Google has hidden a ‘death’ page from everyone’s accounts – check yours now or risk the eternal afterlife of shame

THIS creepy feature lets you decide what happens to your data after you pass.

Have you ever wondered what happens to your Google account after you pass away?

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Assign a neighbor for your digital footprintCredit: getty

Like estate planning, Google now also lets you plan what happens to your online life.

By default, if you haven’t signed in to your Google account for more than two years, Google will assume you’re no longer using your email address, according to Use.

Google uses alternate contact information, such as a mobile phone number or email address, to contact you before deleting your emails, files, and photos.

Before it does, however, it will contact something called your “Inactive Account Manager”.

That is, if you have one set up in advance.

What is the Inactive Account Manager?

“Inactive account manager” is a hidden feature and essentially means your digital close ones.

Inactive Account Manager is a way for users to share parts of their account information or notify someone if they’ve been inactive for a period of time.

How does it work?

Depending on how much permission you’ve given this contact, the Inactive Account Manager is like a secondary account that can access parts of your Google data.

This data includes photos, emails, documents, and public content such as YouTube videos.

Setting up an inactive account manager can reduce the risk of losing important data after your death that your loved ones may want or need access to.

Google essentially gives the inactive account manager a period of time to download your data before either clearing it or deleting your entire Google account if that’s the option you set up beforehand.

What data does the inactive account administrator have access to in your Google Account?

The designated administrator has access to everything associated with your Google account. The non-exhaustive list includes:

  • Log activity
  • Chrome
  • Contacts
  • Motivation
  • Mail
  • Location history
  • To chat
  • photos

Make sure to choose someone you consider to be the most trustworthy as they can really see your entire personal life online.

Google allows you to select up to 10 administrators with different access to your account.

Assign an inactive account manager

  1. Open your Google browser.
  2. Go to your Google account settings.
  3. Select Data & privacy > More options > Plan your digital legacy.
  4. Under “Plan what happens to your data if you lose your Google Account”, select Start.
  5. Choose an option between 3, 6, 12 or 18 months for the level of inactivity.
  6. Enter your alternate contact information and press Next.
  7. Press Next.
  8. Click Add Person and enter the email address of the person you selected.