Getting Access to Gmail Accounts of the Deceased

When a person passes away, sensitive information might reside on a Gmail account. How can a family get access to this information if necessary? This question is raised in a Google Groups thread.

According to Gmail Guide, the following steps need to be provided to Google in order to obtain access to the Gmail account:

1. Your full name and contact information, including a verifiable email address.
2. The Gmail address of the individual who passed away.
3a. The full header from an email message that you have received at your verifiable email address, from the Gmail account in question. (To obtain the header from a message in Gmail, open the message, click 'More options,' then click 'Show original.' Copy everything from 'Delivered- To:' through the 'References:' line. To obtain headers from other webmail or email providers, please refer to http://www.spamcop.com/help_with_headers/)
3b. The entire contents of the message.
4. A copy of the death certificate of the deceased.
5. A copy of the document that gives you Power of Attorney over the Gmail account.
6. If you are the parent of the individual, please send us a copy of the Birth Certificate if the Gmail account owner was under the age of 18. In this case, Power of Attorney is not required.

Gmail Guide requests that you send this information via Fax or Postal Mail:

Google Inc.
Attention: Gmail User Support
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043

650-644-0358

It takes approximately 30 days for the information to be processed, but if the access is needed sooner, "it is Google's policy to only provide information pursuant to a valid third party court order or other appropriate legal process."

Discussion continues at Google Groups.

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posted Tamar Weinberg in Other Google Topics at May 30, 2007 8:49 AM Comments (46)

Comments

Thanks for finding this out. I'm sure many people did not know that this was even possible. May be useful to many of us.

Posted by Dell at May 30, 2007 13:12

I think it would work even faster with less headaches if the Gmail user just wrote down all of the accounts, including Gmail, and included that as part of their will or in some safe deposit box.

Posted by andre nosalsky at May 30, 2007 13:13

I hope my parents will never have to use that but still, thanks for the tip!

Posted by Camille at May 30, 2007 13:29

Am I the only one who thinks this isn't a good idea? Just because I or someone in my family my be dead, what right does that give me to violate their privacy?

Posted by supaneko at May 30, 2007 13:40

In the United States at least, one's personal right to privacy ends at one's death. If you want to keep your gmail private, put it in your will, and make sure that you trust your executor to follow your wishes.

Posted by Tom Ritchford at May 30, 2007 13:54

When my very close friend passed suddenly, google tech support was able to disable the auto-mails and auto-event invites from her account just using my request, som epersonal account information, and links to funeral notices.

Here's hoping no one else will need to know that.

Posted by J. at May 30, 2007 14:34

Err, a PoA makes no sense in that circumstance. A PoW is not valid once a person dies.

Posted by Swashbuckler at May 30, 2007 14:53

But yet, if you had a legal search warrant, you would have access within an hour. Life sux.

Posted by Anthony at May 30, 2007 15:03

Important subject, here are a few general tips...

1) Buy a book and familiarize yourself with what you will have to do, as executor, when the person dies.
2) Choose a reputable estate attorney ahead of time and go with the person to see that attorney and carry out appropriate estate planning. Make sure all legal docs (Will, POA, POA for health care, health care directives/living will, etc) are in order & properly witnessed.
3) Familiarize yourself with the person's general wishes, assets, files, financial accounts, internet accounts, etc. Organize the information (if before death, prune files where appropriate) and make sure all the important things are stored properly and where possible backed up.

When the person dies you will probate the will and apply for and presumably be granted Letters Testamentary which gives you legal authority over the estate and by extension the assets, accounts, and belongings of the deceased. With certified proof you have that (called "short certificates" in at least some places) and certified death certificates in hand you are pretty much good to go in terms of accessing and controlling things. Some front-line people at businesses may ask you for POA docs. If so, ask to speak with a supervisor and tell them you have your LT/shorts.

In general it is easy to access accounts, for you can provide the legal docs proving you have authority and they can verify both those and that the deceased owned the account(s) you want to access. Simple online accounts are a bit different in that often there is no real proof of who owned the account. Technically, Google and others shouldn't provide anyone with access to an account unless and until things are firmly established and in some cases that would be tough to impossible. Anyway, as executor make sure the person has all of their accounts, passwords, etc entered into some kind of secure password manager and make sure you will have access to that after they die.

