Google account after a death: what your family can do

Why the inbox matters so much

Email is the key to almost everything else. Password resets, bank notices, bills, order confirmations and messages from friends all pass through it. If your family cannot get into the inbox, they may struggle to close other accounts, find out what you owed, or tell people what happened.

Google accounts often hold more than mail. There may be photos in Google Photos, files in Drive, a calendar, contacts, a YouTube channel and subscriptions paid through the account. Each of those may matter to someone.

The account is also tied to an Android phone. If the phone unlocks with the same Google account, the account and the device are connected in ways your family will need to think about.

What your family can usually ask for

Google has a process for what happens to an account when the holder dies. In general, a family member or someone close to the person can contact Google, explain what happened and ask for one of two things: to close the account, or to get access to some of the content in it.

Google will usually ask for proof. That often means a death certificate and some evidence of the relationship or your role, such as being the executor named in the will. The exact documents and the form to use change from time to time, so check Google's current help page for the exact steps before you send anything.

Access, when it is given, is usually limited. Google may provide some data, such as mail or files, rather than full control of the account. It may not hand over the password, and it may not give access to everything. Ask what you will receive before you rely on it.

There is a separate route for an account that is still active but the holder can no longer manage it. That is different from a death, and the request looks different. Say clearly in your message which situation you are in.

If you are the one handling it

Start by gathering the basics before you contact Google. You will move faster with these in one place:

• The person's full name and the email address on the account
• A death certificate, and perhaps more than one copy
• Proof of your role, such as the will naming you as executor
• Your own contact details
• A short, plain description of what you are asking for

Decide what you actually need. Many families only want to close the account and stop the mail. Others need specific messages, photos or files. Being clear about the request helps Google route it and helps you avoid asking for more than you need.

Keep a record of what you sent and when. If the request is passed to someone else or you need to follow up, that record saves you repeating yourself.

What you can set up now

Google lets you choose what happens to your account if you die or can no longer use it. You can name people to be told, and you can decide whether they get access to some of your data or whether the account should be deleted. You can also set a period of inactivity that triggers this.

Take ten minutes and do it. Sign in, find the setting for what happens to your account when it is inactive, and name at least one person you trust. Choose what they can see. Then tell that person they are named, because a setting nobody knows about helps nobody.

Review it when your life changes. A partner, a grown child, a friend who moves away: the right person today may not be the right person in a few years.

What to write down in the envelope

The setting above only works if your family knows it exists. Write down that you have named someone, who it is, and what you chose for them to receive. Keep the details in your Digital life section.

Also write down the email address itself, clearly. It sounds obvious, but families often know the person's phone number and not the address on the account. Add a note of anything important that lives only in that account, such as photos or documents, so nobody misses it.

Do not put the password in the envelope. A sealed envelope can be opened by the wrong person, and a shared password is a weak way to hand something on. If you want to record passwords for your own use, read why not to share passwords first.

If you are putting your affairs in order, the checklist walks through the other accounts and papers to cover alongside this one. For the first days after a death, the first 48 hours guide sets out what to do in order.

When the account holder is still alive

If the person is alive but cannot manage the account, do not use the death process. Google has a separate route for that, and it usually needs proof of your authority to act for them, such as a power of attorney. Check Google's current help page for what it asks for.

A power of attorney usually ends at death, so it will not help you after. That is why the setting you choose in advance matters so much.