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Apple · Legacy Contact

What happens to your Apple ID and iCloud when you die

Your photos, notes and backups live in iCloud behind a passcode that is very hard to get around. Legacy Contact is how you let the right people in.

Legacy settingOfficial help centre

What happens if nothing is set up

Apple builds its devices and iCloud so that only the owner can get in. That protects you in life, and it also means a grieving family cannot simply unlock an iPhone or sign in to iCloud without the passcode or password.

If no Legacy Contact has been added, Apple generally requires a court order naming the person as the rightful inheritor of the data before it will help with access. Family can also ask Apple to delete the account, which involves providing a death certificate.

Photos are usually what families miss most. If they only live in iCloud and on a locked phone, they can be out of reach for a long time, or for good.

Steps

How to set up Legacy Contact

Legacy Contact is available on devices running iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 or macOS 12.1 and later. It takes a few minutes per person.

  1. Open your account settings

    On iPhone or iPad, open Settings and tap your name at the top.

  2. Find Legacy Contact

    Tap Sign-In & Security, then Legacy Contact. On older versions this sits under Password & Security.

  3. Add a person

    Tap Add Legacy Contact and choose someone from your contacts. You can add up to five people.

  4. Share the access key

    Apple generates an access key for each person. Send it through Messages, or print a copy and keep it with your will or important papers.

  5. Tell them what it is for

    Explain that they will need the key and a death certificate, and that requests are made at digitalaccount.apple.com.

Apple's menus can change between software versions, so if you cannot find it, search Settings for 'Legacy Contact'.

What your family can request

What family can do depends on whether you added them as a Legacy Contact.

  • A named Legacy Contact can request access to your iCloud data, which is then available for a limited time after approval
  • Accessible data can include photos, messages, notes, files, contacts, calendars and device backups
  • Keychain passwords, purchased films, music and books, and payment information are not included
  • Without a Legacy Contact, family can ask Apple to delete the account, or seek access through a court order

Documents usually requested

  • The access key, if they are a Legacy Contact
  • A death certificate
  • A court order, if no Legacy Contact was set up and they want access to data

Policies change. Treat this as a starting point and confirm on each service's own help pages.

FAQ

Questions about Apple / iCloud

Up to five. Each one gets their own access key, and any of them can make a request after your death.

No. Keychain passwords are not included, nor are purchased media or payment details. It covers your iCloud data such as photos, files, messages and backups.

Without the key, Apple generally treats it like an account with no Legacy Contact, which usually means a court order is needed for access. Keep a printed copy with your important papers.

Not without the passcode. Legacy Contact gives access to iCloud data, not to the device itself. Many people leave the passcode in a sealed note for one trusted person, for example in Sealkept, delivered only if they stop checking in.

Other services

Other accounts to plan for

Back to all accounts

Related reading

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