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Digital footprints that may remain

Scenario estimates · Not measured Today · since midnight UTC · How estimates work

Categories are separate scenarios and are never added together. Each bar shows its baseline relative to its own high scenario, not size compared with other categories.

Without JavaScript no category scenario is shown. The private unified model uses year-specific deaths, hypothetical ownership and conditional quantities; Historical Remaining applies modeled retention separately. LOW/HIGH are sensitivity scenarios, not confidence intervals. Historical mortality is secondary and unauthenticated.

Text view of this scene

The dotted map and ripple field are illustrations. Rings and light pulses mark display time bins of a modeled rate, not individual deaths, places or people. Category values are illustrative project-model estimates, not directly measured; they are never summed. Today counts at-death associations since midnight UTC. Historical Ever sums year-varying deaths × ownership prevalence (p) × average among holders (m) from 1950. Historical Remaining applies hypothetical retention separately. LOW/HIGH sensitivity cases are not statistical confidence intervals. Historical mortality is a secondary unauthenticated transcription; category assumptions are not age/region matched. Open each category for parameters and sources.

Digital footprint categories: illustrative scenario for the selected period
Category	Unit	Scenario value	Low–high sensitivity	Related page
Photos & videos	individual digital image/video objects	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn where memories may be kept
Email accounts	provider accounts (not aliases)	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn what email access may mean
Social accounts	platform accounts	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn how accounts and identity work
Cloud files	stored digital objects	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn where files may be kept
Messages & chats	messages (not chat threads)	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn about messages and cloud content
Subscriptions	active recurring contracts	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn about bills that continue
Financial / commerce	accounts with a defined provider class	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn about payments and bills
Domains & websites	registered domains (not websites)	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn about the trail people make
Devices	personally owned devices	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn about the trail people make
Other digital traces	activity records	No scenario value (assumptions not loaded)	—	Learn what may remain

Discover what may remain

Email Accounts and Addresses

Email connects many parts of a person's digital life. Beyond everyday correspondence, an inbox may hold family messages, bills, receipts, financial notifications, medical appointment reminders and records that remain important long after they were received.

Email addresses are also frequently used to sign in to other services or recover forgotten passwords. A person may maintain several addresses for personal, professional or other purposes. Some may be actively used, while others remain connected to accounts they rarely visit.

What happens after death or incapacity?

An email account may continue receiving messages after its owner dies, but the account may eventually be restricted, deleted or closed under the provider's policies.

If the owner becomes unable to manage their affairs, access to important correspondence may become difficult. A trusted helper may need information from the account to manage essential responsibilities, but being a relative, knowing the password or having access to a device does not automatically grant permission to use the mailbox.

Email providers have different procedures for account recovery, inactive accounts and requests made after death. A recovery feature designed to help a living account holder regain access is not necessarily an arrangement for transferring access to another person.

Why this matters

Losing access to one primary email account can affect far more than messages.

An important address may receive password-reset links, security alerts, payment notices and correspondence from services the person relies on. Without access to that address, recovering other accounts or identifying outstanding obligations may become more difficult.

Some messages also contain private information about other people. Preserving important records should therefore be balanced with respect for the account owner's wishes, the privacy of correspondents and applicable access rules.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many email accounts might be associated with people who die during the selected period.

It is not a measured count of actual accounts left behind, closed, transferred or made inaccessible. An email address is not necessarily a separate account, and the estimate does not establish who may lawfully access any mailbox.

A useful step

Identify which email accounts are connected to essential services, important correspondence and password recovery.

While you can still manage your own accounts, review the recovery, inactivity or legacy arrangements offered by each provider. Keep a secure record of important account relationships and instructions for an appropriately authorized helper.

Avoid placing passwords or other sensitive credentials in an unsecured document. Where necessary, seek guidance about the appropriate legal arrangements for someone to assist you during incapacity or after death.

Explore further

Understanding Connected Accounts — Learn how email, passwords and recovery methods connect different online services.
Account Connection Check — Identify important account dependencies and potential recovery difficulties.
How These Estimates Work — Understand the assumptions behind the illustrative figures and why they are not measured counts of actual digital belongings.

Photos and Videos

Photographs and videos preserve moments in a person's life: family gatherings, celebrations, everyday experiences, familiar voices and memories that may become more meaningful over time.

These files may be stored across phones, computers, cloud accounts, shared albums and messaging services. Some exist in several places, while others may have only one surviving copy.

What happens after death or incapacity?

