Apple’s Legacy Contact: Accessing Your Loved One’s Phone After They Die
Learn how a legacy contact can help protect your private information and preserve your memories after you die.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What is a Legacy Contact?
- How Do I Add a Legacy Contact
- What Kind of Data Can I Access Using a Legacy Contact?
- How Do I Remove a Legacy Contact?
- How Does a Legacy Contact Access My Account?
- What are the Benefits of Adding a Legacy Contact?
- FAQs
Key Takeaways
- When people plan for death, they rarely think of protecting their digital assets. However, failure to make these arrangements can mean lost memories, ongoing charges on accounts, and an increased risk of fraud.
- The Apple Legacy Contact helps protect accounts. It allows account owners to provide a trusted individual with easy access to their digital assets after they die.
- This article explains how to set up a legacy account, how to remove one, and the benefits the system provides.
Introduction: Caroline’s Story
You may not realize the importance of a Legacy Contact, but consider what happened to Michael and Caroline Monroe. The couple pinched pennies to afford their honeymoon vacation, a trip that would turn into a nightmare when Michael was killed in a car accident while they were traveling.
Five years later, she is desperately trying to access every memory she has of her husband, including photos he took on their honeymoon with his phone. But alas, she doesn’t know his passwords.
She has tried to get the photos from Google, but they are unable to help due to the Stored Communications Act. Even though she’s Michael’s widow, she was told she would need a court order to proceed.
“When you think of estate planning or creating your will, we generally think about passing on your home, or your money, or your car. But we don’t think about our online life. We don’t tend to put value on that. But there are lots of things that have value, both monetary and sentimental.”
Robyn Sechler, estate planner, in the article, Digital Assets After Death: Guilford Widow Needs Court Order to Get Honeymoon Pictures
It seems unreal that a widow would need to go through such a complicated process to access her husband’s photos, yet here we are. This is a challenge facing families everywhere, including right here in Los Angeles and Orange County. Setting up a Contact Legacy may have saved Caroline from this terrible ordeal.
What is a Legacy Contact?
A Legacy Contact is a person whom you designate to have access to your Apple account in the event of your death. They can preserve memories and data, handle account closures, and ensure your private information is protected. For Southern California families considering end-of-life planning, adding a Legacy Contact is a simple yet meaningful step.
Setting up a legacy contact is not complicated. This article explains all you need to know.
How Do I Add a Legacy Contact?
There are just a few requirements to add a legacy contact for your Apple ID:
- You need an Apple device running iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, or macOS Monterey 12.1, and you must be signed in to that device with your Apple ID.
- You need to have two-factor authentication activated for your Apple ID.
- You must be over the age of 13, although this age requirement to designate a Legacy Contact varies depending on where you live.
You can choose anyone you want to be your designated Legacy Contact; they don’t need an Apple ID or even an Apple device. One caveat: to access your Apple account, they must be at least 13 years old, though this may vary.
If you’re using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
- Navigate to Settings.
- Tap your name or profile picture.
- Tap Password & Security.
- Tap Legacy Contact.
- Tap Add Legacy Contact.
- Authenticate either with Touch ID, Face ID, or your passcode, if asked to do so.
- If you have Family Sharing enabled, you’ll automatically receive suggestions to add those family members. You can either choose one of the family members displayed, or you can select Choose Someone Else and select anyone from your contacts list.
- After making a selection, tap Next.
- A description of how Legacy Contacts works will display. After reading it, tap Continue.
- You’ll now be given two options for sharing your Access Key. You can either send your Legacy Contact an iMessage with the information or print it. Select one of these options.
- Your Legacy Contact is now set.
- If you want to designate additional Legacy Contacts, repeat the above steps.
If you’re using a Mac:
- Click Apple menu > System Preferences and then click Apple ID.
- Click Password & Security, then click Legacy Contact.
- Now, click on Add Legacy Contact.
- Authenticate either with Touch ID or your Mac password, if asked to do so.
- See steps 7 through 12 above for the rest of the process.
Opal has assisted various clients in setting up a Legacy Contact, and we are aware of common pitfalls to avoid. For example, you must have two-factor authentication enabled to use the system. The birthday set up in Apple ID must match the death certificate, or access will be denied. The contact must also be saved in your contact app with a phone number or email.
What Kind of Data Can I Access Using the Legacy Contact?
The account holder can choose the types of data they make available to their Legacy Contact, potentially including:
- Contacts
- Calendars
- Reminders
- Notes
- iCloud Photos
- Messages in iCloud
- Files stored in iCloud Drive
- Call History
- Health Data
- Voice Memos
- Safari Bookmarks and Reading List
- iCloud Backup, such as photos and videos, downloaded apps, device settings, and other data the account holder has backed up to iCloud
Data that a Legacy Contact cannot access includes:
- Purchased movies, books, music, and other licensed media
- Purchases made within an app, like subscriptions and upgrades
- Credit card information
- Logins and other information are saved in the user’s keychain
Follow the link to find out more about the data you can and can’t access as a Legacy Contact.
