How to Set up Facebook “stale Contact” in Case You Die
Today, Facebook has made it possible to add an “outdated contact” or someone who can take control of your account and keep it in memory – or delete it if you die. This is how you set it up.
Nobody likes to think about their death, but we must all prepare for it . While it’s a bit painful, this new system makes it much easier for family members or friends to take care of your Facebook account in adverse circumstances. Whoever you assign your old contact to can post content that appears at the top of your immortal chronicle, respond to requests from friends and family who may not have been linked to Facebook in advance, and update profile pictures.
You can also customize it so that your old contact can download an archive of your photos, messages, and profile information for safekeeping (no private messages are saved). Of course, your old contact can permanently delete your Facebook account as well, if you prefer. Here are the steps to set it up:
- Go to your Account Settings> Security> Outdated Contact.
- Then enter the name of the person you want to make your legacy contact.
- You have the option to send them a message to let them know, but this is not required. Otherwise, they will be notified when Facebook learns of your death.
- Then choose if your old contact will have permission to archive data and if you want to delete your account.
That’s all there is to it. Again, all of this may sound a little painful, but in reality it is about people you care about in your life. Your departure will be difficult for everyone, and giving someone the option to either immortalize your account or delete it can help. It also protects your account from inactivity, which could be hacked later. You can find out more about old contacts at the link below.
Update: It looks like over time this option is becoming available to everyone. If you don’t already have it, you will probably get it soon.
Adding an old contact | Facebook Newsroom