Digital photographs and videos do not automatically disappear when someone dies. They may remain on personal devices or in online accounts, but their continued existence does not guarantee that another person can find, open or preserve them.

Access depends on where the files are stored, how they are protected and the policies of the relevant service. Owning a device, knowing a password or being a family member does not necessarily establish permission to access private accounts.

If someone is alive but unable to manage their affairs, assistance should respect their wishes, privacy and any applicable legal authority.

Why this matters

A photograph may be irreplaceable even when the device holding it can be replaced.

Families may discover that treasured recordings were stored only on a locked phone, that photographs in a cloud gallery were never independently backed up, or that nobody knows which account contains the originals.

Understanding where important memories are stored—and whether usable copies exist—can help prevent avoidable loss.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many photo and video files might be associated with people who die during the selected period.

It is not a measured count of actual files left behind. It does not establish whether those files still exist, where they are stored or whether anyone can access them.

A useful step

Identify where your important photographs and videos are kept. Check whether you have an independent, recoverable backup rather than assuming that cloud synchronization or a shared album provides one.

Consider documenting where trusted, appropriately authorized people can find your instructions. Avoid leaving passwords or sensitive account credentials in unsecured records.

Explore further

Protecting photos, messages and cloud files — Understand storage, synchronization, backups and recovery limitations.
Copy and Recovery Check — Examine whether important files have usable copies that can be recovered.
How these estimates work — Learn how the project calculates illustrative digital-footprint figures and why they should not be treated as measured counts.

Social Media Accounts

Social media accounts can hold years of personal history: photographs, conversations, friendships, creative work, shared experiences and connections with communities around the world.

A person may use several platforms for different purposes. One account might be a place to stay connected with family, another a record of professional achievements, and another a collection of photographs or creative projects. Older profiles may remain online long after their owner stops using them.

What happens after death or incapacity?

When someone dies, their social media accounts do not necessarily disappear. Depending on the platform, a profile may remain visible, be memorialized, become inactive or eventually be removed.

Some services allow account holders to make decisions in advance about what should happen to their profiles. Others have procedures through which eligible representatives can request memorialization or removal. These arrangements vary by provider and do not necessarily give another person access to private messages or control of the account.

If someone is alive but unable to manage their affairs, an account may continue receiving messages, displaying older content or remaining publicly accessible. Assistance with account management must respect the person's wishes, privacy and applicable authorization requirements.

Why this matters

A social media profile can become a lasting part of how someone is remembered. Photographs, personal messages and shared experiences may continue to bring comfort or preserve meaningful connections.

However, an account may also contain private conversations, sensitive information or content the person would not have wanted to remain publicly visible.

Family members may disagree about whether a profile should remain online, be memorialized or be removed. These decisions can affect other people whose photographs, messages or personal information appear in the account.

Understanding the available options before they are needed can help reduce uncertainty and support decisions that respect the account owner's preferences.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many social media accounts might be associated with people who die during the selected period.

It is not a measured count of profiles that remain online, become memorialized or are deleted. One person may have several accounts, including inactive profiles, and the estimate does not establish whether any particular account is still accessible.

A useful step

Review the social media accounts you use and consider what you would want to happen to them if you died or could no longer manage them.

Where a platform offers memorialization preferences, legacy-contact arrangements or account-deletion settings, examine the available options and their limitations.

Keep a secure record of important accounts and your preferences. If you wish someone to assist with account-related decisions, make sure they understand your intentions and the appropriate procedures.

Avoid sharing passwords as a substitute for the provider's authorized processes. Consider the privacy of people who have communicated with you or appear in your posts.

Explore further

Understanding Connected Accounts — Learn how social media profiles relate to email, authentication and other online services.
Explore Your Digital Life: Social Media Profiles — Understand memorialization, account removal, privacy considerations and the responsibilities of authorized helpers.
How These Estimates Work — Learn how the illustrative social media figures are calculated, what they represent and why they are not measured counts of actual surviving profiles.

Cloud Files and Storage

Cloud storage allows people to keep documents, photographs, videos and other digital files in online services rather than relying entirely on one computer or phone.

Over time, a cloud account may become a personal archive containing school records, family documents, financial information, creative work and files shared with other people. Some folders may be carefully organized, while others contain years of forgotten material.

Although cloud services make files available across different devices, that convenience can also make it difficult to know where an original file is stored, which copies exist and what might happen if access to an account is lost.

What happens after death or incapacity?

Cloud files may continue to exist after their owner dies, but access to them is not automatically transferred to relatives or other representatives.

