Short answer: start by asking family and friends for photos, voice messages and short stories, and gather them in one place. For something to hold, make a printed memory book. For something the family keeps adding to, use a private space: a shared album for photos, or a palace where voice and stories sit next to each photo.
Last updated: 2 November 2026. Every fact about another service on this page was checked on that day on the service's own help pages; the sources are at the bottom.
There is no right way to do this, and no deadline. Some families make something in the first weeks, for a funeral or a gathering. Others wait months or years. This guide is about the practical part: what to collect, the forms a memorial can take, and who each form suits.
First, gather what exists
- Photos from phones, old albums and the shoebox. Ask relatives and friends to send what they have, even blurry or ordinary photos.
- Voice messages and videos. These are often scattered across phones and chats. Save them as files, and name each one with a date and who is speaking.
- Short written memories. A few lines from each person is enough: a habit, a phrase they always used, a day that people remember.
- Documents such as letters, cards or a recipe in their handwriting. A photo with a phone is a good start.
Keep everything in one folder first, with copies in two places. The form can come later.
The options at a glance
| Option | Good for | Who can see it | Voice and video | Not the best choice when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Printed memory book | Something to hold, give and keep on a shelf | Whoever has a copy | No (a printed book cannot play sound) | You want people to keep adding, or voice is what you most want to keep |
| Facebook memorialised profile | A place where the person's wider circle already is | Depends on the profile's existing audience | What was already posted | The family prefers privacy, or many relatives are not on Facebook |
| Shared Google Photos album | Quickly collecting photos from many people | Anyone with the link can view and add | Videos yes; voice messages are not its focus | You want stories next to the photos, or control over who has the link |
| Memorial website | A page that people can find and leave a message on | Often public; check the settings | Varies by service | The content is meant for close family only, or you want to be able to download everything |
| The Memory Palace | A private room or wing for the person, with photos, voice recordings and stories side by side | Only the people you invite | Yes, voice recordings and videos | You want a public page, or a printed book, or you prefer a service that has been around for many years |
A printed memory book
A book is calm and lasting in the hand. Choose fewer photos than you think, and put a short story or a quote under each one. Ask two or three people to write a page each. The limit is that a book is finished once it is printed, and it cannot hold a voice. Some families keep the recordings in a digital place and print the book from the same material.
Facebook: a memorialised profile
Facebook can memorialise the profile of someone who has died. If the person chose a legacy contact, that contact can look after the memorialised account, for example by pinning a post or updating the profile picture; they cannot log in as the person or read their messages. It works well when friends and colleagues were already connected there. It is less suited to private family material, and the photos stay inside Facebook unless you download them.
A shared Google Photos album
A shared album is the quickest way to collect photos from many people. Anyone with the link can view and add, so it fills up fast, and also travels further than you might intend. There is no natural place for a story or a voice message next to a photo.
Memorial websites
There are many online memorial websites. Most are designed to be found: a page with a photo, dates and a guest book. Before you choose one, check three things: who can see the page, how long it stays online if nobody pays or logs in, and whether you can download everything, messages included.
The Memory Palace, honestly
The Memory Palace is your own 3D memory palace: you hang photos, voice recordings, videos and written stories in rooms you walk through. For someone who died, many families make one room or a whole wing for that person. It is private by default; you invite family and friends into that room or wing, and each person can view only or also add their own photos and memories.
- Voice next to the photo. A recording of the person, or of someone telling a story about them, sits beside the photo it belongs to.
- You decide who it stays for. With legacy contacts you choose who receives what, and when.
- You can leave with everything. A full ZIP export on every plan, including the free plan with 1 GB, with a page that opens without internet.
What it lacks: it is not a public memorial page, so people outside the invitation will not find it. It does not print a book for you. It is encrypted in transit and at rest, but not end-to-end. And it is made by a small team in Leuven, Belgium, newer than the big names.
Small, free things that help
If you need a card for a service or for the family, the free memorial card maker works in the browser without an account. If the photo you want to use is faded or torn, restore one photo first, also free.
When you are ready, you can start a palace and make one room for the person, then invite the people who knew them.
Read on: a memorial app as a quiet place to keep someone's memory, creating a memorial for a loved one, what to do with a parent's photos after a death, a free printable memorial card with a photo, and all guides on legacy.
Sources
- Facebook Help Centre, legacy contacts for memorialised accounts: facebook.com/help/1506822589577997
- Meta Newsroom, adding a legacy contact (12 February 2015, updated 7 November 2019): about.fb.com/news/2015/02/adding-a-legacy-contact
- Facebook Help Centre, export a copy of your Facebook information: facebook.com/help/212802592074644
- Google Photos Help, share albums (anyone with the link can view and add): support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416
- Google One Help, how your Google storage works (15 GB shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos): support.google.com/googleone/answer/9312312
- Google Account Help, how to download your Google data (Google Takeout): support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190
- Google Account Help, inactive Google Account policy (accounts unused for 2 years may be deleted): support.google.com/accounts/answer/12418290