Have you ever wondered what happens to the photos, important files and other digital information saved on your phone after you’re gone? Nowadays smartphones are not only used for calls and messages. Many personal and important things related to our life are stored in it.
Especially if we talk about iPhone, its security is very strong. Personal information is kept safe with the help of passcode, Face ID and other security features in the phone. In such a situation, the question arises that if the person using the iPhone dies, how will the family or a trusted person access his Apple account and the data in it? Keeping this need in mind, Apple has provided the legacy contact feature. With it, the user can choose a trusted person during his lifetime, who can get access to some of the data present in his Apple account after his death.
What is Apple’s legacy contact feature?
A legacy contact simply means a person whom you choose in advance so that they can receive some information related to your Apple account after your death. This feature is available in iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 and macOS 12.1 or later. A user can create a legacy contact to any trusted friend or family member.
Apple provides a unique access key for this. This access key can only be used after the death of the user. When a legacy contact requests Apple to access data, it must provide this access key along with the required documentation. This means that by simply adding your name to a legacy contact, no one gets your data immediately. Access to appropriate data is granted only after Apple’s process is complete.
What can legacy contacts get?
A legacy contact may have access to some data in an Apple account. However, this does not mean that he will have access to every part of your entire account. Under Apple’s rules, some sensitive information and purchase-related content are not available to legacy contacts. For example, your passwords and access to some subscribed or purchased media content are not provided.
So, it should not be considered as knowing iPhone passcode or breaking phone lock. Legacy Contact is intended to facilitate the handling of a user’s digital data after their death through a defined process.
How to Add Legacy Contacts to iPhone, iPad or Mac?
If you want to set up a legacy contact in advance, follow these steps on an iPhone or iPad:
- First open Settings.
- Tap your name or Apple account at the top.
- After this go to Sign-in and Security.
- Now select Legacy Contact option.
- Tap on Add Legacy Contact.
- After this, confirm your identity with Face ID, Touch ID or device passcode.
- Now add the trusted person you want to select as a legacy contact.
After setup is complete, it is important to keep the access key provided by Apple safe, as it may be needed when requesting data access.
How to set up legacy contacts in Mac?
- If you use a Mac, legacy contacts can be added from there as well.
- For this first open Apple menu and go to system settings. After this click on your Apple Account and open the Sign-in and Security section.
- Legacy contact option will be available here. Now select Add Legacy Contact and fill in the requested information. After this, confirm your identity with Touch ID or available security options.
Will legacy contacts get your data immediately?
No. Just making someone a legacy contact doesn’t immediately grant them permission to see your Apple account data. After the user’s death, Apple’s prescribed process for data access must be completed. This may require documents like death certificate and unique access key.
This means that just by setting up a legacy contact during your lifetime, no one else can gain access to your personal data. This feature is specially designed to transfer post-death digital information to a trusted person as per the prescribed procedure.
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