When somebody dies, it’s normal to find yourself faced with admin tasks and asset management p but what do you do about their social media profiles?
In order to protect the Facebook account of someone who has died, more and more users are opting to memorialize former accounts rather than simply leave them to fade away – a change which transforms the account and profile into one built to remember and honour someone who has passed.
An account that has been memorialized will have ‘Remembering’ at the front of the profile name, with a selected legacy admin member able to add people and accept post and comment submissions to the profile.
This option is gaining traction all over the world as active Facebook users look to have their loved ones’ accounts turned into something to remember them by. But how do you transform a standard account into one dedicated to the memory of the user who has died?
5 Steps to Memorialize a Facebook Account
- Open the search bar in your Facebook app or browser by clicking on the magnifying glass icon
- Type ‘Memorialization’ into the search bar and hit ‘Search’
- Select the option at the top of the results page, labelled ‘Memorialization Request’
- Fill in the form, which asks for the URL of the individual’s profile, the date they died, evidence of their death, and your contact information
- Once submitted, Facebook will either contact a dedicated legacy contact or will keep you informed as the individual who submitted the request
The process can take time to be confirmed – however, when Facebook has done its due diligence and confirmed the passing of the individual, the legacy contact will be able to host a fundraiser on the platform to help pay for funeral costs for the loved one. They will also be able to manage their account on an ongoing basis, so that it remains a valued tribute to the individual.
Who Can Memorialize a Facebook Account?
The aforementioned form can be submitted by anyone, but only an approved legacy contact can take on the ongoing role of managing the memorial account.
To become the legacy contact for another user, the process ideally needs to be confirmed prior to their passing. This is something that anyone can do at any time in their life and experience on Facebook, choosing a friend who will act on their behalf if and when they die.
We hope this helps. When someone passes, their social media account is often at the bottom of the list of things to think about and sort – however, memorializing their account is a good way to create somewhere for people to pay tribute to and remember the individual fondly.
