How to close a Dropbox account after a loved one passes

There may be critical documents in your loved one’s Dropbox account. There are two main ways to access them:

1) Try to access the DropBox account on the deceased person’s computer. Usually, you can access this without a password. It should have all of the files, since it syncs to the online account.

• To find this, you can usually click on the DropBox logo on the desktop or search for “DropBox”

• If you need more information on finding the folder, you should click here

2) If you aren’t able to access their Dropbox folder on their computer, you’ll need to request access from Dropbox directly

• Gather the following information

  • The full name of the deceased person

  • The email address associated with that person's Dropbox account

  • Your name, mailing address, email address, and your relationship to the deceased person

  • A photocopy of your government-issued ID

  • A valid court order establishing that it was the deceased person's intent that you have access to the files in their account after the person passed away, and that Dropbox is compelled by law to provide the deceased person's files to you

• Mail this information to:

  Dropbox Inc.

  Dropbox Legal Department — Decedents' Accounts

  333 Brannan St.

  San Francisco, CA 94107

• They will review the information you provide and follow up by email to let you know whether they will move forward.

• Requesting access to the account of someone who has passed away can take some time. They also do not guarantee that they'll be able to provide access.

Note: Despite it being a violation of the terms and conditions, some people recommend that you can reset the password for the account and use this to log in. This could work if you already have access to your loved one’s email or phone number. We are not endorsing this choice, but if recommended by your lawyer, here is the process:

• Follow the instructions on the forgot password page: https://www.dropbox.com/forgot

• If this doesn’t work, you can reset the password from a linked device. If you're able to sign in to the Dropbox mobile app on your loved one’s phone or tablet, you can reset the password by sending a notification to their device: https://www.dropbox.com/help/sign-in/lost-email-access#reset

• If you don’t remember which email your loved one used, or don’t have access to it, you can follow this link: https://www.dropbox.com/help/sign-in/lost-email-access#reset