Securing your virtual will.

I’m not planning to pass away anytime soon. Still, back in 2012, I spent a weekend thinking about my ‘virtual will’. Years of email, photos, documents and accounts were scattered across the internet. What would happen to all of that when I died?

The question still matters. Good account security keeps other people out. But without a plan, it can also keep out the people who need to sort things out when you’re no longer here.

A password manager can hold both account details and instructions: what to preserve, what to close, and who to contact. But storing everything securely is only half the job. You also need a way for someone you trust to reach it.

Leave more than a password.

For a regular password-based 1Password account, signing in on a new device requires your account details, your Secret Key and your account password. Leaving only the password is not enough.

1Password’s Emergency Kit contains your account details and Secret Key, with a space to write your account password. That space isn’t filled in automatically. 1Password recommends adding the password to at least one printed copy, storing it safely, and considering giving a copy to someone you trust.

If you use two-factor authentication for 1Password, plan for that too. Its guidance recommends recording the authenticator’s 16-character secret so you aren’t dependent on access to one phone. Treat a completed kit and any authentication secrets as highly sensitive: they belong somewhere secure, not in a public post.

These instructions describe password-based accounts. If you use a passkey or another sign-in method, check the recovery requirements for that setup rather than assuming the same kit is sufficient.

Share deliberately.

With 1Password Families, you can create a vault shared only with the people who need it. That could hold selected household accounts and a note explaining what to do in an emergency.

Sharing a vault gives those people access now, not only after your death. Choose its contents accordingly. It doesn’t give them access to everything in your private vault.

Don’t confuse recovery with inheritance.

A family organizer can help recover an account, but that isn’t an automatic handover after death. The recovery process sends an email to the account holder, requires steps through that mailbox, and then needs the organizer to complete it. 1Password recommends having at least two people who can recover accounts.

Individual and Families accounts can also generate a recovery code. Using it requires access to the email address linked to the account, and existing two-factor authentication remains enabled. It’s an extra safety net, not a complete plan on its own.

Avoid a circular setup: if the only way into your email is a password locked inside 1Password, email-based recovery may not help when you need it.

Leave instructions, not just access.

Make sure the person you trust knows where to find the plan and how to use it. Walk through the access route together, and revisit it when your passwords, authentication methods or circumstances change.

Getting into a password manager also isn’t the same as having permission to use every account. Access to your information and authority to deal with a bank, employer or online service are separate questions. Record your wishes and check the relevant provider’s procedures where needed.

Whatever setup you choose, think about what happens to your accounts when you pass away. Don’t just leave passwords. Leave a tested way to access them, and clear instructions about what should happen next.

Don’t make your death even harder for your relatives than it already is.

Original: Securing your virtual will, 19 March 2012. Updated October 2026; check 1Password’s own pages for the current steps.