Ways to leave messages after you die, compared

There are several ways to make sure the people you love hear from you after you die. They differ mostly in one thing: what decides that you've died. Here's how the common options compare, including where Fond Farewell is not the best fit. Checked October 2026; features and prices change, so confirm on each provider's site.

The short version

• Fond Farewell sends a personal note and video to each person after a trusted contact reports your death, with 48 hours for you to cancel. Best for heartfelt, per-person messages with no inactivity timer. iPhone and iPad only for now.
• Google Inactive Account Manager is free and emails up to 10 people after your Google account has been inactive for a period you choose. Best if you live in Google and want to pass on account data too.
• Apple Legacy Contact gives chosen people access to your Apple account data after death. It doesn't send messages.
• Dead man's switch email services email you regularly and send your messages if you stop clicking. Best for practical information, if you can keep up with check-ins.
• A letter left with your will or a trusted person costs nothing and needs no technology, but someone has to find it and pass it on.

Google Inactive Account Manager

Google's free tool lets you pick up to 10 people who are notified, and optionally given some of your account data, after your Google account has been inactive for a period you choose. Google decides inactivity from signals like sign-ins, Gmail use and Android check-ins, and the email includes a footer saying you set it up. It's a good, free safety net, especially for passing on photos or documents. It isn't designed for a separate heartfelt message and video for each person, and it can't tell the difference between death and simply not using Google for a while. Google's help page.

Apple Legacy Contact

A Legacy Contact can request access to the data in your Apple account (photos, notes, files and more) after your death, using an access key you share plus a death certificate. It's worth setting up for everyone with an iPhone. It doesn't deliver messages; your family would have to find what you left. Apple's help page.

Dead man's switch email services

Services such as Dead Man's Switch email you every so often and send your pre-written emails if you stop confirming that you're fine. They're useful for practical information that should go out automatically. The trade-off is the check-in itself: a long hospital stay, a lost phone or a full inbox can look the same as death, and the check-ins can feel like a weekly reminder of mortality.

Other legacy message apps

Several apps let you record messages for after you're gone, with different triggers (inactivity, a nominated person, or a date) and different prices. A few earlier services in this space have shut down, which is worth weighing: Afternote, for example, closed at the start of 2025. Whatever you choose, keep a copy of anything irreplaceable somewhere your family can reach, such as a letter with your will.

A letter with your will, or in a drawer

A handwritten letter is the oldest version of this and still a good one. Lawyers sometimes call it a letter of wishes when it accompanies a will; it isn't legally binding, so keep instructions about money and property in the will itself. The risk is practical: the letter has to be found, and it's one copy for many people. See how to leave a message for loved ones after you die.

Where Fond Farewell fits

Fond Farewell was built for the personal part: a separate note and video for each person, sent by email, decided by people you trust rather than a timer, with 48 hours for you to stop it. It's not a will, password manager or document vault, and it's iPhone and iPad only today (Mac, Android and Windows are in development). Many people combine it with a will, Apple Legacy Contact and Google Inactive Account Manager.