Digital accounts are part of an estate, but tech companies handle them differently. Both Google and Apple offer tools that let users designate someone to manage data after death, but those tools only work if set up while the account holder is alive.
Google's Inactive Account Manager, available since 2013, lets users choose to have data deleted after three, six, or twelve months of inactivity, or forwarded to up to ten trusted contacts. If no choice is made, Google may delete the account after two years without activity. Family members can ask Google to deactivate a deceased relative's account sooner, but they won't receive any data from it.
Apple's approach centers on Legacy Contacts. Users can name up to five people, who receive an access key. After the account holder dies, a legacy contact must present that key and a death certificate to Apple, then has three years to download photos, messages, notes, files, and device backups. Purchased media such as music, movies, and books cannot be transferred. If no legacy contact is named, Apple deletes the account after one year of iCloud inactivity, following a warning email and a 30-day grace period.
The key takeaway is that both companies require foresight. Without a designated plan, survivors may lose access to a loved one's digital files entirely, and the platforms' default deletion timelines differ.