How to memorialize or close a deceased person's Instagram account
Instagram handles memorializing or closing a deceased person's account through an online form. The steps below are Instagram's own published process, taken from its official support pages — this page organizes them so you can see what the provider asks for; it doesn't add to them or recommend any particular action.
What you'll need
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Proof of your relationship to the deceased
Steps
- Decide between memorializing the profile (stays visible with a "Remembering" label, no logins) and removing it.
- To memorialize: submit Instagram's deceased-person report with proof of death, such as a link to an obituary or news article.
- To remove: as an immediate family member, submit the removal request with the deceased's birth certificate and death certificate, or proof that you are the lawful representative of the estate.
- Instagram reviews the report and memorializes or removes the profile; memorialized profiles can no longer be changed (posts, likes, followers, comments).
Closing one account is only part of the job — every recurring charge still draws on a card or bank account the estate will eventually claim. HeirLoft reads the recurring charges straight out of an inbox in one pass, so you can see everything that's still billing while you work down the list.
Surface every recurring charge in one place
How to contact Instagram
Typical timeline
Instagram does not publish a typical timeline for this process.
Notes
Instagram's Help Center renders only with JavaScript and could not be fetched for verification; Instagram does not offer a legacy-contact feature and will not provide login information for a memorialized account.
Sources
Last reviewed September 14, 2026 · Links verified September 14, 2026
Related guides
- Close a deceased person's account, provider by provider
- Closing a deceased person's social media accounts
The simplest way to spare your own family this process is to keep an up-to-date list of your accounts somewhere they can find it. HeirLoft finds the recurring charges you've forgotten and keeps them in one place your heirs can actually use.