The Simple Phone Setting That Can Make Things Easier for Your Loved Ones

A five-minute digital-estate task for Apple and Google users

My phone is packed with things I’d hate to lose: photos of my family, years of text threads with friends, voicemails from people I love, important documents, contact info for the people in my life. 

Our phones have quietly become storage hubs for some of our most meaningful memories and important information. And likely you have a lock code on your phone or facial recognition to unlock it. When was the last time you shared that unlock code with anyone? 

Many families never think about what will happen to your phone and how to access it after a death—until they are already grieving and trying to figure out how to get in. 

In our executor work, we see how a missing password, an inaccessible account, or an unclear plan can turn a simple task into weeks of extra calls, paperwork, and frustration. The good news is that both Apple and Google offer tools that can make this part much easier.

For Apple users: Add a Legacy Contact

Apple’s Legacy Contact feature lets you name one or more people who may request access to certain data in your Apple Account after your death. Your contact does not have to own an Apple device, but they generally must be at least 13 years old; the minimum age varies by country or region.

What happens if you do not name a Legacy Contact?

If you die without a Legacy Contact, Apple does not automatically give your family, executor, or next of kin access to your Apple Account or the information stored in iCloud. Knowing your device passcode or being named in a will does not automatically complete Apple’s account-access process.

Depending on the country or region, Apple may require a court order or other legal documentation establishing that the person requesting access is entitled to receive the deceased person’s account information. That can mean additional time, legal expense, and paperwork during an already difficult season.

It is also important to understand that Apple cannot simply remove the passcode and unlock a deceased person’s iPhone or iPad. The request concerns eligible data connected to the Apple Account—not guaranteed access to the physical device or every item stored on it.

What can a Legacy Contact access?

Depending on what you store in iCloud, the available data may include:

• Photos and videos in iCloud Photos
• Messages stored in iCloud
• Notes, including scanned documents and attachments
• Contacts, calendars, and reminders
• Files stored in iCloud Drive
• iCloud Mail, call history, Health data, and Voice Memos
• Safari bookmarks and Reading List, plus data contained in an iCloud backup

A Legacy Contact cannot access:

• Passwords, passkeys, payment information, or other data stored in iCloud Keychain

• Apple Pay information

• Licensed media and purchases, such as movies, music, books, subscriptions, or in-app purchases

How to set it up on an iPhone or iPad

1. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Tap Sign-In & Security.
3. Tap Legacy Contact.
4. Tap Add Legacy Contact. You may be asked to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.
5. Choose someone from Family Sharing or select someone from your Contacts.
6. Share the access key. You may be able to send it by iMessage or print/save a copy.

Apple screen guide: Settings → your name → Sign-In & Security → Legacy Contact → Add Legacy Contact.

After your death, your Legacy Contact will need the access key and a death certificate (or the documentation required in their country or region) to request access. Apple reviews the request before granting access.

Apple’s current instructions: How to add a Legacy Contact

For a contact who needs to request access: Apple Digital Legacy

For Google users: Make an inactive-account plan

Google’s Inactive Account Manager works a little differently. It is not triggered by a death certificate. Instead, you choose how long Google should wait before treating your account as inactive. If that period passes, Google follows the plan you created.

You can name up to 10 trusted contacts, decide which data each person may receive, and choose whether your Google Account should be deleted after the plan is completed. That means you could share Google Photos with one person and Gmail or Drive files with someone else.

How to set it up

1. Sign in to your personal Google Account.
2. Open Data & privacy.
3. Scroll to More options.
4. Select Make a plan for your digital legacy (Inactive Account Manager).
5. Choose how long Google should wait before considering the account inactive.
6. Add one or more trusted contacts and provide a phone number for each contact.
7. Choose which information each person may receive.
8. Decide whether Google should delete your account after carrying out the plan.
9. Review your recovery email, phone number, and plan before confirming it.

Google screen guide: Google Account → Data & privacy → More options → Make a plan for your digital legacy.

Google’s current instructions: About Inactive Account Manager

Go directly to the setup page: Inactive Account Manager

One small task—then document it

Setting up one of these tools is helpful, but it should not live in a vacuum. Tell the person you chose. Make sure the access key or instructions are stored somewhere they can actually find. And add a note to your estate organization documents showing which account has a plan and who has been named.

This does not replace a complete estate plan, and it does not give someone every password or access to every online account. It is simply one more practical organization tool—alongside establishing powers of attorney, funding a trust, and keeping your important information up to date—that can help your loved ones preserve memories and handle necessary tasks with less confusion.

If you have five minutes today, this is a good one to check off the list.

A quick annual check-in

• Is the person you named still the right choice?
• Do they still have the Apple access key or know about your Google plan?
• Are your recovery phone number and email address current?
• Do your estate-organization records say where this information is stored?

A note from Sunny Care Services

Sunny Care Services helps families organize important information and complete the practical tasks that support an estate plan. We are not a law firm, and this article is educational information—not legal advice.

Educational information only — not legal advice.