Digital Belongings: Passwords, Photos, and Files After a Death

The digital footprint of a modern life is extensive — thousands of photos stored in the cloud, years of emails, purchased digital media libraries, creative files, and online accounts holding real value. "Digital belongings" require the same attention as physical ones but follow completely different rules. This guide covers the key categories and how to handle them.

The Access Problem

The central challenge of digital belongings is access. Unlike physical property, which can be opened and examined, digital accounts are protected by passwords, encryption, and platform terms of service that often prohibit sharing credentials or granting access to third parties — even after death.

What this means in practice:

• If the deceased's login credentials (or a master password manager) cannot be found, many digital accounts may be effectively inaccessible
• Most platforms will close accounts upon proper request from an authorized family member, but won't provide access to account contents without advance planning from the account holder
• Legal routes (court orders) exist but are expensive and slow

The best time to plan for digital belongings is while still alive. For people handling an estate now, this guide covers what's possible.

Photos and Videos

Digital photos are often the most emotionally valuable digital asset for families. They may be stored in:

• Cloud photo services: Google Photos, iCloud Photos, Amazon Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive
• Local device storage: Phones, tablets, computers, external hard drives
• Social media: Facebook, Instagram (photos posted there may not be in any backup)

Google Photos

If you have the deceased's login credentials (or can access their Google account through their phone's unlocked session), you can download all photos using Google Takeout. If not, Google's deceased account process may allow authorized family members to request data, but this is not guaranteed and takes time.

iCloud Photos

If you have the deceased's iPhone and know their passcode, you can access their iCloud photos through the Photos app. Apple's official process for deceased accounts requires extensive documentation and Apple's review; the process can take months. If the iPhone is not locked (or if you know the passcode), this is the fastest path.

Local backups

Photos on the deceased's computer or external hard drives can be copied if you have access to the device. Do this promptly — hard drives can fail, and you want a backup of any photos before the device is discarded or returned.

Purchased Digital Media

This is one of the most misunderstood digital asset categories: you don't actually own digital purchases. When someone buys a movie on Amazon Prime Video, a book on Kindle, or music through iTunes, they are purchasing a license — not permanent ownership. These licenses are typically non-transferable and terminate at death under the platform's terms of service.

• Amazon Kindle purchases — non-transferable license, not an inheritable asset
• iTunes/Apple TV purchases — same situation
• Google Play purchases — same situation
• Steam games — same situation (licenses expire with the account)

There are two workarounds: (1) if heirs can access the account, they can continue using it informally (though this technically violates terms), or (2) for specific platforms, ask about family sharing features that may allow transfers. Neither is a permanent solution.

Physical media (DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, physical books) can be inherited normally — they are physical property.

Creative Files and Original Work

Photos taken by the deceased, written work, music compositions, digital art, and other original creative work are intellectual property that can be inherited. The copyright passes to the estate and then to heirs. Practical steps:

• Retrieve all creative files from devices, cloud storage, and external drives before they're lost
• Consider the deceased's wishes regarding their creative work — some people would want their unpublished work shared; others would not
• For professionally significant creative work, consult an intellectual property attorney about how to manage the copyright

Email and Documents

Email archives may contain important estate documents — insurance policies, financial account information, correspondence with attorneys, digital receipts. If you can access the email account, search systematically:

• "insurance policy"
• "account statement"
• "subscription" or "receipt"
• "will" or "trust"
• "bank" or "brokerage"

Before closing the email account, download or forward all emails you may need to an estate email address. See our article on closing email accounts after a death.

Password Recovery and Access Tools

If the deceased used a password manager (1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden, Dashlane), finding the master password gives access to all their accounts. Look for:

• A document or note with the master password (written down, stored in a physical location)
• The master password saved on a trusted device
• A "digital estate planning" document the deceased may have prepared

For computer access, if the device is not locked and you know the login password, you can access local files and browser-saved passwords. A professional data recovery service can sometimes access locked devices (costs vary from $100 to several thousand dollars depending on encryption).

For a broader approach to all online accounts, see our articles on closing email and social media accounts and protecting online financial accounts. For the complete personal belongings guide, see our guide to handling a deceased person's belongings.