This tool lets you bequeath your Google account to a trusted person when you die — here's how to set it up
Lenore Edman/Flickr
If you've ever worried about what would befall your Gmail, photos, documents, YouTube videos, and other digital data in the event of a terrible accident or your own death, you're not alone.
It's a little dark to think about, but the good news is that Google has your back.
The service offers a feature that will bequeath your Google account and all of its contents to up to 10 pre-selected trustees, and even let you set your account to self-delete after an extended period of inactivity.
Here's how to set it up:
To get started, you'll want to make sure you're logged in to your Google account, and find your Account settings.
Screenshot / Business InsiderClick on the tile menu, and "Account" should be the very first module in the drop-down window.
From your the landing page for your account settings, you'll want to click "Personal info and privacy."
Screenshot / Business Insider
Google doesn't really advertise this feature, and bury it pretty deeply among the dozens of other account customizations, making it feel like the morbid needle in a settings haystack.
From here, you'll have to scroll almost all the way down the page, until you see the section titled "Assign an account Trustee." On the right side, you'll see an entry to the "Inactive Account Manager." Go ahead and click "CHANGE THIS SETTING" to set it up.
Screenshot / Business InsiderThis page doesn't include any mentions of the word "death" or establishing a virtual will of all your Google data, but trust me, that's what we're doing.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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