Digital Legacy Planning: What Apple’s Legacy Contact Covers- And What It Doesn’t
| Area of Your Life | Is Legacy Contact Enough | What Else You Should Do | Why It Matters |
| Photos, videos, iCloud files | Usually yes | Make sure photos are backed up to iCloud, not just stored locally, tell your contact which Apple ID to use | Allows access to precious memories |
| Emails, messages, contacts, call history | Partly, your contact will be able to see these assets | If you use other providers, like Gmail and Outlook, add them to your digital assets memo and give your executor a way to access them | Emails and messages may contain personal information, billing records, recovery links, and personal history |
| Subscription Apps | No, Legacy Contact will not provide access to the financial assets used to handle these accounts | List major subscriptions in a digital assets memo, describing what you want done (cancel/transfer) and ensure your executor has access | Prevents ongoing charges and fraud |
| Financial Accounts & Online Bills | No, Legacy Contact will not provide access to financial assets used to handle these accounts | Provide your executor with passwords for these accounts | If financials aren’t handled properly, it can increase the risk of fraud and delay estates |
| Social Media & Communication Apps | No, Legacy Contact cannot access social media accounts | Many platforms provide individual tools to manage accounts such as Facebook’s legacy contact and memorialization setting, include a short instruction list in your digital-assets memo | Helps your family memorialize your memory, prevents impersonation and identity theft |
| Passwords, Keychains and 2FA Codes | No, Legacy Contact cannot access these assets | Store logins and 2FA backup codes in a password manager or sealed document. Tell your executor how to access it after your death. | Without passwords and 2FA, even executors can be locked out of your accounts |
| Purchased Digital Media (books, movies, music) | No, these are licenses, not owned assets, and won’t transfer through. | Decide if your heirs should reuse your devices, or if media is non-essential. | May matter if books, movies, and music have historical relevance |
| Crypto, domains, online business | No, Legacy Contact does not touch wallets, exchanges, or domain registrars | Work with an estate planning attorney to document keys, seed phrases, and business logins. Give clear instructions in your digital assets memo. | These can be high value and can be permanently lost if no one can gain access |
| Security/Identity Theft Protection | Partly, Legacy Contact can help close devices and accounts tied to your Apple ID | Ask you executor to notify bank, credit bureaus and major platforms of your death and to close or memorialize unused accounts | Reduces the risk of posthumous identity theft |
How Do I Remove a Legacy Contact?
To remove a legacy contact using your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap your name or profile picture.
- Tap Password & Security.
- Tap Legacy Contact.
- Tap the name of the individual you wish to remove as a Legacy Contact.
- Tap Remove Contact.
- At the warning screen, tap Remove Contact again.
That Legacy Contact will be removed, and their access key will no longer function.
To remove a legacy contact using your Mac:
- Click Apple menu > System Preferences and then click Apple ID.
- Click Password & Security and then click Legacy Contact.
- Now follow steps 5 through 7 above to complete the removal.
How Does a Legacy Contact Access My Account?
t Your Legacy Contact can access your data even if you don’t have an Apple device. However, they must have your access key and your death certificate, or equivalent legal proof of death. They must:
- Go to the Digital Legacy request page
- Sign in with their own Apple ID
- Enter the access key
- Upload a copy of your death certificate
They should then gain access to your account.
What are the Benefits of Adding a Legacy Contact?
Adding a Legacy Contact offers several benefits, including the following:
- Ease of Access: Your contact can access your information simply by using the access key and your death certificate, bypassing lengthy probate and legal documentation
- Protects Digital Memories: Setting up a Legacy Contact ensures your photos and videos are preserved. They will not be lost due to inactivity or iCloud deletion
- Simplifies Account Management: Your contact can close subscriptions and accounts and deactivate devices, ensuring you don’t get billed for services you no longer need
- Secure and Control: Setting up a Legacy Contact is a secure process, and you retain complete control over your accounts while you’re alive
- Prevents Posthumous Identity Theft and Fraud: Posthumous identity theft is a growing concern, and it is more likely to occur if accounts are unmanaged after death
Although setting up a Legacy Contact can help prevent problems, most estate planners and digital security professionals recommend additional measures, such as naming a digital executor with explicit authority to access and manage your online accounts. While you can add the executor to your will, it’s best to create a separate digital-assets memorandum. Los Angeles and Orange County families may want to consult with a lawyer to ensure the proper legal language is used.
Opal Cremation is Here to Help
Opal Cremation realizes that the passing of a loved one is a tough time, and we’re here to help Los Angeles and Orange County families through it. Our all-inclusive packages for direct cremation services can be customized to each client’s needs. Cremation arrangements can be made either over the phone or online.
You can depend on our dedicated care team to guide you through the process every step of the way. We stand ready to help you 24 hours a day.
Visit our support center for additional resources and frequently asked questions regarding direct cremation. Contact us for the guidance you require.
FAQs
What is Apple’s Legacy Contact feature?
Apple’s Legacy Contact feature allows you to designate a trusted person to access your digital data, such as photos, notes, messages, and accounts, after your death using a special access key.
What data can a Legacy Contact access?
A Legacy Contact can access multiple types of data, including iCloud Photos, Notes, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Messages in iCloud, Call History, iCloud Drive Files, Health Data, Voice Memos, Safari Bookmarks, and Reading Lists.
How does a Legacy Contact access my data after I die?
To access your data, your Legacy Contact will need your death certificate, access key, and an Apple device with iOS 15.2+.
Does my Legacy Contact need to accept anything during setup?
If your Legacy Contact is on iOS 15.2+/iPadOS 15.2+/macOS Monterey 12.1+, you can automatically send the key. Otherwise, you can print and share the key manually and ask them to update their device.
Can I have multiple Legacy Contacts?
Yes, you can add more than one legacy contact.
