Platform guides · The keys to everything else

Email & inbox

An email account is usually the master key to a person's digital life — password resets and 2-factor codes all pass through it. It's the first thing to plan for, and the first thing an executor needs.

4 platforms in this group — 1 let you plan ahead. Each links to the platform's own official help page, reviewed 2026-07-10.

• 
  Google / Gmail

  Google is one of the few platforms with a true plan-ahead tool. Setting up Inactive Account Manager now saves your family a formal request later.

  Plan-ahead tool
• 
  Microsoft / Outlook

  There's no pre-planning setting, and Microsoft asks for legal documentation to grant access — so list Outlook/OneDrive in your inventory and leave any essential files elsewhere.

  Closure only
• 
  Yahoo Mail

  Yahoo's policy is closure, not access — its terms treat accounts as non-transferable, so leave any needed information elsewhere.

  Closure only
• 
  Proton Mail

  Proton's encryption means no one — not even Proton — can hand over your mail without your password, so leave recovery details somewhere safe for your executor.

  Closure only