What happens depends on the provider, the account's status, payment arrangements, security settings and applicable access procedures. Files may remain available for some time, become inaccessible or eventually be deleted under the service's policies.

Some providers offer arrangements for designated contacts or procedures for handling a deceased person's account. These features differ in what they permit. Being authorized to receive certain files does not necessarily mean receiving full control of the original account.

If someone is alive but unable to manage their affairs, an authorized helper may need particular documents while other material should remain private. Assistance should be limited to what is necessary and permitted, with respect for the account owner's wishes.

Why this matters

Cloud storage may contain documents that are difficult or impossible to replace.

A family member might need an important certificate, a caregiver may need a particular record, or a colleague may depend on a shared file for continuing work. Yet knowing that a document exists does not mean anyone knows which account holds it or how to retrieve it.

There is another important distinction: synchronization is not always an independent backup.

A file deleted or changed on one device may also be deleted or changed in its synchronized cloud folder. Shared links can stop working, storage subscriptions can lapse, and access to files may depend on an email account or authentication method that is no longer available.

Planning for important files means considering both their continued existence and whether a usable copy can actually be recovered.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many cloud-stored files might be associated with people who die during the selected period.

It is not a measured count of files that remain stored, are permanently preserved or can be recovered by others. One file may exist in several synchronized locations, and the estimate does not establish whether the original account remains accessible.

A useful step

Identify the cloud services containing your most important documents and files. Consider which records you or an appropriately authorized person might need during an emergency, incapacity or after death.

Check whether essential files have independent, recoverable copies and whether those copies can be opened without relying entirely on the original cloud account.

Review the provider's recovery, sharing and legacy arrangements where available. Keep important instructions in a secure location, and avoid sharing passwords or confidential records unnecessarily.

If files contain information about other people, consider their privacy before making copies or granting access.

Explore further

Protecting Photos, Messages and Cloud Files — Understand where files are stored, how synchronization works and the limits of cloud access.
Backup and Export Check — Review whether important cloud files have usable, independently recoverable copies.
How These Estimates Work — Understand the assumptions behind the illustrative cloud-storage figures and why they do not measure actual surviving or accessible files.

Messages and Chats

Private messages are part of how people maintain relationships, share experiences and communicate through everyday life. Conversations with family, friends, colleagues and communities can contain photographs, voice recordings, important information and memories that are never preserved anywhere else.

Messaging services such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and other communication platforms allow people to exchange information instantly. Over time, these conversations may become extensive personal records, although their availability and storage depend on the service, device settings and backup arrangements.

Some messages remain on individual devices, others may be synchronized across devices or stored in cloud backups, and some are designed to disappear automatically.

What happens after death or incapacity?

When someone dies, their message histories do not necessarily disappear. Conversations may remain on a phone, in a backup, on another participant's device or within the messaging service, depending on how that service operates.

However, the existence of a conversation does not guarantee that another person can retrieve it. Device locks, encryption, disappearing-message settings, backup availability and account restrictions may prevent access.

Some messaging services use end-to-end encryption, meaning that the service provider generally cannot read the protected message contents or simply provide a readable copy on request. The protection and recovery of backups can differ from the protection used for messages in transit.

If someone is alive but unable to manage their affairs, an authorized helper may need information contained in particular conversations. Any access should respect the person's wishes, the privacy of other participants and applicable legal authority.

Why this matters

A message can carry more significance than its sender anticipated.

A short voice recording may preserve a familiar voice. A family conversation may contain photographs that were never saved elsewhere. Messages may also document important arrangements, responsibilities or decisions.

At the same time, private conversations involve more than one person. They may contain sensitive information, personal disagreements, confidential disclosures or messages that participants never intended to share publicly.

Preserving meaningful conversations therefore requires care. What one family member sees as a treasured memory may also contain information another participant reasonably expects to remain private.

There is a practical risk as well: changing phones, deleting an account or losing access to an encrypted backup may make message histories difficult or impossible to recover. Not every messaging service offers the same backup and restoration options.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many individual messages might be associated with people who die during the selected period.

It is not a measured count of conversations, surviving messages or records available to relatives. A conversation may contain many individual messages, and copies may exist on multiple devices or within backups.

The estimate does not establish whether those messages are still stored, whether they can be decrypted or whether anyone has permission to access them.

A useful step

Identify the messaging services you use and consider whether any conversations, photographs or voice recordings are especially important to preserve.

