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📜 Digital Estate & Legacy Guide

Memorializing or Deleting a Facebook Account, Step by Step

Published October 2026 · Last verified October 2026

Two Paths for a Facebook AccountYou can ask Facebook to memorialize the account or to delete it — never both.The accountMemorialize: keep as a tributeDelete: remove it for goodLegacy contact: a caretakerReport: hacked or fakeIllustration — a schematic. Set-up screens differ; each takes only a few minutes.
A schematic overview — your set-up screens may look a little different, but the idea is the same.
A Memorialization Request, Step by StepGather a little proof, fill one form, then wait for Facebook's review.Gather proofFull name,date, obituaryOpen the formFacebook'smemorial requestSubmit itOne shortonline formFacebook reviewsThen 'Remembering'appearsIllustration — a schematic. The order is a suggestion; do one box at a time.A schematic of the plan — company steps vary; the order does not have to.
The plan as a short checklist you can work through a little at a time.

When someone passes away, their Facebook account does not simply vanish. This guide walks you, calmly and in plain words, through memorializing an account as a tribute, deleting it for good, setting a legacy contact in advance, and keeping the page safe from scams.

Bill Davis
Bill's Home Tech · Atwater, Ohio
Want the full deep-dive?
The Memorializing or Deleting a Facebook Account, Step by Step Guide
PDF · plain English · no ads · made by Bill
Cost
Free — no purchase needed
Time
Work through it at your own pace
Difficulty
Beginner-friendly · one step at a time
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(330) 200-8042

When someone passes away, their Facebook account does not simply vanish. This guide walks you, calmly and in plain words, through memorializing an account as a tribute, deleting it for good, setting a legacy contact in advance, and keeping the page safe from scams.

What's inside this guide

The printable PDF walks through 36 short chapters, in plain language. It also includes an everyday cheat sheet and at-a-glance pictures.

  1. The Whole Plan on One Page
  2. What 'Memorializing' Really Means
  3. What a Memorialized Profile Is Not
  4. How to Decide Between the Two
  5. Why an Untended Account Can Cause Harm
  6. Who Is Allowed to Make Each Request
  7. What a Legacy Contact Is
  8. Setting a Legacy Contact, Step by Step
  9. What a Legacy Contact Can Do
  10. What a Legacy Contact Cannot Do
  11. Picking the Right Legacy Contact
  12. Gathering Proof for a Memorialization Request
  13. Submitting the Memorialization Request
  14. Obituary or Death Certificate — Which to Use
  15. What Changes Once It Is Memorialized
  16. Who Can See the Old Posts Now
  17. Caring for a Memorialized Profile
  18. Pinning a Message to the Top
  19. Friend Requests and the Profile Photo
  20. Requesting Deletion — Who Can and What You Need
  21. Submitting a Deletion Request
  22. The Emotional Side of Deciding
  23. Reporting a Hacked Account
  24. Reporting a Fake or Duplicate Profile
  25. What Happens to Messenger and Messages
  26. Saving Photos Before Anything Changes
  27. Privacy Settings Worth a Look
  28. Scams That Target the Grieving
  29. Protecting Your Own Account Today
  30. Doing This Together as a Couple
  31. Common Worries, Answered — Part One
  32. Common Worries, Answered — Part Two
  33. When You Cannot Easily Prove the Relationship
  34. What to Expect While You Wait
  35. If You Only Do Three Things
  36. Finish the Job Soon

Get the printable guide

Everything above is a quick summary. The full, printable guide — the same words, laid out to read and keep by the computer — is a free PDF.

Download the printable PDF →

Last verified October 2026. Information accurate as of October 25, 2026.

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Any prices or outside products mentioned in this guide can change over time — the details here were last checked August 2026 and this page is accurate as of October 18, 2026; please confirm current pricing before you buy. See how often we review our guides →