FAQ

With free family trees, a free online journal or diary, free daily obituaries and a secure last wishes page, the thousands of people joining My Footprints have raised questions that we have compiled here for your convenience and peace of mind. After all, this is a record of your life, your legacy and your family and My Footprints wants to ensure the best experience for all of our members. Our goal is to have your Footprint available online for future generations to see. How interesting it would be for most of us if we could have the information in a Footprint from our ancestors!

What is MyFootprints.com?

MyFootprints.com is an online utility that helps people create an online legacy and Last Wishes requests. Included are free family trees, a free online journal or diary (life timeline), free obituaries and last wishes. When a member passes away a Trusted Keyholder will input a special activation code to release Last Wishes, send last emails, and enter visitation/funeral information. Daily obituaries can also be entered and sent to local news papers.

Is there any cost to join MyFootprints.com?
No. Unlike similar web sites, there is no cost to joining MyFootprints.com. If you wish, you may purchase additional last e-mails.

Is my information safe?
Protecting your information is of the utmost importance. We use the latest security technologies to protect your account. All sensitive information that you enter is double password protected.

What is a Trusted Keyholder?
A Trusted Keyholder can be any person that you trust to activate your account upon your death. We recommend a clergy member, attorney, family member, or close friend. This person will need to be a member of MyFootprints.com. They will be provided with a special 16 digit code to activate your account upon your death. At this time they will be able to share your free family trees and online journal or diary with whomever you have requested in your last wishes. Read below for more information on what happens when a loved one activates your account after you pass on.

What security measures do you have to prevent my account from being wrongly activated?
To activate your account there are four (4) security steps in place:

Security 1 – A member’s account must have been chosen by you to be a Trusted Keyholder.
Security 2 – A member must log into their own account using their user name and password.
Security 3 – A member must re-enter password to open activation page.
Security 4 – A member must enter special 16 digit activation code to start activation process.

What happens when my account is activated?
Immediately upon activation you will be sent an email notification that your account has been activated. Your account will also have a warning message that it has been activated. If you are not deceased you can easily stop the activation process.

For your protection the minimum release delay times are:

Last Wishes 24-48 hours

Last Emails 7 Days

Secret Diary 30 Days

When your Last Wishes are released you will be marked deceased on your TimeLine and profile picture. Your Trusted Keyholder(s) will be able to enter your obituary and visitation/funeral information. Any memorial requests will become available on your Footprint page.

What happens to my Footprint after my death?
Our goal is to have your Footprint available online for future generations to see. How interesting it would be for most of us if we could have the information in a Footprint from our ancestors. Imagine a great grandchild being able to not only look at your free family tree, but read the timeline of your life, or read your free online journal or diary and discover interesting things about a great grandmother or grandfather they never got to meet!

What are Last Emails?
You may compose emails that will be sent after your death. You can use these to pass along important information like passwords, combinations, or location of important documents. You can also send personal messages to family members, friends, or other people who have been part of your life. One e-mail is provided for free. You may purchase additional e-mails.

What is a Secret Diary?
A Secret Diary is a journal of information that you want to keep private until after your death. It can be set to be released a minimum of 30 days after your death. This, too, is a free online journal or diary . it costs you nothing to leave your legacy for loved ones to enjoy!

What is the New Death Notices Postal Code Monitor?
This is a way to be notified of new deaths (daily obituaries) in chosen postal codes. When you log in to your account, the New Death Notices Monitor will indicate if there have been any newly activated footprints in your chosen postal codes. This is a way to become aware of the passing of friends/acquaintances in previous locations that you have lived.

Are the obituaries on MyFootprints.com from newspapers?
No. The obituaries in our database are from members of MyFootprints.com. A Trusted Keyholder can easily write an obituary at MyFootprints.com and send it to newspapers.

Does MyFootprints.com substitute for a Will or Trust?
No. For your legal and financial matters, you should have appropriate documents. Use MyFootprints.com to guide your family/friends in their time of sorrow.