Recently, someone asked me for advice about a very personal and important issue: he wanted to leave behind a document for his children – something they would only receive after he had passed away.
“Ideally, I would upload it to ‘the cloud,’ and give my children a code so they can access it when they feel ready.”
He had asked his computer advisor how to do that, but was told that it could only be done if connected to his Gmail account.
That raised a new concern: “I don’t have eternal life, so at some point my Gmail account will become inactive or be deleted. Is there a better solution?”
He had a digital copy of the document already, so his first instinct was to find a digital solution.
🧩 Digital Legacy Tools – What Are the Options?
I did some research, and it turns out there are quite a few tools and services that can help people pass on digital content after they die. These include services from big players like Google, Microsoft, and Dropbox, as well as niche companies that specialise in digital legacies and even offer AI-generated “conversations” with the deceased.
Here are some of the most relevant options:
🟢 Google Inactive Account Manager
Google allows you to decide what should happen with your data after your account becomes inactive (e.g., if you don’t log in for a specific number of months). You can:
- Choose up to 10 trusted contacts who will be notified and granted access.
- Decide what kind of data they may download (e.g., Gmail, Drive, Photos).
- Optionally delete your account afterwards.
📄 More about Google’s Inactive Account Manager
🔵 Microsoft: Access to Outlook, OneDrive, and More
Microsoft offers a legal process for family members or executors to access a deceased person’s Outlook.com, OneDrive, or other services. It requires documentation (such as a death certificate), and Microsoft does not allow password sharing but may release content via a next-of-kin process.
📄 Microsoft’s Policy on Digital Access After Death
📦 Dropbox
Dropbox also has a policy for accessing someone’s account after they have passed away. With proper documentation (including a death certificate), they may provide access to account contents.
📄 Accessing a Deceased Person’s Dropbox Account
🤔 But Does It Have to Be That Complicated?
While these services are useful, they all rely on a platform that may change, shut down, or become inaccessible if accounts lapse. That’s why we also discussed a simpler, low-tech approach, which might be more reliable in the long term.
Here’s what I suggested:
Print the document (optionally in multiple copies), and place each in an envelope along with a USB stick containing the digital version. Then, store these envelopes in different safe places:
- One in your desk drawer at home
- One in a safe
- One with a lawyer, notary, or trusted relative
Why multiple copies? Because hardware breaks. A USB stick may stop working in 10 years – or be completely obsolete by then, just like floppy disks are today. A printed version, on the other hand, is more “future-proof.” And if your children later want a digital copy again, OCR (optical character recognition) tools like Google Lens, CamScanner, or even AI services like ChatGPT can easily convert printed pages back to digital files.
You could also refresh the digital medium every 5 years or so – copy the content to a newer USB stick, SSD drive, or even cloud folder.
🇳🇱 Bonus: Help from the Dutch National Archives
If you read Dutch, the Nationaal Archief has created an excellent guide:
📄 Eerste Hulp bij Digitaal Archiveren – First Aid for Digital Archiving
🔗 Read or download the PDF here
This is a practical manual for individuals and small organisations. It explains:
- Which file formats are most suitable for long-term storage (e.g., PDF/A, TIFF)
- Pros and cons of different storage media (USB, hard drives, cloud)
- How to organise, label, and back up your digital collection
- Best practices for ensuring documents remain readable over time
It’s a clear, jargon-free resource – perfect for anyone who wants to better manage their digital legacy without needing to become a tech expert.
🧾 Final Thought
No matter how you choose to pass along meaningful documents – digitally, physically, or both – the most important thing is that you do it deliberately and with a plan. Don’t leave it to chance.
Even a simple solution, well thought-out, can mean the world to your loved ones someday.
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