Review the backup and recovery options provided by each service. Where available, check whether backups are enabled, how they are protected and what would be required to restore them on another device.

For important information that should remain available, consider preserving an appropriate copy through a secure, authorized method rather than relying entirely on an individual chat history.

Respect the privacy of everyone involved. Avoid sharing entire conversations unnecessarily, recording passwords in unsecured documents or attempting to bypass another person's account or device protections.

Explore further

Protecting Photos, Messages and Cloud Files — Understand how personal conversations and shared media may be stored, protected or lost.
Explore Your Digital Life: Messaging and Chat Records — Learn about message preservation, encryption, backup limitations and the responsibilities of authorized helpers.
Copy and Recovery Check — Review whether important digital records have usable, independently recoverable copies.
How These Estimates Work — Understand how illustrative message-record estimates are calculated and why they do not represent measured or accessible conversations.

Subscriptions and Memberships

Subscriptions and memberships have become a familiar part of everyday life. People use them for entertainment, news, education, professional services, online storage, software and access to organizations or communities.

Some are paid monthly or annually. Others renew automatically, remain active without a regular charge or provide access through a family or workplace arrangement.

Over time, a person may accumulate subscriptions across several email addresses, payment cards and online accounts. Some services are used regularly, while others continue renewing long after they have been forgotten.

What happens after death or incapacity?

When someone dies, their subscriptions do not necessarily end automatically. Depending on the provider, payment arrangement and applicable rules, services may continue renewing, become inactive when payments fail or require an authorized person to request cancellation.

Different services have different procedures. Some may allow a subscription to be cancelled without granting access to the deceased person's account. Others may require documentation before making changes.

Paid access to digital content does not necessarily mean ownership of that content. Software, streaming libraries, digital publications and other licensed services may have restrictions on sharing or transferring account benefits.

If someone is alive but unable to manage their affairs, subscriptions may continue to provide important services. An authorized helper might need to review payments or manage renewals while preserving access to resources the person still needs.

Why this matters

A forgotten subscription may seem insignificant, but several recurring charges can create ongoing financial obligations or unnecessary expenses.

More importantly, not every subscription is disposable.

A cloud-storage plan may protect important files from storage-limit consequences. A software subscription may support someone's work. An essential monitoring or communication service may help a person remain safe or connected.

Cancelling a service without understanding its purpose can therefore create problems, including loss of access to stored information, interruption of necessary services or the loss of preferential membership terms.

There is also a difference between ending a subscription, stopping a payment and resolving an underlying obligation. Blocking a payment does not necessarily cancel an agreement or eliminate charges already owed.

Reviewing these arrangements carefully can help families and authorized representatives make informed decisions without unnecessarily disrupting essential services.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many recurring contracts might be associated with people who die during the selected period. It does not estimate every free membership or individual payment.

It is not a measured count of active subscriptions, continuing charges or agreements that remain enforceable. One person may have several services, including free memberships, paid subscriptions and accounts shared with others.

The estimate does not establish whether any particular subscription is still active, whether payments continue or whether an authorized person can cancel or transfer it.

A useful step

Prepare a list of important subscriptions and memberships, including their purpose, provider, renewal frequency and usual payment method. Avoid recording full card numbers or sensitive credentials in an unsecured document.

Identify which services are essential, which contain valuable stored information and which could be cancelled without significant consequences.

Where possible, review the provider's cancellation, renewal and account-management procedures in advance.

If you are helping someone who has died or cannot currently manage their affairs, confirm your authority before making changes. Examine the consequences of cancellation, especially where services support healthcare, housing, communications, work or access to important records.

A careful review is often more useful than cancelling everything immediately.

Explore further

Understanding Subscriptions and Bills — Learn how recurring services, payments and contractual obligations may continue after death or incapacity.
Recurring Payment Sorter — Review recurring expenses, distinguish essential services from optional subscriptions and identify appropriate next steps.
Explore Your Digital Life: Paid Subscriptions and Memberships — Understand account access, cancellation limitations, shared plans and service-provider procedures.
How These Estimates Work — Learn how illustrative subscription figures are calculated and why they are not measured counts of continuing payments or financial liabilities.

Financial and Commerce Accounts

Much of a person's financial life now leaves a digital record. Bank statements, payment confirmations, online purchases, invoices, receipts and transaction histories may be stored in financial accounts, shopping platforms, email inboxes and mobile applications.

These records can help explain how money was received, spent, transferred or committed. Some document everyday purchases, while others concern property, financial obligations, warranties, refunds or services that continue over time.

