How to Memorialize an Instagram Account

When someone you love dies, their Instagram can feel like a last place to visit them. Instagram lets family and friends turn the account into a memorialized profile, which keeps their photos while locking the account so nobody can misuse it. This guide explains the request, what changes, and the choices you can make for your own account now.

How to request memorialization

1. Go to Instagram's help centre and find the page on reporting a deceased person's profile.
2. Open the memorialization request form linked on that page.
3. Enter the details of the account you're reporting.
4. Add proof of death. Instagram asks for something like a link to an obituary or a news article.
5. Submit the form and wait for Instagram to review it.

Anyone who knew the person can ask for memorialization. You don't need to be family. What you can't get is access: Instagram says it can't provide login information for a memorialized profile, and logging into another person's profile is always against its policies.

What a memorialized Instagram profile looks like

What changes	Detail from Instagram
Logins	No one can log into a memorialized profile
The name	The word Remembering appears next to the person's name
Posts	Photos and videos stay on Instagram, visible to the audience they were shared with
Discovery	The profile doesn't appear in certain places, like Explore
Edits	Without a legacy contact, nothing on the profile can be changed

That last point matters. If the person didn't set a legacy contact, the profile is frozen exactly as it was: the same photo, the same followers, the same privacy settings and the same comments.

Memorialize or remove? Choosing what's right

Family members have a second option. Verified immediate family members can ask Instagram to remove the profile entirely instead of memorializing it. To do this, Instagram asks for proof that you're an immediate family member, such as:

• The person's birth certificate.
• The person's death certificate.
• Proof of authority under local law that you're the lawful representative of the person or their estate.

Some families find comfort in keeping the photos online. Others would rather the account disappeared. There's no wrong answer, but talk it through as a family first, because removal is final.

What a legacy contact can and can't do

A legacy contact is someone the account owner chose, while alive, to look after the profile once it's memorialized. Instagram describes the role like this:

• They can update the profile picture.
• They can see and manage tags.
• They can't post as the person or send messages as them.
• They can't see the person's messages.
• They can be given permission to download a copy of the content the person shared.

Instagram says you must be 18 or older to select a legacy contact, and it may add more capabilities in the future.

Plan your own account now

This is the part most people skip, and it's the kindest thing you can do for the people you'll leave behind. You have two choices for your own Instagram:

• Choose a legacy contact. Pick someone you trust to manage your memorialized profile.
• Choose Delete After Death. Instagram says if you choose this and it receives a valid memorialization request, your profile will be deleted. Deletion can't be undone, so Instagram strongly suggests discussing it with loved ones.

While you're sorting your account, make sure your recovery details are up to date. Here's how to change your Instagram email and how to update the phone number on Instagram, so the right people can be reached.

If your own profile was memorialized by mistake

It does happen. If Instagram memorialized your profile in error, you may be able to ask for a review by opening Instagram, entering your username and password, and following the on-screen instructions. Instagram will only give access if it can verify that you're the owner.

What friends and followers will notice

For followers, a memorialized account looks familiar but quieter. The posts are still there and people can still look back through them. The account won't be suggested in places like Explore, which helps stop painful surprises for people scrolling. If you were close to the person, you can still revisit their photos whenever you like.

Looking after yourself while you do this

Sorting out a loved one's accounts is hard admin at a hard time. You don't need to do it all at once. Memorialization can wait until you're ready, and the photos aren't going anywhere in the meantime. If several people share the job, agree who will send the request, so Instagram doesn't receive conflicting forms. And if you're the person who'd normally handle tech in the family, it's fine to ask someone else to do this one.

My verdict

Memorializing an Instagram account protects someone's photos and stops anyone logging in. Send the request with an obituary or news link, or, if you're immediate family, ask for removal with the right documents instead. Then take two minutes to choose a legacy contact or Delete After Death for your own account.

Frequently asked questions

Who can memorialize an Instagram account?

Anyone can request it, as long as they can provide proof of death such as a link to an obituary or news article. Removing the profile instead is only for verified immediate family.

Can family log into a memorialized Instagram account?

No. Instagram says no one can log into a memorialized profile and it can't provide login information.

What does Remembering mean on an Instagram profile?

It shows the profile has been memorialized after the person passed away.

What can an Instagram legacy contact do?

They can update the profile picture and manage tags, and may be allowed to download the person's content. They can't post, send messages or read messages.

Can I choose to have my Instagram deleted when I die?

Yes. Choose Delete After Death instead of a legacy contact, and Instagram will delete your profile after a valid memorialization request.