What Happens to Your Mastodon Account When You Die
Quick Facts
Difficulty
Medium
Key Info
Hosted on individual servers (instances)
Subscription
None (may donate to instance)
Step-by-Step Guide
Download account archive
Log in to the Mastodon instance and go to Preferences → Import and export → Data export to download posts, follows, and media.
Estimated time: 10-20 min
Decide: keep or delete
Decide whether to leave the profile as-is (it will remain on the instance) or request deletion. There is no formal memorialization feature.
Estimated time: 5 min
Contact instance administrator
Reach out to the server\'s admin to request account deletion or modification. Each instance has its own admin and policies.
Document Now Checklist
- Mastodon full handle (e.g., @user@instance.social)
- Instance URL
- Account email
- Instance admin contact
Last verified: June 2026. Platform policies may change. Verify current procedures directly with Mastodon. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Related Guides
Facebook has the best memorial process of any social platform. Set up a Legacy Contact now — it takes 5 minutes.
Go to Settings → Account → Download Data to save all photos, videos, and profile info.
X (Twitter)
X does NOT memorialise accounts. If not deactivated, X may eventually delete your account due to inactivity.
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