A person may use several banks, payment services and shopping platforms. As a result, important records can be scattered across accounts that family members or authorized representatives do not know exist.

What happens after death or incapacity?

When someone dies, their digital financial records do not necessarily disappear. Banks, payment processors and merchants may retain transaction information according to their policies and applicable legal requirements.

However, the continued existence of a record does not mean another person can access it. Financial institutions generally have procedures for verifying the authority of executors, estate representatives and other eligible parties. The requirements can differ according to the institution, account ownership and jurisdiction.

Some financial accounts may be jointly owned or have designated beneficiaries. Others form part of an estate. These arrangements can affect who is entitled to receive information or funds, and they should not be treated as interchangeable.

If someone is alive but unable to manage their financial affairs, an appropriately authorized representative may need access to statements, payment histories or other records to manage essential responsibilities. The authority to assist a living person is not necessarily the same as the authority held by an estate representative after death.

Digital shopping accounts present additional complications. Purchase histories may remain available while the account is active, but access to purchased digital content, refunds, warranties and stored payment methods depends on the provider's terms and applicable law.

Why this matters

Financial and commerce records can help people understand responsibilities that might otherwise be overlooked.

A bank statement may reveal an unfamiliar recurring payment. An online receipt may establish when an appliance was purchased or whether a warranty remains valid. A payment record may help an authorized representative identify a bill already settled or an obligation requiring attention.

But incomplete records can also create misleading impressions. A transaction notification does not necessarily prove that a payment was completed, and a purchase confirmation does not always establish legal ownership or a transferable right.

These records frequently contain sensitive information, including account details, spending patterns, addresses and information about other people.

Access should therefore be limited to what is necessary and lawfully permitted. Families and representatives should avoid assuming that possession of a phone, access to an email inbox or knowledge of a password gives them authority to use financial accounts.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

The current category model counts financial and commerce accounts, not individual statements, receipts or transactions.

It cannot provide an estimate of the number of financial records. An account count does not establish asset values, outstanding debts, ownership or anyone's authority to access records.

A useful step

Identify the financial institutions, payment services and shopping accounts you use. Consider which records would be important for managing your affairs during incapacity or settling obligations after death.

Keep a secure inventory of institutions and account purposes without unnecessarily recording full account numbers, passwords or payment-card details.

Where appropriate, review account ownership, beneficiary arrangements and procedures for authorized representatives. Make sure important financial instructions can be located through a lawful and secure process.

If you are helping someone, establish your authority before requesting information or taking action. Use the relevant institution's official procedures rather than signing in as the account holder without permission.

Preserve potentially important records before closing accounts, but avoid copying or distributing financial information that is unrelated to the responsibilities you are authorized to manage.

Explore further

Understanding Connected Accounts — Learn how email, authentication and recovery arrangements connect financial and shopping services.
Understanding Subscriptions and Bills — Examine recurring charges, payment obligations and the consequences of changing or cancelling services.
Explore Your Digital Life: Bank, Payment and Credit Records — Understand financial-account records, authorized access and important distinctions involving ownership and obligations.
How These Estimates Work — Learn how the illustrative financial and commerce figures are calculated and why they do not measure actual assets, debts or accessible records.

Domains and Websites

A domain name gives a website its recognizable address, while the website itself may contain years of writing, photographs, personal projects, community information or professional work.

People register domains for blogs, portfolios, family websites, community organizations and other online activities. Some websites remain active for years, while others are abandoned but continue to hold information that may be personally or historically meaningful.

Keeping a website available often depends on several separate services, including domain registration, web hosting, website software and the accounts used to manage them.

What happens after death or incapacity?

When someone dies, a website does not necessarily disappear. It may continue operating as long as its domain registration, hosting arrangements and other essential services remain active.

However, a website can become unavailable if a domain expires, hosting payments stop, security certificates are not renewed or important technical problems go unresolved.

A domain name and the website displayed through it are different things. Renewing the domain does not automatically preserve website files, and having a copy of the website does not automatically provide control over its domain.

Access to domain registrations, hosting accounts and website administration also depends on provider procedures and applicable authorization requirements. An authorized representative may need documentation before a provider will discuss or change an account.

If someone is alive but unable to manage their affairs, a website may require continued attention even when its owner cannot personally maintain it. Assistance should respect the person's wishes, privacy and any applicable legal authority.

Why this matters

A personal website can preserve work and memories that exist nowhere else.