Posted by Executor at May 30, 2007 16:48

I make it easy on my family. They know my traditional passwords. There are only a few. If someone breaks in my accounts I won't perish.

Posted by Meg Hager at May 30, 2007 22:20

If you have data to protect from other's eyes, the Internet is the worst place you can decide to use.
There is no place your privacy is treaded as on the Internet.
If you are so naif to place your data there, ask your government, they know exactly what your "secrets" are.
:-)

Posted by Safe at June 1, 2007 16:36

just wondering, how long will google keep an account active when there is no login session?
1 year? 10 years?
yahoo has certain time limits i think.

Posted by west at June 2, 2007 09:16

Wow. Good to know.

My Gran just died, and I'm not sure if anyone has her password, though I don't really think anyone would really NEED to access her email.

Posted by Tarwin at June 4, 2007 06:08

I FORGOT MY GMAIL PASSWOARD SO GIVE THE PASSWOARD THIS E MAIL ID SAYOJVNAIR@GMAIL.COM

Posted by rajesh at October 24, 2007 15:59

why cant i connect to gmail whats going on

Posted by ilze at November 20, 2007 13:17

how ca i access to myspace

Posted by marco at November 26, 2007 12:48

I can't access my gmail account because I don't know my frist name of my teacher.

Posted by Tom Colier at December 3, 2007 10:11

How do I access my gmail account when I don't the first name of my teacher.

Posted by Tom Colier at December 3, 2007 10:13

how do i access my gmail account when i don't know the fris name of old teacher

Posted by keith graham at December 16, 2007 23:24

Dear Madam / Sir,

I have keep my official Mail ID from your Gmail Account i.e. alliedsolutionsipl@gmail.com

Which was forwading to my officeial mail ID i.e jayanthi@alliedsolutions.com.

And now that my H.O. i.e. at mumbai Which I can't able to get mail from them I have to loging to gmail ID

I.e. alliedsolutions.com And I have forgoten my login password Can you please forward me the password. on my jayanthi@alliedsolutions.com mail Account.

Awaiting for your reply as soon as possible.

Thanking your,

With Best Regards,

Jayanthi Swaminathan,
Branch Manager

Allied Solutions (I) Pvt.Ltd
5th Floor, Sindur Pantheon Plaza,
346 - Pantheon Road,
Egmore ,
CHENNAI - 600 008.
Telefax. 044 - 4202 8894
email : jayanthi@alliedsolutions.com
Mobile:9381511988
Website:www.alliedsolutions.com

Posted by jayanthi at December 24, 2007 03:09

please give me a my old email id and password for gmail account please its urgent reply

Posted by deepali betal at February 18, 2008 04:56

I am not able to check my gmail account.Password is showing as wrong.ID is prakash.chandar@gmail.com.Pls send me the password to gayathri.prakashchandar@gmail.com

Posted by Gayathri at February 22, 2008 17:59

I am not able to check my gmail account.Password is showing as wrong.ID is sheelu.libra@gmail.com.Pls send me the password to amoretoss@gmail.com

Posted by sheela at March 12, 2008 04:21

Please not open for the my email I/D.

Posted by janvika at March 15, 2008 02:55

My Gran just died, and I'm not sure if anyone has his password, though I don't really think anyone would really NEED to access his email.his mail is kthu@gmail.com

Posted by zayphyoekyaw at April 8, 2008 10:16

I am not able to check my gmail account.Password is showing as wrong.ID is kthu@gmail.com.Pls send me the password to zayphyoe.86@gmail.com

Posted by zayphyoekyaw at April 8, 2008 10:28

I am not able to check my gmail account.Password and user id is showing wrong.My id is dspdipankar@gmail.com. Pls send me the password to dipankar_all@rediffmail.com.

