A new Facebook app might be perfect for the person who always wants to have the last word — the really last word.
“If I Die” is an app that enables users to make a final status update and to send messages to family and friends that will arrive after they die.
“What will happen to your Facebook profile after your passing?” the company asks. “If I Die is the first and only Facebook application that enables you to create a video or a text message that will only be published after you die. It could be your life story, a secret you haven’t shared before or even a will.”
The app’s tagline is “What will you leave behind.”
As part of the app setup process, the user is asked to choose several “trustees” from a list of Facebook friends. Those trustees will be responsible for confirming the user’s death. Then the user makes a video or writes messages that are stored until their death.
Once three of the trustees confirm the user’s death, the pre-recorded video or written messages will be posted on the user’s Facebook profile.
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said he’s not surprised that this service has surfaced. “I think it makes sense,” said Gottheil. “People do often have last words, and want their friends to hear them.”