What happens to your Apple account when you die: the steps as of 2026-10-18

How to add a Legacy Contact for your Apple Account

A Legacy Contact is someone you choose to have access to certain data in your Apple Account after your death. Learn how to add one or more Legacy Contacts and how to share the access key.

About Legacy Contacts

Adding a Legacy Contact is the easiest, most secure way to give someone you trust access to the data stored in your Apple Account after your death.

The data might include photos, messages, notes, files, device backups, and more. Your Legacy Contact can’t access certain information. Inaccessible data includes movies, music, books, or subscriptions you purchased with your Apple Account, and data stored in your iCloud Keychain (payment information, passwords, and passkeys). Learn more about the data your Legacy Contact might be able to access.

To file an access request after you pass away, they need:

The access key that you generate when you choose them as your Legacy Contact

Your death certificate

Learn how your Legacy Contact can request access to your Apple Account

Documentation requirements might vary by country or region. For example, in Japan, you need a family certificate indicating the death of an account holder instead of a death certificate.

Before you add a Legacy Contact for your Apple Account

Decide who you want to be your Legacy Contact. They don’t need to have an Apple Account or an Apple device.

Update your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the latest version. You need an Apple device running iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, or macOS Monterey 12.1 or later.

If you haven’t already, sign in to your Apple Account on that device.

If needed, turn on two-factor authentication for your Apple Account.

Your Legacy Contact must be over the age of 13 (age varies by country or region) to request account access after someone passes away.

Add a Legacy Contact

You can add one or more Legacy Contacts in Apple Account settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You’ll receive an email confirmation when a Legacy Contact is added to your account.

You can have more than one Legacy Contact. Any one of them can individually make decisions about your account data after your death, including permanently deleting it.

On your iPhone or iPad

Go to Settings, then tap [your name].

Tap Sign-In & Security, then tap Legacy Contact.

Tap Add Legacy Contact. You might need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.

If you’re in a Family Sharing group, you can choose a member of the group. Or you can tap Choose Someone Else to add someone from your Contacts using their phone number or email address.

Choose how to share the access key with your Legacy Contact. Depending on the devices that your Legacy Contact owns, you might see different options for how to share.

Send an iMessage: You can notify your Legacy Contact with an iMessage when you add them. If they accept, their device automatically stores a copy of the access key in their Apple Account settings.

Print a Copy: You might choose to give your Legacy Contact a physical copy of the access key. You can print a copy of the access key and give it to them, send them a PDF or screenshot of the page, or save a copy with your estate planning documents.

If either you or your Legacy Contact don’t have iMessage turned on, you won’t see an option to Send an iMessage.

On your Mac

From the Apple menu , choose System Settings, then click [your name].

Click Sign-In & Security, then click Legacy Contact.

Click Add Legacy Contact. You might need to authenticate with Touch ID or your Mac login password.

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As published on 2026-10-18, https://support.apple.com/en-us/102631