not to share passwords covers the trade-offs.

Closing the account

Closing removes the profile and the content on it. Families ask for this when the person wanted it gone, or when the account is being used by someone else, or when seeing it is too hard.

You usually request closure through Facebook's help page and provide proof of death and proof that you are authorized to act for the estate. What counts as authorization varies, so check the rules where you live and check the help page for what Facebook accepts now.

Think about the download first. Closing is hard to undo.

What the account holder can set up now

• Choose a legacy contact in the account settings. That person can manage a memorialized profile later.
• Decide whether you want the account memorialized or deleted, and write that down where your family can find it.
• Tell the person you have chosen, and tell one other family member, so nobody is surprised.
• Keep a short note of your Facebook email and what you use the account for, without writing the password in the same place.

Our guide on legacy contacts goes through the settings in more detail. If you are putting your affairs in order, the checklist helps you work through the rest of your accounts in the same sitting.

If the person is still alive but cannot manage the account

A memorial request is for someone who has died. If the person is alive but cannot use the account, families usually handle it differently. Some ask a close relative to post an update so friends know, and leave the account as it is. Others wait.

Do not log in as the person to keep the account active if that would mislead people. A short post from a family member, with the person's permission where possible, is usually kinder.

A few practical notes

Gather the paperwork before you start. You will likely need a death certificate and something that shows your relationship to the person. Our guide on death certificates and how many you need helps you plan copies.

Save screenshots of the profile and a few posts while you decide. It costs nothing and gives you something to keep if the account is later closed.

When you are ready, open Facebook's help page for deceased accounts and follow the form it shows. If the first request is refused, the page usually explains what was missing, and you can send it again with better proof. For the wider picture of the first weeks, see the first 48 hours.