Digital Legacy Guide: Which Accounts and Files Everyday People Need to Organize

Digital legacy isn't a niche concern. As long as you use WeChat, Alipay, email, a phone gallery, cloud storage, social platforms, or a crypto wallet, you already have a digital legacy that needs organizing.

What a Digital Legacy Includes

• Payment accounts — WeChat Pay, Alipay, banking apps, securities accounts, and insurance apps
• Crypto assets — Exchange accounts, cold wallets, private keys, seed phrases, and where the hardware wallet is kept
• Social accounts — WeChat, QQ, Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and important group chats
• Cloud storage — iCloud photos, Baidu Netdisk files, Google Drive documents
• Devices and subscriptions — Phones, computers, domains, servers, memberships, and auto-renewing subscriptions

Why Families Often Can't Handle It

The real difficulty usually isn't "whether the law protects it" — it's that your family doesn't know where the accounts are, whether the phone number still works, whether the email can still be logged into, or what documents the platform needs. Without an inventory, your family is left to dig through your phone, comb through bills, and call customer support while grieving.

How to Organize Ahead of Time

• Start with an inventory — Record each platform's name, its purpose, the recipient, and your handling wishes
• Encrypt sensitive info — Passwords, private keys, and seed phrases should never go in a plain document
• Set up contacts — Let a trusted contact know what role they're responsible for
• Review regularly — Update whenever you change your phone number, switch your main email, or add a new asset

Where Digital Legacy Ends and a Formal Will Begins

A digital legacy inventory is better suited to handling account clues, password handover, photos and files, and your wishes for each platform. Formal legal arrangements — real estate, bank deposits, equity, and the distribution of major assets — should still be made through a will that meets legal requirements, notarization, or professional advice.

This article is for informational purposes on digital legacy and account handover, and does not constitute legal advice. Requirements for wills, inheritance, notarization, and account authorization vary by region — for important arrangements, consult a qualified lawyer or the relevant authority.