Apple Legacy Contact: How to Set One Up and How Access Works After Death

An Apple Legacy Contact is a person you choose to have access to certain data in your Apple Account after you die. To get in, they need the access key created when you added them and a copy of your death certificate, and Apple reviews each request. Their access is temporary: Apple says it lasts three years from when the first request is approved, then the account is permanently deleted.

Setting one up takes a few minutes. It is one of the simplest ways to keep your family from being locked out of your photos, notes and messages.

What is an Apple Legacy Contact?

A Legacy Contact is a trusted person you name in your Apple Account settings. It does nothing while you are alive. They can't see your data, sign in as you or reset your password. The feature only comes into play after your death, when they submit the access key and your death certificate to Apple.

It is not the same as an account recovery contact, which helps you get back into your own account if you're locked out while you're alive.

How do you add a Legacy Contact?

You need an iPhone, iPad or Mac running iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, macOS Monterey 12.1 or later. On an iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Settings and tap your name.
2. Tap Sign-In & Security, then Legacy Contact.
3. Tap Add Legacy Contact and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
4. Choose a person from your Family Sharing group or your Contacts.
5. Give them the access key. You can send it by iMessage when you add them, or print a copy to hand over.

On a Mac, the path is System Settings, your name, Sign-In & Security, then Legacy Contact.

Apple says the person needs to be over 13, though the minimum age varies by country or region. They don't need an Apple Account or an Apple device.

What does a Legacy Contact need to request access?

Two things are required:

• The access key you generated when you named them.
• A death certificate. Apple notes that the documents required vary by country or region. In Japan, for example, it asks for a family certificate showing the death instead.

The contact can request access in Settings on an Apple device (Sign-In & Security, then Legacy Contact, then Request Access) or on Apple's Digital Legacy website. Apple asks for files in PDF, PNG, TIF, JPEG or GIF format at a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Apple reviews and verifies each request and notifies the contact by email when the review is finished. It doesn't publish a typical processing time.

Families often need several certified copies of a death certificate for different organizations. Our guides on how to get a death certificate and how many copies you need explain the process.

What can a Legacy Contact access?

Apple lists the following data a Legacy Contact may be able to access:

Data only counts if it is stored in iCloud. Photos or messages that exist only on a phone and were never backed up there are not in the account. Since the contact can't reach Keychain, they won't be able to use your saved passwords to sign in to a bank or social media. A password manager or a written list kept with your estate papers fills that gap. Our guide on password management after death covers the options.

How long does the access last?

Apple says a Legacy Contact can access the account for a limited time: three years from when Apple approves the first Legacy Contact request. After that, the account is permanently deleted.

In practice, this means the contact should download photos, videos and documents soon after approval rather than leaving them in iCloud. Our guide to photo storage after death has ideas for keeping family photos safe.

When Apple approves a request, it also removes Activation Lock from devices tied to the account. Apple says those devices then need to be erased and restored before anyone can use them with another Apple Account.

Can you have more than one Legacy Contact?

Yes. Apple says you can have more than one, and any one of them can decide what happens to your account data individually. Some people name a spouse and an adult child so that one of them can step in if the other can't. Others name just one to keep things simple.

Your choice doesn't replace your will. A Legacy Contact only covers Apple's data. Your executor still handles your property and bills, which is why many people name the same person for both roles. Our guide explains what an executor does.

How do you remove or change a Legacy Contact?

Go back to Settings, your name, Sign-In & Security, Legacy Contact, pick the person and tap Remove Contact. Their access key stops working. You'll get an email confirming the change, but the person you removed won't be told.

It is worth checking your choice after big life changes such as a divorce, a move or a falling out.

What if someone died without a Legacy Contact?

Without a Legacy Contact and access key, getting into an Apple Account is much harder. Apple says it needs legal documentation for your country or region. In the US, that means a court order. Among other things, the order must say the person who died was the user of the accounts and that the requester is the legal personal representative, agent or heir. Apple accepts alternative documents instead of a court order in some countries, including France, Germany, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Because this involves a court, an executor or estate attorney is the right person to ask for help.

If you're helping to close out other online accounts, these guides may help:

• Closing email accounts after a death
• Managing a deceased person's social media
• Google's Inactive Account Manager

What to do next

1. If you're planning ahead, add a Legacy Contact today and confirm your contact got the access key.
2. Put a printed copy of the key with your will or other estate papers, and tell your executor where it is.
3. Write down or store your other passwords separately, since Keychain isn't included.
4. If you're the contact, gather a death certificate copy and the access key, request access, and download what matters.