What Is iPhone Legacy?
Starting in iOS 15.2, Apple Digital Legacy provides a way for an iPhone user to grant one or more contacts access to their phone and iCloud account after their death. This feature ensures that a person’s photos, notes, and other important information aren’t lost to time once their owner can’t access them anymore.
How Do I Set Up Legacy on My iPhone?
Follow these steps to designate legacy contacts on your iPhone.
How Does Apple Legacy Work?
The people you designate for Apple Digital Legacy can’t access your information right away. They’ll also need a copy of your death certificate, which they’ll submit either through their phone or on Apple’s Digital Legacy site. Once someone makes the first request, the data will be available for three years. After that, Apple will delete the legacy account. If someone adds you, and you’re running iOS 15.2 and later, you can find the authorization by going to Settings > [name] > Password & Security > Legacy Contact. Alternatively, you don’t have to accept someone’s request to be their legacy contact; you can either ask them to remove you or delete the information from your account, if applicable. Information that contacts can see may via Apple Digital Legacy include:
CalendarsCall historyContactsHealth DataiCloud data (including apps, photos, videos, backups, messages, and iCloud Drive files)MailNotesRemindersSafari Bookmarks/Reading ListVoice Memos
Here’s a list of data that won’t be available:
In-app purchasesKeychain information, including passwords and accountsPayment informationPurchased media (e.g., books, movies, and music)
A legacy contact also doesn’t need to be another Apple user. All they need are the necessary paperwork—a death certificate and the authorization code.
