Apple Legacy Contact explained: what your family can (and can't) access
Apple's Legacy Contact lets the people you trust access your iCloud data after you die. It's free, it takes a few minutes to set up, and every iPhone user should consider it. But it doesn't pass on everything, and the biggest gap surprises most people.
How Legacy Contact works
- You choose one or more Legacy Contacts in your Apple Account settings.
- Each one receives an access key. You can send it in Messages, or print it and keep it with your important papers.
- After your death, a Legacy Contact requests access from Apple with the access key and a copy of your death certificate.
- Apple reviews the request. Once it's approved, your Legacy Contact gets a special account to access your data for a limited time. After that, the account and its data are deleted.
What your Legacy Contact can access
- Photos and videos stored in iCloud
- Messages, notes and files in iCloud Drive
- Contacts and calendars
- App data stored in iCloud and device backups
What they can't access
- Passwords saved in iCloud Keychain. This is the big one: the logins to email, banking, subscriptions and every other site you use are not handed over.
- Payment information stored with your Apple Account.
- Purchased media such as movies, music and books.
Legacy Contact also only works after your death, with a death certificate. It doesn't help if you're alive but unable to manage your affairs.
How to set it up
- On your iPhone, open Settings and tap your name.
- Tap Sign-In & Security, then Legacy Contact.
- Tap Add Legacy Contact and choose someone you trust.
- Share the access key with them, or print it and store it with your will or important papers.
Tell the person you chose what it is, and where to find the key. A Legacy Contact who doesn't know they've been named can't help.
How to fill the gaps
- Passwords: keep them somewhere designed to be passed on, like a password manager with emergency access or an encrypted vault, rather than a paper list.
- Accounts outside Apple: set up Google's Inactive Account Manager if you use Google, and make a list of other important accounts.
- Subscriptions and payments: list them so your family can cancel them.
- Your wishes: write down what you'd like kept, shared or deleted.
Common questions
Can my Legacy Contact see my data while I'm alive?
No. Access is only granted after Apple verifies your death.
Is Legacy Contact the same as Family Sharing?
No. Family Sharing shares purchases and subscriptions while you're alive. Legacy Contact is about access to your data after your death.
Can I change my Legacy Contact?
Yes. You can remove a Legacy Contact at any time in the same settings, and their access key stops working.