Who gets access to your cellphone when you die? iPhone update lets you decide
Apple is helping put minds at ease with its latest update when it comes to who can have access to your stored private information when you die.
With the iOS 15.2 update, users can designate contacts who will be allowed access to your iCloud information, including photos, text messages, notes and more.
But they won’t be able to look at everything on your Apple device. Information not available to your legacy contacts includes:
Purchased movies/books/music
Subscriptions purchased
Data on keychain (payment info, passwords)
Legacy contacts will need the access key created by the deceased along with their death certificate to receive access from Apple.
“Apple reviews access requests from Legacy Contacts and approves access to a deceased person’s data only after verifying this information,” Apple says. “When your request is approved, you receive a special legacy contact Apple ID to access the account data. The account holder’s original Apple ID no longer works, and Activation Lock is removed on any devices that use their Apple ID.”
Legacy contacts will have access to devices for up to three years, “after which the legacy account is permanently deleted,” the website says.
You can designate up to five contacts.
Here’s how to choose a contact after downloading iOS 15.2:
- Go to settings
- Click your name/icon at the top
- Hit “password & security”
- Hit “Legacy Contact”
- Choose contacts
- Save access code for contacts
Before this update, it was more difficult to gain access to a dead loved one’s iCloud information, which included getting a court order, Apple said.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 8:35 AM with the headline "Who gets access to your cellphone when you die? iPhone update lets you decide."