Facebook Legacy Contact
A Facebook Legacy Contact is the person you nominate to manage your memorialised Facebook profile after you pass away. They cannot read your messages or sign in as you, but they can pin a tribute, accept friend requests, update your profile picture, and request that the account is removed. This guide walks through the setup in the UK and explains what they can and cannot do.
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The short answer
Open Facebook on a browser, go to Settings and Privacy, Settings, then General Account Settings, Memorialisation Settings, and Choose a Legacy Contact. Pick a Facebook friend and send them a short message. They will not have access until your account is memorialised, which happens after a friend or family member sends Facebook proof of your passing. A Legacy Contact can pin a tribute post, accept friend requests, update the profile and cover photo, and request that the account is removed. They cannot read your private messages or log in as you.
Once your account is memorialised, the Legacy Contact can write a pinned tribute at the top of your profile, respond to new friend requests, update the profile picture and cover photo, and request that Facebook remove the memorialised account. If you grant the option in advance, they can also download a copy of what you have shared on Facebook, such as posts, photos, and videos.
They cannot log in as you. They cannot read your messages or see anything shared in Messenger. They cannot remove old friends or old posts. They cannot change the privacy settings of past posts. This is by design: the role is about caretaking the public face of the account, not opening up your private life.
Open Facebook in a browser, click your profile photo, then Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Open General Account Settings, scroll to Memorialisation Settings, and click Edit next to Choose a Legacy Contact. Type the name of a Facebook friend and select them. Facebook drafts a short message you can send them. You can change or remove your Legacy Contact at any time.
An account is not memorialised automatically. A friend or family member sends Facebook a memorialisation request with proof of your passing, typically a death certificate or obituary link. Once Facebook approves, the word Remembering appears next to your name, the account stops appearing in suggestions, and your Legacy Contact can start their role.
Facebook Legacy Contact handles the public profile. Y.O.D.O. holds the private messages you wrote to specific people, runs scheduled and quick check-ins while you are alive, and only releases your sealed messages after a Delegate has reported the passing, identity verification has completed, and a 72-hour dispute window has closed. The two work side by side: Facebook for the tribute, Y.O.D.O. for the words you wanted heard.
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