The Ancestry legacy contact feature allows you to choose someone you trust to manage your Ancestry account when you pass away. The person you choose as your legacy contact will be able to take over and make decisions for your account once we’ve confirmed you’ve passed away.

Your legacy contact will be able to*:

• Sign in to your account and change the username, password, and email
• Update your profile picture
• Edit your public profile to let others know you’ve passed away
• Read any messages, notes, and comments you’ve written or received
• Create, manage, download, and delete family trees
• Manage, download, and delete your DNA results
• Add or remove people from accessing your family trees and DNA results
• Request a download of your account data
• Delete your Ancestry account

* Subject to change. These permissions may change in the future.

Who can be a legacy contact

Legacy contacts must be:

• At least 18 years old.

You can only add one person as your legacy contact, but one person can be a legacy contact for more than one Ancestry account. The person you choose is not required to have an Ancestry account.

Managing your legacy contact

From a browser

Go to legacy contact and skip to step 4

Or,

1. Sign in to Ancestry.
2. In the top-right corner, click your profile and select Account Settings.
3. Under Legacy contact, click Legacy contact.
4. Enter the name and email of the person you want to inherit your Ancestry account.
   • To change your legacy contact, enter a new name and email.
   • To remove a legacy contact, delete the name and email and then click Update legacy contact. To confirm, click Remove legacy contact.
5. Click Update legacy contact. 
   We’ll email them to let them know they’re the legacy contact for your account.

From the app

1. Open the Ancestry app and sign in.
2. In the top-left corner, tap your profile icon.
3. Scroll to Settings and tap Account (iOS) or Account Settings (Android).
4. Scroll to Legacy contact and tap choose who inherits your account or their name.
5. Enter the name and email of the person you want to inherit your Ancestry account.
6. To change your legacy contact, enter a new name and email.
7. To remove a legacy contact, tap Remove legacy contact and then Remove.
8. Tap Save. 
   We’ll email them to let them know they’re the legacy contact for your account.

Frequently asked questions

I’m the legacy contact for someone who has passed away; how do I take over their account? 
First, we’re sorry for your loss. To take over their account, please contact us, and one of our agents will carefully walk through the process and required documents to take over their Ancestry account.

Who should I make my legacy contact? 
Your legacy contact will manage your Ancestry account when you pass away or can no longer use Ancestry. Choose someone you trust to inherit your family trees and DNA results. The person you choose is not required to have an Ancestry account.

Who can make changes to my legacy contact?
Only you can change your legacy contact. People you’ve invited to trees or DNA results cannot change your legacy contact. 

How much does it cost to add a legacy contact?
Adding a legacy contact is free for all Ancestry members. This helps ensure our members’ family history work and DNA results are preserved and accessible, even after their passing or if they’re no longer able to use Ancestry.