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How do I access a Digital Legacy after someone dies?

We store so much information on our phones these days, but have you considered how you will access that digital legacy once someone dies? Our guide to accessing the digital legacy for someone that has died will help.

Digital Legacy
How do I access someone's phone after they have died


How do I access someone's phone after they have died?

When someone dies, there are lots of things to consider, however have you given any thought to whether you may need access to their phone or other devices? The majority of people use internet banking for example, with passwords saved on the device. How would you access their bank account details without accessing their phone? Or perhaps your business partner was the only person who knew the password to the website?

Following an upgrade to iOS 15.2 with Apple, you can opt to elect for individuals to have access to your account in the event of your death. Death isn't something we are always comfortable to talk about, however it is certain that our data will outlive us and if your friends and family would benefit from having access to your data we'd highly recommend setting this up.

A Digital Legacy is also available on Android, a full guide can be found here.

What is my Digital Legacy?

A Digital Legacy is the information you leave behind that is stored in the 'cloud' after you or someone you know dies. This information will be shaped by the interactions the person who has died has made, including any social media profiles, online conversations, photos, videos, access to apps, website and blog access and so much more.

According to the Digital Legacy Association, the awareness of Digital Legacy has increased significantly over the last few years.

Why is access to someone's Digital Legacy important?

Imagine that someone dies suddenly or unexpectedly. You have no clue what their phone password was and therefore all of their documents, photos, contacts and much more are locked away. We rarely share our passwords when we are alive, for security reasons, so making it possible for relatives or someone you trust to access following your death is incredibly important.

With the new iPhone iOS upgrade, or by using a Digital Legacy app, you can allow those elected to be your Digital Legacy contact to receive a copy of the important information following your death. This can be downloaded or viewed at icloud.com once the request has been approved by Apple. This will require a copy of the death certificate. You can set up to 5 contacts to be your Digital Legacy contact.

How do I add a Digital Legacy contact on iPhone?

Adding a Digital Legacy contact to your iPhone is relatively straightforward.

Firstly, you need to access your Settings page.

Then select your Apple ID section at the top of the screen. This will take you to the menu where you can select Password and Security.

You should see Legacy Contact as a section about half way down. Click Legacy Contact and you will be taken to the Add Legacy Contact page.

You can choose to add more than one Digital Legacy contact here, and they can be sent a text message with an access code in order to obtain your Digital Legacy content or print a copy. This can also be changed if needed should your circumstances change.

How do I request access to the account of someone that has died?

If someone you know has sadly passed away, and you were set up as their Digital Legacy contact, then you should be able to send a request to Apple on their Digital Legacy site. You will need to provide their death certificate and the Access Key that was generated when you were set up as a Legacy Contact. Apple will review your request and let you know if this has been approved, where you will receive a special Legacy Contact Apple ID to access the data.

The data will be available for a period of 3 years once you have been given access by Apple. After this date, the account and data will be permanently deleted.