X (formerly Twitter) after a death: what a family can ask for

Start with what you want to happen

X gives a family a few broad choices for an account whose holder has died: leave it as a memorial, download a copy of what was there, or close it. Decide which one the family wants before you start filling in forms. Different relatives sometimes want different things, so settle it early.

If the person is alive but can no longer manage the account, that is a separate situation. X's help page explains what it can do, and the person may be able to name someone in advance, which is covered below.

The three usual paths

• Memorialize. The account stays visible but is marked as belonging to someone who has died. Existing posts usually remain. This is often the choice when the account was public and people still visit it.
• Download an archive. You ask for a copy of the account's posts and other activity. This can be useful for family history or for keeping a record before anything changes.
• Close the account. The profile and its posts come down. Do this only when you are sure nobody needs the content, because it is hard to reverse.

You may need to prove you are entitled to make the request, for example with a death certificate or proof of your relationship to the person. The death certificates guide helps you work out how many copies to order so you are not caught short.

What the account holder can set up now

X lets a person name someone who can act on the account if they die or become unable to manage it. Setting this up takes a few minutes and saves the family a lot of guesswork. The legacy contacts guide explains how these arrangements tend to work across different companies.

While you are in the settings, check that the contact email and phone number on the account are current. If they are not, the family may struggle to prove anything later. Two-factor codes go to the phone on file, so an old number is a real obstacle.

Why to check X's help page for the exact steps

Companies change their forms, the evidence they ask for and the wording of their options. A guide like this can tell you the shape of the process but not the current details. So look at X's current help page before you send anything. That page will tell you what to submit and how.

If you cannot get into the account at all

You do not need the password to make a request. The family process runs alongside the login, not through it. If you have been trying the person's old credentials, stop and use the official route instead. The locked out of their email guide covers the same idea for other accounts, where proving your connection to the person is usually the key.

Keep a simple record as you go: what you asked for, when, and what you sent. If a request stalls, that record is what you need to pick it up again.

Other accounts in the same week

X is rarely the only account in play. Once you have a routine for one company, it gets easier to repeat. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google all have their own versions of this process, and each one has a guide here. Work through them in the order that matters most to the family.

If the person ran a business or posted about work, keep the archive before closing anything. It may matter to colleagues or to records you need later.

Write it down for your own family

If you are the account holder reading this, take the ten minutes now. Name the person you trust, update your contact details, and write down that you have done it. Tell the person you chose, so they are not surprised by it later. Put the details in your envelope so the family is not starting from nothing.

You might also jot a line about what you would prefer: memorial, archive or close. A short note saves an argument at a hard time.