How to Memorialize a Facebook Account After Someone Dies

Facebook keeps sending birthday reminders for people who have died. Profile photos surface in feeds. The account sits open and accessible unless someone files a memorialization request or asks for removal.

Memorializing is the most common choice. It preserves the person's photos and posts, adds a "Remembering" label to the profile, and prevents new logins. To do it: go to Facebook's memorialization request form, provide proof of death, and submit. Facebook typically processes requests within a few days to two weeks — and anyone can file the request, not just family.

This guide covers the full process: what changes after memorialization, how Legacy Contacts work, and what to do when you hit the most common problems.

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What Happens When a Facebook Account Is Memorialized

Once memorialized, the account changes in several ways:

• "Remembering" appears before the name on the profile
• No one can log in to the account, even with the password
• Birthday reminders stop — friends no longer receive notifications
• The account no longer appears in "People You May Know" or birthday suggestions
• Friends can still post on the timeline (unless the Legacy Contact restricts this)
• Existing posts and photos remain exactly as they were
• A Legacy Contact (if one was set up) can manage certain aspects of the profile

Memorialization does not delete anything. It is a permanent, respectful state that keeps the person's Facebook presence visible while making clear they have passed.

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How to Submit a Facebook Memorialization Request

You do not need to be a family member or have legal authority to submit a memorialization request — any concerned person can do it. Facebook asks for proof of death and your relationship to verify the request.

Step 1: Go to the memorialization request form

Facebook's memorialization request is at: facebook.com/help/contact/234739086860192

You can also find it by:

1. Going to the deceased person's profile
2. Clicking the three-dot menu (⋯) below their cover photo
3. Selecting "Memorialize Account"

Step 2: Fill in the request

You will need:

• The deceased person's Facebook profile URL (or their name to search)
• Proof of death — Facebook accepts an obituary link, a news article, or a scanned death certificate. A funeral home announcement or memorial page link also works in most cases.
• Your relationship to the deceased — friend, family member, or other

You do not need to create a case or contact support directly. The form is the only channel Facebook uses for memorialization requests.

Step 3: Submit and wait

Facebook does not give a specific timeline for processing requests. Most families report a response within a few days to two weeks. You will receive an email confirmation when the account is memorialized.

If you do not receive a response after two weeks, you can resubmit the form. Facebook does not have a standard appeals process for memorialization, but resubmission usually works.

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What a Legacy Contact Can Do

A Legacy Contact is someone the account holder designated before their death to manage the memorialized profile. If the deceased set one up, that person has limited but meaningful control.

What a Legacy Contact can do:

• Pin a tribute post to the top of the profile timeline
• Respond to new friend requests (to let close people remain connected to the profile)
• Update the profile photo and cover photo
• Request removal of the account entirely

What a Legacy Contact cannot do:

• Log in as the deceased person
• See private messages
• Remove or edit existing posts
• Change the password or email

How to find out if a Legacy Contact was set up

If you are the Legacy Contact, Facebook will notify you after the memorialization request is processed and the account is memorialized. If you are not sure whether a Legacy Contact exists, check with close family members or look in the deceased's Facebook settings if you have login access.

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How to Request Account Removal Instead

If the family prefers to remove the account entirely rather than memorialize it, Facebook allows immediate family members and verified executors to submit a removal request.

Go to: facebook.com/help/contact/228813257197480

You will need:

• Proof of your relationship (ID showing the same surname, or legal documentation)
• Proof of death (death certificate, obituary, or news article)
• Confirmation that you are an immediate family member or executor of the estate

Removal is permanent. Once approved, all of the person's photos, posts, and profile information are deleted and cannot be recovered. Download any content you want to keep before requesting removal.

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How to Download a Deceased Person's Facebook Data

If you have login credentials for the account, download the data before taking any other action.

1. Log in to the account
2. Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings
3. Click Your Facebook Information
4. Select Download Your Information
5. Choose what to include (photos, posts, messages) and the date range
6. Click Create File — Facebook will notify you when it is ready

If you do not have login credentials and no Legacy Contact was set up, Facebook does not provide data access to third parties except in limited legal circumstances. Contact Facebook support with a death certificate and proof of relationship — they may provide limited assistance in some jurisdictions.

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Common Problems and Solutions

"I don't have the profile URL"

Search the person's name on Facebook. If you can find their profile, copy the URL from the address bar. If their privacy settings prevent public search, try searching their name plus their city or workplace.

