What happens to your Digital Life if you don't leave a plan?

No one likes to think about what happens after we’re gone. It feels distant, uncomfortable, maybe even unnecessary. But in a world where so much of our lives exist online, it’s worth asking a gentle question: What happens to your digital life if you don’t leave a plan behind?

Let’s look at a very real, very human story.

Meet Jacob.

Jacob was 42. Creative, funny, and the kind of person who always shared the best holiday photos and thoughtful messages. He had a growing collection of memories stored online; photos, music playlists, a half-written novel, and accounts for everything from cloud storage to streaming services.

Then, unexpectedly, Jacob passed away. He hadn’t written a will. He hadn’t told anyone what to do with his digital life.

What followed wasn't just legal pain. It was a story of personal loss.

Jacob’s sister, Gemma, was left to make sense of everything. She was already grieving, and now she had to figure out how to manage a life lived mostly online.

• His phone was locked
• His laptop needed a password
• No one knew how to access his files or cancel his subscriptions

There were years of family photos saved to cloud services. Personal letters and creative work. Messages from friends. All of it sat behind login screens with no instructions left behind.

At the same time, his monthly subscriptions kept charging his bank account. Social Media profiles stayed online, unchanged, with people still tagging him or sending messages. It felt strange and unsettling.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a familiar story.

Jacob’s story isn’t dramatic. It’s what happens when people don’t leave behind clear instructions. Most of us never think to include our digital lives in our end-of-life planning. But those parts of our lives matter just as much as anything we keep in drawers or files.

Our online photos, documents, videos, and playlists are part of how people remember us. And part of what makes life easier for those we leave behind.

Without a plan, those we love are left to guess. Often, they’re left with no way in.

There is a better way

Gemma later mentioned to her friend, “If we’d had come across digital vaults and e-Wills earlier, everything would have been so much easier. We could have focused on remembering Jacob, not untangling his digital life.”

Taking a few simple steps now can change everything later. Creating a digital will. Using a secure digital vault. Leaving a note in your vault that says, here’s what matters, and here’s where to find it.

You don’t need to do everything today. you just need to begin.

Protecting your digital legacy isn’t about expecting the worst. It’s about caring for the people who will one day look for answers.

It’s a way of saying, I thought of you. I made this easier.

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Contributed by Chhavi Bhardwaj

As a Senior Project Manager at adeus, Chhavi works on innovation projects, leading strategic initiatives with focus and clarity. Outside of work, she’s passionate about writing and blogging, and spends her downtime sketching or tending to her garden, interests that regularly inspire new ways of thinking.