A blog may contain years of reflections. A portfolio may document someone's creative achievements. A family website may hold photographs, stories and information shared across generations.

Losing control of the domain can make this material difficult to find, even if copies of the original files still exist.

An expired domain may also become available for someone else to register, depending on the registry's rules and renewal procedures. If that happens, visitors following old links may eventually reach a different website. This can create confusion and, in some circumstances, opportunities for impersonation or misuse.

Some websites also support ongoing responsibilities, such as maintaining community information or providing access to important documents. Their continuity may matter to people beyond the original owner.

Understanding these dependencies helps distinguish preserving a website's content from keeping its address, services and administrative controls functioning.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many domain registrations might be associated with people who die during the selected period. It does not count websites or hosting accounts.

It is not a measured count of websites that remain online, domains that expire or digital properties transferred to someone else. One person may manage several domains, and a single domain may support multiple websites or online services.

The estimate does not establish ownership, monetary value, continued availability or another person's right to administer the website.

A useful step

Identify any domain names and websites you maintain, including the providers responsible for registration, hosting and administration.

Record their renewal arrangements, important service dependencies and the location of recoverable website backups. Where appropriate, document the purpose of the website and your preferences for its continued operation, preservation or closure.

Keep these instructions securely and consider how an appropriately authorized person could locate them without exposing passwords or administrative credentials.

If you are helping someone, first establish your authority and identify which services require attention. Avoid cancelling hosting, transferring a domain or changing administrative access before understanding the consequences for existing content and users.

For important websites, preserving an independent copy of the content may be just as necessary as maintaining the domain registration.

Explore further

Understanding Connected Accounts — Learn how email, authentication and account recovery affect access to online services.
Backup and Export Check — Examine whether important website files and records have independent, recoverable copies.
How These Estimates Work — Understand how the illustrative domain and website figures are calculated and why they do not represent measured counts of active or recoverable websites.

Phones, Computers and Other Devices

Phones, tablets, laptops and computers have become important parts of everyday life. They hold photographs, documents, conversations, applications and records of activities that may stretch back many years.

Some devices are used primarily for communication or entertainment. Others support work, education, healthcare, banking and access to essential services.

A person may own several devices, including older phones and computers that are no longer used regularly. These devices can contain important information even when newer versions of their files have been transferred elsewhere.

What happens after death or incapacity?

When someone dies, their physical devices may remain with relatives or become part of the property that must be handled under applicable law. However, owning or possessing a device is different from being able or authorized to access the information stored on it.

Modern phones and computers often use encryption, passwords, passcodes and other security protections. Without the appropriate credentials or recovery arrangements, some information may remain inaccessible even when the device is physically available.

Manufacturers and service providers have different procedures for account recovery, legacy access and requests concerning deceased users. Some arrangements may provide access to certain account information without unlocking the physical device or recovering all locally stored data.

If someone is alive but unable to manage their affairs, a trusted and appropriately authorized helper may need information from a device to assist with communication, appointments or other responsibilities. That assistance should respect the person's privacy, wishes and continuing rights.

Security measures should not be bypassed merely because a relative or caregiver considers the information important.

Why this matters

A device may be replaceable, but the information stored on it may not be.

An older phone could contain the only remaining copy of a photograph or voice recording. A laptop may hold important documents that were never backed up. An authentication application may be needed to sign in to essential accounts.

Losing access to one device can therefore affect several other parts of a person's digital life.

Physical condition matters too. Devices can be damaged, lost or become unusable as batteries, storage components and software age. Keeping an old phone in a drawer does not guarantee that its contents will remain recoverable.

There is also a difference between information stored directly on a device and information accessed through applications connected to online accounts. Recovering the hardware does not necessarily restore access to every service previously used on it.

Understanding these distinctions can help prevent unnecessary data loss and avoid decisions that permanently affect information someone may still need.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many personal digital devices might be associated with people who die during the selected period.

It is not a measured count of devices physically left behind, still functioning or containing recoverable information. A person may own several devices, including unused or outdated equipment.

The estimate does not establish whether a device is accessible, whether its stored information can be recovered or who is legally entitled to possess or use it.

A useful step

Identify the devices you currently use and any older devices that may still contain important information.

Check whether essential photographs, documents and records have independent, usable backups. Pay particular attention to devices used for account recovery, authentication applications and verification codes.

Review the recovery and legacy arrangements offered by relevant manufacturers and account providers. Where appropriate, document your preferences and the location of important instructions for someone who may lawfully assist you.

