Does Apple Legacy Contact include passwords? 4 things iCloud leaves behind when you die
Adding a spouse or adult child as your Apple Legacy Contact in iOS Settings takes two minutes, and you should absolutely do it. The danger is assuming you're done. Most iPhone users think Legacy Contact passes on the passwords saved in their phone's Passwords app (iCloud Keychain). It doesn't—and that single misunderstanding leaves families locked out of banks, utilities, tax accounts and non-Apple emails. Here are the four things Apple Legacy Contact leaves behind, and why we're building Heritkey to cover them.
Lock in the $3.99/month early-access price →Or $74.99 once for life. Your heirs never pay. Waitlist members keep the launch price.
What Apple Legacy Contact actually gives your family
When you die and your Legacy Contact sends Apple both their 84-character access key and your official death certificate, Apple creates a special temporary Apple Account for them. That account lets them access data stored in iCloud: your iCloud Photos, Notes, Mail (only if you used an `@icloud.com` address), Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Messages in iCloud, and iCloud Drive files.
For family photos and memories, that is invaluable. For settling your affairs, four critical things are missing.
The 4 things Apple Legacy Contact leaves out
1. Your saved passwords (iCloud Keychain / Apple Passwords app)
Apple's support page, Data that a Legacy Contact can access, lists Keychain information (such as saved logins, passwords, and Passkeys) and Payment information under "Data that is not available." Every bank login, insurance portal, utility account, Gmail address and tax account saved in your iPhone's Passwords app stays locked forever unless your family has another way in.
2. Your iPhone's screen passcode and local-only files
Legacy Contact accesses iCloud servers; it does not unlock the physical iPhone in your family's hands. If you turned off iCloud backup for certain apps, kept notes in the "On My iPhone" folder, or used authenticator apps and crypto wallets that live only on the phone, Legacy Contact can't touch them without your iPhone screen passcode.
3. Emergencies while you're still alive (hospital, stroke, dementia)
Apple will not approve a Legacy Contact request without a government death certificate. If you are in intensive care after an accident, recovering from a stroke or living with memory loss, your spouse or adult child gets zero access through Apple when they need to pay your bills or check your insurance.
4. Permanent access (it expires after 3 years)
Once Apple approves a Legacy Contact request, the clock starts ticking: Apple grants access for three years, after which the special legacy account and its iCloud data are permanently deleted.
Side by side: Apple Legacy Contact vs. Heritkey
| Apple Legacy Contact | Heritkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Passes on iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive | ✓ Yes | ✗ For passwords, docs & instructions |
| Passes on saved passwords & logins | ✗ Explicitly excluded | ✓ Yes |
| Passes on your iPhone screen passcode | ✗ No | ✓ Yes, if you add it |
| Works if you're hospitalized / incapacitated | ✗ Requires a death certificate | ✓ Opens after your 7–90 day timer |
| Works for heirs who use Android or Windows | ⚠ Web-only without an Apple device | ✓ Built for families |
| Access expires after 3 years | ✗ Yes, deleted after 3 years | ✓ Yours to keep |
| Price | Free | $3.99/mo or $74.99 once |
Lock in the $3.99/month early-access price →Or $74.99 once for life. Your heirs never pay. Waitlist members keep the launch price.
Why most families use both
The smartest setup on an iPhone takes fifteen minutes: turn on Apple Legacy Contact so your family can download your iCloud Photo Library, and use Heritkey for everything Apple refuses to pass on—your iPhone passcode, your email and bank logins, your scanned insurance policies and your personal messages. Everything in Heritkey is encrypted on your phone with AES-256-GCM under a key we never hold. See Heritkey vs. Apple Legacy Contact and how Heritkey works.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't Apple Legacy Contact include iCloud Keychain passwords?
Apple excludes Keychain passwords, payment cards and licensed media from Legacy Contact by design. If your family only has your Legacy Contact key, they cannot see the passwords saved in your Apple Passwords app.
If my Legacy Contact has my iPhone passcode, can they see my Apple Passwords?
Yes—if you leave your iPhone screen passcode to your family (for example inside Heritkey) and they have your physical iPhone, they can unlock the phone and open the Apple Passwords app directly using the device passcode.
Can Apple Legacy Contact be used if someone is in a coma?
No. Apple requires a death certificate to verify and activate a Legacy Contact request. For serious illness or incapacity, you need a system like Heritkey that releases access after an unanswered waiting period.
This guide is based on Apple's public support documentation as of October 2026.