Cloud Photos and Online Subscriptions After a Death

Two easily overlooked digital tasks after a death: preserving cloud-stored photos, and stopping subscription charges that would otherwise continue indefinitely.

How do I access cloud-stored photos if there’s no legacy contact set up?

If a legacy contact wasn’t set up in advance, retrieving photos from services like Google Photos or iCloud typically requires going through that platform’s official deceased-user request process - usually involving a death certificate and proof of your relationship or legal authority. Processes and requirements vary by platform and can change over time, so check the specific platform’s current help resources.

How do I find out what subscriptions someone had?

Streaming services, app subscriptions, and memberships will typically continue charging automatically until someone actively cancels them. Reviewing recent bank and credit card statements is usually the most reliable way to identify what’s still being billed - it’s easy to miss a subscription you didn’t know existed otherwise.

Can subscriptions just be left running if no one’s using them?

Generally not a good idea - most will continue charging automatically until actively canceled, and canceling as part of settling the estate helps avoid ongoing, unnecessary charges.

What if photos are only stored on a personal device, not in the cloud?

If photos exist only on a personal phone or computer, not backed up to the cloud, it’s worth backing them up directly from the device if you have access - before it’s sold, recycled, or the battery eventually dies for good.

How can planning ahead help with this?

If you’d like to spare your own family this scramble, setting up a legacy contact in advance (see our guide on digital legacy planning) makes this process significantly smoother later. For specific platforms, see our guides on what happens to your Amazon account and what happens to your Costco membership when you die.

For platform-specific steps, see Google accounts and Apple accounts.

Platform policies change over time — check current guidance directly from the specific service.