Keep sensitive credentials and recovery information secure. Avoid placing passwords or device passcodes in an unprotected inventory.

If you are assisting someone who has died or is unable to manage their affairs, establish your authority before attempting access or making changes. Avoid unnecessary factory resets, account removal or disposal of devices before considering whether important information may be lost.

Where recovery is uncertain, seek appropriate guidance rather than repeatedly attempting actions that could lock an account or erase data.

Explore further

Explore Your Digital Life: Phones, Tablets, Computers and Device Locks — Understand device security, account access, recovery limitations and preparations for authorized assistance.
Backup and Export Check — Review whether important information stored on devices has independent, recoverable copies.
Account Connection Check — Identify how devices, authentication methods and account-recovery arrangements depend on one another.
How These Estimates Work — Learn how illustrative device figures are calculated and why they do not measure actual functioning or accessible devices.

Other Digital Traces

Everyday activities can leave digital records, even when we are not deliberately creating documents, taking photographs or posting on social media.

Searching the internet, using applications, visiting websites, navigating with a phone or playing an online game may create information about what we do, when we do it and, sometimes, where we have been.

These records are often less visible than photographs or email messages. Some are kept on personal devices, while others may be held by application providers, websites or online services.

Together, they can reveal patterns of activity, interests, routines and aspects of a person's life that may not be apparent from their more familiar accounts.

What happens after death or incapacity?

Digital activity records do not necessarily disappear when someone dies. Some may remain in browser histories, application records, location histories, gaming profiles or information retained by online services.

How long these records remain available depends on the service, its retention practices, account settings and applicable legal requirements. Some information may be deleted automatically, while other records may persist for extended periods.

Not all digital traces are stored in one place. A phone might contain recent browsing history, while a service provider retains separate records of activity associated with an account. Deleting information from one device does not necessarily remove copies held elsewhere.

If someone becomes unable to manage their affairs, some activity records may continue to be generated by applications, connected devices or services operating in the background.

An authorized helper may need limited information to manage essential services or protect an account. However, access to personal activity histories can expose sensitive details and should respect the person's wishes, privacy and applicable authority.

Why this matters

Digital traces can reveal information people may never have intended to preserve as a lasting record.

A location history might reflect regular journeys. Search activity may reveal private interests or concerns. An application's usage records may show when a service was accessed, while gaming activity can document friendships, achievements and participation in online communities.

These records can sometimes help explain what happened to an account or identify a service that needs attention. They may also expose personal routines, sensitive interests or information about other people.

Importantly, a digital trace does not always tell the complete story. A search does not prove what someone believed. A location record does not always establish that a person was physically present. An application appearing in an activity log does not necessarily mean its owner was actively using it.

Records can be incomplete, automatically generated, inaccurate or associated with shared devices.

These limitations matter when interpreting another person's digital history, particularly after death, when that person can no longer explain the circumstances themselves.

Illustrative worldwide estimate

A numerical estimate is not available. These guides do not measure actual digital belongings.

This model illustrates how many digital activity records might be associated with people who die during the selected period.

The category may include records of browsing, searches, location-related activity, application usage and gaming activity, according to the project's defined model.

It is not a measured count of actual surviving records, nor does it establish whether the information is accurate, still retained or accessible to anyone.

One activity may create several records across different services. These categories are kept separate and are never added into a single total; the model does not establish real-world deduplication.

A useful step

Review the activity-history and privacy settings of the devices, browsers and online services you regularly use.

Where available, examine what information is being collected, how long it may be retained and whether you can manage automatic deletion or restrict unnecessary activity tracking.

Consider which records serve a useful purpose and which you would prefer not to retain indefinitely. Some information may support account security, important services or personal records, while other activity histories may offer little continuing benefit.

If you are preparing instructions for future assistance, focus on identifying essential services and appropriate access arrangements rather than collecting detailed personal histories unnecessarily.

If you are helping someone after death or during incapacity, avoid examining private activity records merely out of curiosity. Establish the purpose and authority for any access, and consider the privacy of other people whose information may appear in those records.

Explore further

Explore Your Digital Life — Learn about everyday digital accounts, devices, stored information and records that may remain after death or incapacity.
Understanding Connected Accounts — Examine how devices, applications, authentication and online services relate to one another.
Protect Your Digital Life — Find practical ways to organize important information, review account safeguards and prepare for authorized assistance.
How These Estimates Work — Understand how the project models other digital traces, the activities included in this category and the limitations of the illustrative figures.

