Deceased's nominees can now be given access to Apple iCloud

Apple has released a digital legacy feature allowing account holders to nominate up to five family members or friends who will be able to access their account after they die. These contacts will be given a code allowing them to access data stored in iCloud, if they have a copy of the death certificate. Until now, court orders have been required to gain access to a deceased person's digital data.

On 13 December 2021, during the release of its iOS 15.2 update, Apple officially released its Digital Legacy feature, which lets people choose the specific people who will be able to access their account after they die. The chosen contacts will then be able to access data stored in iCloud, like photos and documents, after the original user dies, so long as they have a special access key and a copy of the death certificate.

This feature is accessed through Settings on the iPhone, and then selecting Password & Security and then choosing the Legacy Contact option. An access code will be received and Apple advises users to keep it in a safe place with their other estate planning documents. The selected Digital Legacy contacts will then need to provide that code and a death certificate to access the account.

Access can be granted through this link for Legacy contacts: https://digital-legacy.apple.com/