Photos & memories
What Happens to Your Photos and Accounts? Set Up a Legacy Contact
By Rahul, Macbryte ·
Most of us have a will for our house and savings. But what happens to a lifetime of family photos, emails and notes stored on an iPhone or in the cloud? Without a plan, even close family can be locked out for good. The good news: Apple and Google both have simple, free settings that take about ten minutes.
Apple: add a Legacy Contact
A Legacy Contact is someone you trust who can request access to your Apple account data — photos, messages, notes, files — after you pass away. They can't see anything while you're alive.
On an iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Tap Sign-In & Security, then Legacy Contact.
- Tap Add Legacy Contact and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
- Choose a family member, or Choose Someone Else to pick from your contacts.
- Share the access key: send it by Messages, or print it.
On a Mac
Apple menu > System Settings > your name > Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact > Add Legacy Contact.
The access key matters
Your Legacy Contact will need both the access key and a death certificate to request access from Apple. Print a copy and keep it with your will or estate papers, and tell your executor where it is.
Google: set up Inactive Account Manager
If you use Gmail, Google Photos or an Android phone, Google has a similar feature. Go to myaccount.google.com/inactive, choose how long Google should wait before treating your account as inactive, and add up to ten people who should be notified and given access to the data you choose.
Three more things worth doing
- Password manager emergency access. If you use a password manager, most offer an "emergency contact" feature. Our password manager lessons can help you set one up.
- Back up your photos somewhere family can reach — a shared album or an external drive in a known place. See our photo organizing guide.
- Write a simple "digital list": which email you use, which bank accounts are online, and where the access key is. Keep it with your estate documents — not your passwords themselves.
Not sure which settings you have turned on? We can walk through them together at your kitchen table — book a free 15-minute call to start.
Common questions
What is an Apple Legacy Contact?
A person you choose who can request access to your Apple account data, such as photos, messages and notes, after you pass away. They cannot see anything while you are alive.
What does a Legacy Contact need to get access?
Both the access key you share with them and a copy of the death certificate.
Does Google have something similar?
Yes. Google Inactive Account Manager lets you choose people to be notified and given access to selected data if your account becomes inactive.
Should I write down my passwords for my family?
Keep a simple list of which accounts you have and where the access key is stored, but not the passwords themselves. A password manager with an emergency-access feature is safer.
Sources
Written by Rahul, Co-Founder of Macbryte
Rahul teaches seniors and beginners across Ottawa to use their Mac, PC, iPad and iPhone with confidence — one-on-one, at home or online. 60+ students, 700+ hours of lessons.