Photo Storage After Death: How to Recover and Keep Photos in iCloud and Google Photos

Photos stored in iCloud, Google Photos or OneDrive stay locked behind the account after a death. Families usually reach them in one of three ways: a Legacy Contact or Inactive Account Manager contact the person named in advance, the provider's deceased-user process, or a court order. Before any of that, check the person's phone, computer and drives, because the photos are often already there. Act early, since unused accounts can be closed and their photos deleted (Microsoft closes OneDrive after a year without sign-in).

Where might the photos be?

Start by listing every place, not just the cloud.

• The phone and tablet. A device that still unlocks often holds the library. Keep it charged and do not wipe it.
• Computers and external drives, including old laptops, USB sticks and memory cards in drawers.
• Cloud accounts: iCloud, Google Photos, OneDrive, Dropbox, Amazon Photos and similar.
• Shared albums and messages. Friends and relatives may hold copies of photos the person sent them. Ask them.
• Social media. Facebook, Instagram and similar accounts often hold posted photos. See our guide to managing a deceased person's social media.
• Printed photos and albums, which you can scan.

The email account often shows which cloud services the person used, through receipts and storage notices. Do not close it early; our guide to closing email accounts explains why.

How do I get photos from iCloud?

Apple's route depends on whether the person named a Legacy Contact.

With a Legacy Contact. The contact needs two things: the access key the person created and the death certificate. They can submit the request from an iPhone, iPad or Mac, or through Apple's Digital Legacy website, and Apple reviews it before approving. Once approved, the contact can reach iCloud Photos and other data such as notes, mail, contacts, files and device backups. Access lasts for three years from when Apple approves the first request, and then the account is permanently deleted, so download what you need.

What a Legacy Contact cannot get: purchased media such as movies, music and books, subscriptions, and the iCloud Keychain (saved passwords, payment details and passkeys).

Without a Legacy Contact. Apple asks for a court order. It must name the deceased and their Apple Account, name the person requesting access, state that the requester is the legal personal representative, agent or heir, and direct Apple to assist.

The phone passcode. Apple says it cannot remove a passcode lock without erasing the device. If you find the passcode, you can unlock the phone and copy the photos yourself, which is often the fastest route. Our Apple Legacy Contact guide has more detail.

How do I get photos from Google Photos?

Google says it cannot provide passwords or other login details to family. There are two routes.

• Inactive Account Manager. If the person set it up, the contacts they chose (up to 10) receive an email and a download link for the data types the person shared, after the inactivity period they set. Google verifies the contact's phone number first. Our Google Inactive Account Manager guide covers it.
• A deceased-user request. Google says it can work with immediate family and representatives to close an account where appropriate, and in some circumstances may provide content. It decides each request after a review. If you choose closure, Google says it cannot process a later request for the contents, so decide about the photos first.

Google also says it may delete a personal account that has been inactive across Google for at least two years, and sends notices to the account and any recovery email first. If you have lawful access, Google Takeout exports photos and other data, and Google says an archive can take from a few minutes to a few days to prepare.

What about OneDrive, Dropbox and other services?

Microsoft's agreement says you must sign in to OneDrive at least once in a one-year period or Microsoft will close it, and that it cannot retrieve the data after an account is closed. Microsoft's support site explains how family members can ask about an account, and its requirements can change, so read the current instructions. For Dropbox, Amazon Photos and others, check the company's help pages for a deceased-user process and any rules on unused accounts.

What does the law say about photos?

The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), adopted in most states, treats the content of private communications more strictly than other digital assets. In Florida's version, a personal representative can get other digital assets, such as files and photos, unless the person prohibited it or the court directs otherwise. The representative must give the provider a written request, a certified death certificate, the court papers naming them and information that identifies the account. Providers can still ask for more, and Apple asks for a court order when there is no Legacy Contact. A probate attorney can help if a provider refuses.

How do I keep the photos safe once I have them?

Copy everything out of the account, then protect it. CISA, the US cybersecurity agency, describes the 3-2-1 rule for backups:

1. Keep 3 copies of anything important: the original and 2 backups.
2. Use 2 different types of media, such as a computer drive and an external drive or a cloud service.
3. Keep 1 copy away from home.

Also:

• Sort the photos into folders by year or event, and label key people and places while family members remember them.
• Print a few favorites. Prints do not depend on a password or a subscription.
• Before you cancel a paid storage plan, make sure the photos have been downloaded and checked.
• Use the photos to remember the person. Our guide to photos at a funeral display and online memorials have ideas.

How can I plan for my own photos?

1. Name a Legacy Contact on your Apple account, and set up Google's Inactive Account Manager with Photos included in what you share.
2. Keep a paper list of where your photos live and where the access key, passcode and master password are kept. Do not leave them only on your phone.
3. Keep a backup on an external drive that family can find.
4. Add wording on digital assets to your will. See our digital will guide and password management guide.

What to do next

1. Find the phone, computer and any drives, and look for the passcode.
2. Check for a Legacy Contact or Inactive Account Manager.
3. Download photos from any account you can lawfully reach.
4. Ask a probate attorney about a court order if a provider requires one.