(ABC 6 News) – Death isn’t something we like to think about but it’s an inevitable part of life. While many of us have traditional wills to specify who gets our physical assets, we often overlook our digital
belongings. What happens to your online presence when you pass away?

Think about everything you’ve accumulated online: photos stored in the cloud, bank accounts,
credit cards, emails, and social media profiles. Without proper planning, these digital assets can
become inaccessible to your loved ones. Sharing passwords now isn’t advisable, but Google
has a tool that allows you to pass on your digital legacy only when the time comes.

It’s called Inactive Account Manager from Google. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Access Your Google Account Settings: Navigate to your Google account settings and
   find the “Data and Privacy” section. Look for the option to “make a plan for your digital
   legacy.”
2. Choose Trusted Contacts: Specify individuals you trust. Decide what you want to share
   with each person—photos, emails, or your entire Google account. You can even add
   personalized notes for each contact.
3. Automatic Notifications: If something happens to you, Google will send your trusted
   contacts an email with your personalized note and instructions on how to access the files
   you’ve left for them.
4. How Google Knows: Google doesn’t constantly monitor obituaries. Instead, if you go
   two months without logging into your account, watching YouTube, or checking Gmail,
   Google will send you emails and texts to check if you’re okay. If there’s no response, it
   assumes something has happened and notifies your contacts.
5. Reply from Beyond: You can set up custom responses for emails sent after your
   passing. It’s like replying from beyond the grave. You can make it heartfelt, practical, or
   even a little eerie—it’s entirely up to you.

Setting up the Inactive Account Manager is essential because when someone dies, gaining
access to their accounts and closing them without passwords is challenging. By planning ahead,
you ensure that your important digital belongings go to the people you trust.

After trusted contacts have the opportunity to download what you’ve left behind, Google will
close the account to prevent hackers from targeting inactive accounts.

Remember, your digital legacy matters too. Take a moment to plan for it, and you’ll leave behind
more than memories—you’ll leave a well-organized digital footprint for your loved ones.