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2 min read 5 stepsApril 16, 2026Verified April 2026

How to Memorialize or Delete a Loved One's Facebook Account

After losing a loved one, you can ask Facebook to memorialize their account as a tribute or request its removal — here's how to do both.

At a Glance

Find the person's Facebook profile link

~15s

Go to facebook.com and search for the person's name. When you find their profile, copy the URL from your browser address bar. It will look something like facebook.com/personname or facebook.com/profile.php?id=123456.

Go to the Facebook Special Request form

~15s

Go to facebook.com/help and search for "memorialization request" or "deceased person." Click the link for the official form — Facebook has separate forms for memorialization and for removal/deletion.

Fill out the memorialization request

~15s

Enter your full name, your email address, your relationship to the deceased, the person's name on Facebook, and their profile URL. Upload a photo of an obituary or other documentation if available. Submit the form.

Request account removal instead

~15s

If you want the account deleted rather than memorialized, find the "Special Request for Deceased Person's Account" form in Facebook's Help Center. This process requires proof of death (a death certificate) and proof of your authority to make the request.

Set up a Legacy Contact for your own account

~15s

To spare your own family from this process someday, go to your Facebook Settings, click "Memorialization Settings," and designate a Legacy Contact — a person you trust to manage your account after you pass.

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When someone passes away, their Facebook account does not disappear on its own. Facebook offers two options for family members: memorialization and removal. A memorialized account becomes a tribute page. The word "Remembering" appears before the person's name. No one can log into the account, but friends and family can still post memories on the timeline. A removed account is deleted for good, including all photos and posts.

To request either option, submit a form on Facebook's Help Center. Facebook asks for the deceased person's name, their Facebook profile link, and proof of your relationship. This can be a photo of an obituary or a death certificate. Facebook does not always require a death certificate for memorialization. It does require one for account removal.

The process usually takes a few days to a few weeks. You can also set up a "Legacy Contact" on your own Facebook account now. This is a trusted person who can manage your memorialized account someday.

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memorialization

digital legacy

social media

bereavement

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Official Resources

AARP Life Changes Senior Planet GCFGlobal — Digital Skills

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