How to use Apple's Digital Legacy feature to pass on your data to someone when you die

• Apple's Digital Legacy program lets you give your Apple ID account to someone if you die.
• You can choose your Digital Legacy contact using a computer or the Apple ID menu on your iPhone and iPad.
• Once the contact provides a death certificate and key, they'll have access to your photos, documents, text messages, and more.

While it's always important to keep your accounts secure, that security can mean frustration for your family members if you suddenly pass away. After all, if you're the only one who knows your passwords, death means that your accounts are locked forever.

Both Google and Facebook offer users features that let others "inherit" their accounts after death. And now Apple offers that feature too.

Apple's Digital Legacy program lets you designate up to five "Legacy Contacts" who can inherit your Apple ID and all its data if you die. They'll need to accept the invitation and provide proof once you die, but once they're approved, they'll have full access to your Apple ID's passwords, photos, documents, text messages, and more.

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Here's how to pick a Digital Legacy contact, and what that contact will need to do once you die.

How to set up Apple's Digital Legacy feature

Before anything, you'll need to make sure that your iPhone, iPad, or Mac is fully updated. They'll need to be at least running iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, or macOS Monterey 12.1 respectively.

You can add up to five Legacy Contacts to one Apple ID account.

To get started:

On your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the page. In the Apple ID menu, tap Password & Security and then Legacy Contact.

On your Mac, open the System Preferences app and click Apple ID in the top-right corner. In the Apple ID menu, click Password & Security in the left sidebar, and then Legacy Contact.

Once you're on the Legacy Contact page:

1. Click or tap the blue Add Legacy Contact option. It'll give you a quick rundown of how the Legacy Contact system works.

2. Choose someone from your Contacts list or Family Sharing group to invite as a Legacy Contact. If they've got multiple phone numbers, you'll need to pick one. You can pick anyone — they don't even need to own an Apple product of their own.

3. Tap Continue, then choose how you want to save your Access Key. The Access Key is incredibly important — once you die, the contact will need it to access your account. Depending on which contact you picked, you can either print out a picture of the key or send it in a text message.

4. Once you've added the contact and saved your Access Key, tap Done.

You can view all your Access Keys by opening the Legacy Contact menu and tapping one of your contacts' names. This is where you can revoke their access, too.

If you added someone with an Apple ID account of their own, they'll be able to find the Access Key by going to the Legacy Contact menu on their own device.

How to access someone's Apple ID after they die

To access someone's Apple ID account once they die, you'll need your personal Access Key and their death certificate.

1. Head to Apple's Digital Legacy site and click Request access.

2. Sign into your personal Apple ID account or make a new one.

3. Type in the first 32 characters of your personal Access Key and click Continue.

4. On the Request access to decedent's account page, click Continue and upload a copy of your contact's death certificate. All four edges of the page need to be in view, and all the text needs to be visible.

Once you upload the death certificate, it'll send a request to Apple. You can check the status of your request using the Digital Legacy - Manage page.

If Apple approves the request, you'll get an email with more information on how to access the account. It'll include entering the Access Key again and making a new "legacy" Apple ID account.