A lifetime leaves more than memories.

Much of everyday life now takes place through digital services. We exchange messages, take photographs, manage accounts, make payments, store important records and leave traces of our activities.

These things become part of our personal histories and responsibilities. Some may remain long after we last use them. Others may disappear, become inaccessible or continue to affect people connected to us.

The figures above offer an illustrative view of the scale of digital information associated with people who die around the world. They are not a record of anyone's personal information, nor do they establish what has survived or who can access it.

Behind the numbers are questions relevant to every digital life: What exists? What matters? What may remain? And who should decide what happens to it?

Your digital footprint is more than what you choose to share.

Some information is created deliberately. Other records are generated as we use services, inferred by automated systems or held in accounts belonging to other people.

Understanding these differences helps us recognize how widely our digital lives extend.

The information you make and share.

Photographs, videos, messages, documents, recordings and creative work can reflect moments, relationships, responsibilities and ideas that matter to us.

Some of these records are saved deliberately. Others may exist only on a device or in an account we rarely revisit.

Recorded by services

The information generated through everyday activities.

Financial transactions, shopping histories, sign-in records, subscriptions and application activity can create records even when we do not intentionally save anything.

These records may serve practical purposes, but their availability and retention depend on the systems that hold them.

Inferred by systems

The conclusions technology may draw about us.

Some digital services use patterns of activity to estimate interests, preferences or other characteristics.

These conclusions are not necessarily accurate. They can be incomplete, outdated or based on assumptions that do not reflect the person concerned.

Held by others

The information about us that exists beyond our own accounts.

Our photographs may appear in someone else's collection. Conversations may remain in another participant's messages. Our details may be included in shared records or contact lists.

Not everything connected to our lives is held by us or subject to our decisions alone.

A digital footprint is not one account or one collection of files. It is information distributed across many places, often under different rules.

What remains is not always what we can recover, access or choose to share.

What exists may not remain accessible.

Digital information can survive on a device or within an online service without being available to the people who need it.

Accounts can become inaccessible. Devices can fail. Providers may delete information under their retention policies. Files may exist in a backup that nobody knows how to locate.

Preserving something and being able to recover it are not the same.

Explore what may remain

Access does not automatically mean permission.

A person may possess a device, know a password or have a close relationship with an account holder without having authority to examine or manage the information involved.

Digital records can contain private conversations, personal details and information about other people.

Understanding the difference between technical access, lawful authority and personal wishes helps protect everyone concerned.

Understand connected accounts

What matters deserves a choice.

Not everything needs to be kept. Not every account needs to remain active. And not every record should be shared.

Some people may want photographs and creative work preserved. Others may want certain information kept private, particular services discontinued or important responsibilities managed without unnecessary disclosure.

There is no single arrangement that suits everyone. What matters is having enough information to make thoughtful decisions.

Explore your options

Where Would You Like to Begin?

Explore your digital life with greater understanding.

Whether you are curious about the information connected to your everyday activities, trying to understand what may happen to it, or considering practical steps, there is a place to begin.

Discover your digital footprint

Understand the information connected to you.

Explore the accounts, records, devices, services and activities that contribute to a digital footprint, including information you may not realize is being retained.

Explore digital footprints

Understand what may remain

Learn what changes when circumstances change.

Discover why some digital information persists while other records become inaccessible or disappear, and how different services handle access, recovery and retention.

Read what may remain

Make informed choices

Give attention to what matters to you.

Explore practical guidance for identifying important accounts, reviewing copies of valuable information, understanding account connections and considering your preferences for the future.

Explore practical guidance

Understanding the estimates

Numbers can illuminate a question without telling the whole story.

The Digital After Life Project uses documented research and illustrative models to explore the possible scale of digital information associated with people who die.

These estimates are not direct counts of individual digital belongings or records proven to remain available. Their meaning depends on the evidence, definitions and assumptions behind them.

We explain how the models work, what they include and where their limitations lie, so visitors can understand the figures without mistaking estimates for observed facts.

About the Digital After Life Project

Understanding our digital lives, today and beyond.

The Digital After Life Project is a public-interest educational initiative dedicated to making knowledge about digital life accessible, understandable and useful.

Through research, clear explanations and practical guidance, the project helps people understand the information, relationships and responsibilities connected to their digital lives—and make informed choices about what matters to them.

Our work recognizes personal wishes, privacy, lawful authority and the different circumstances in which people live.

Learn about the project

Our digital lives matter beyond the moment we live them.