Posted by dipankar sharma at May 23, 2008 15:14

I am not able to check my gmail account.Password is showing as wrong.ID is oo.a312Pls send me the password to zayphyoe.86@gmail.com

Posted by oak kka at June 9, 2008 10:14

heyyy plss can u help me .......... i deleted my accont in gmail and orcut can u plss regain to me back in few days if u send link send it to ashchullbuli@gmail.com plsss do this plsssssss

Posted by manasa.l.simha at June 30, 2008 02:02

heyy i have deleted my accont.... hw to retain my account both orcut and gmail
my id is manasa.l.simha@gmail.com plss retain it plssssss

Posted by manasa.l.simha at June 30, 2008 02:08

i forgot my password in gmail account nareshbsc@gmail.com, Please steps how to get my password , Please Help me

Posted by Naresh at July 10, 2008 08:13

I need help desperately to get into my gmail account, I lost my password and my secondary email is deleted. Also I cannot remember the answer to my secret question. I need help and google will not help me so far.

Posted by Lisa Barfield at July 15, 2008 08:55

iforgot password,please send to me my password,so that i can use my account.tnx

Posted by danny cadungog at July 15, 2008 10:21

I am not able to check my gmail account which is sukanya.geol2. Password is showing as wrong.Pls forward my password to rajibmitro@gmail.com

Posted by Sukanya at July 18, 2008 07:17

"Posted by Tarwin at June 4, 2007 06:08

I FORGOT MY GMAIL PASSWOARD SO GIVE THE PASSWOARD THIS E MAIL ID SAYOJVNAIR@GMAIL.COM"

Hey Tarwin you dork...learn what your "Caps Lock" key is.

After that, go ask directions from your dosa masala cook where within your own city of Bangalore you can go find a good book called "How to ask stupid questions and still be able to eat a Dosa Masala while hopping on one foot" by Changranathan Chippitipan.

And while you are there, grab a good dictionary, or ask the local guru / snake charmer what the correct spelling of "PASSWOARD" is.

Either item costs less than 20 rupees - and if you ask the guru he may even bless your feet.

OKbai. :-P

Posted by Yosemite Sam at August 20, 2008 06:40

Posted by Yosemite Sam at August 20, 2008 06:53

hello sir,

my id is nageshrcm@gmail.com i foget my password pls send it to this id testcom_123@yahoo.com

Posted by Nagesh at August 26, 2008 05:57

MY E MAIL ID PASSWORD MIS IN MEMORY PL'Z SEND MY PASSWORD IN E_MAIL ADDRESS SRATHWE@YAHOO.COM

Posted by VIRENDRA GUPTA at September 12, 2008 09:58

my email id is works@pragatipac.com. when i enter my password it is showing that invalid password but i am sure that my password is correct.my google account address is wrong .please send my actual google account address

Posted by works at October 28, 2008 02:16

pls send my password is monedine89@gmail.com

Posted by monedine at October 28, 2008 14:21

i wanna gmail id.

Posted by Pullo Pasni at November 24, 2008 06:27

i want make gmail email address,sir plz healp me.

Posted by hussain ahmed at January 13, 2009 04:54

i want to find my passward

Posted by alka at January 31, 2009 09:07

actually somebody have deleted my gmail account i,e shanalovesindr@gmail.com and can i get this account wth new password with all the mails which was there. plzz reply me soon...

Posted by kanchan ranjan at February 24, 2009 04:40

i wamt to find my gmail password.my ID february12love@gmail.com thank

Posted by february at March 21, 2009 05:55

I have keep my official Mail ID from your Gmail Account i.e. singhania.deepshikha@gmail.com

Which was forwarding to my officeial mail ID i.e reallife_saini@yahoo.com.
And now that my H.O. i.e. at mumbai Which I can't able to get mail from them I have to loging to gmail ID

I.e. singhania.deepshikha@gmail.com And I have forgoten my login password Can you please forward me the password. on my jsinghania.deepshikha@gmail.com mail Account.

With Best Regards,
sanjay saini
Branch Manager

Posted by sanjay saini at April 7, 2009 04:53

Getting Access to Gmail Accounts of the Deceased

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