"My proof of death was rejected"

Facebook's preferred proof is a death certificate or official obituary. If you submitted a link and it was rejected, try uploading a scanned document instead. A funeral home website listing or news article can work but is less reliable than an official document.

"The account was already memorialized by someone else"

Once an account is memorialized, the process is complete. If you believe it was done incorrectly — wrong date, misspelled name on tribute post — only the Legacy Contact (if one exists) can make changes to the profile. If no Legacy Contact was set up, Facebook's ability to make further edits is limited.

"I want to be added as Legacy Contact after the person died"

Legacy Contacts can only be set up by the account holder before their death. After the account is memorialized, a Legacy Contact cannot be added retroactively.

"The birthday reminders are still appearing even after memorialization"

This sometimes happens due to processing delays. If reminders continue more than a week after the account is confirmed memorialized, report it directly to Facebook through their Help Center.

"I don't want the profile memorialized — I want it deleted, but I'm not immediate family"

Only immediate family members (spouse, parent, sibling, child) or a verified executor can request account removal. If you are not in those categories, you can submit a memorialization request, which at least stops birthday reminders and prevents logins, but you cannot force deletion.

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Setting Up a Legacy Contact on Your Own Account

If you want to make sure your own Facebook account is handled according to your wishes after you die, set up a Legacy Contact now. It takes about two minutes.

1. Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings
2. Click General → scroll to Memorialization Settings
3. Choose a Legacy Contact and send them a request
4. Optionally, enable the option to have your account deleted after your death instead of memorialized

Telling your Legacy Contact where to find this information — and giving them a copy of your wishes — is the most important part.

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Facebook vs. a Dedicated Memorial Page

Facebook was not designed to be a memorial. It works for keeping a profile visible, but it has real limitations for long-term remembrance:

• Friends who were not connected on Facebook may not be able to find or view the profile
• Privacy settings the person used in life may limit who can see posts or photos
• Facebook's algorithm may surface memories or posts unexpectedly
• The platform's policies, ownership, and features can change

A dedicated online memorial solves those problems. It gives the person their own permanent URL that anyone can visit — family, friends, coworkers, old classmates — without needing a Facebook account. You can include the memorial link in the bio of the memorialized Facebook profile so anyone who finds the profile can click through to the fuller tribute.

For a step-by-step guide to creating one, see how to create a free online memorial. For guidance on managing all social media accounts after a death, see what to do with a loved one's social media after they die. Funeral homes and celebrants who want to offer families a dedicated digital tribute as part of their aftercare can learn more about memorial pages for funeral homes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who can submit a Facebook memorialization request?

Anyone can submit a memorialization request — you do not need to be a family member. Facebook asks for proof of death and your relationship to verify the request, but there is no strict requirement on who submits it.

How long does Facebook memorialization take?

Most requests are processed within a few days to two weeks. Facebook does not publish a specific timeline. If you have not heard back after two weeks, resubmit the request.

Can a memorialized Facebook account be un-memorialized?

No. Once an account is memorialized, it cannot be reverted to a standard active profile. The only next step is account removal.

What is the difference between memorializing and deleting a Facebook account?

Memorializing keeps the account visible with a "Remembering" label and stops logins and birthday reminders. Deleting removes all content permanently. Most families memorialize rather than delete, at least initially, so friends can still visit and post tributes.

Can I see a deceased person's private Facebook messages?

Only if you have their login credentials. Facebook does not grant access to private messages to family members or executors unless there are exceptional legal circumstances. The Legacy Contact cannot see private messages either.

Does Facebook notify friends when an account is memorialized?

No. Facebook does not send a mass notification to the person's friends. Friends may notice the "Remembering" label if they visit the profile, but there is no automatic announcement. Many families share the news separately — by post, message, or through an online memorial — and include the memorialized profile link.

Can I still post on a memorialized Facebook profile?

Yes, unless the Legacy Contact has restricted posting. By default, friends can still post on the timeline of a memorialized account. The Legacy Contact can choose to turn this off.

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Create a Permanent Memorial Beyond Facebook

Facebook memorialization is a good first step — but a memorial website gives you something Facebook cannot: a permanent, dedicated page that anyone can visit regardless of whether they have a Facebook account, is not subject to platform changes, and can grow over time with new photos and messages.

Start with a free memorial site — no account needed, live in about 5 minutes.