One of the most thoughtful things you can do for your family takes just two minutes.
What Is an Apple Legacy Contact?
Most of us store a huge part of our lives on our iPhones — photos, messages, notes, health records, and so much more. But did you know that without proper planning, your loved ones may never be able to access any of it after you're gone? This is exactly what happened to our family after the sudden passing of a family member.
Apple's Legacy Contact feature, introduced in iOS 15.2, solves this problem. It allows you to designate one or more trusted people who can request access to your Apple account and personal data after you pass away. It's a simple, secure, and deeply thoughtful feature that every iPhone user should set up.
Why It Matters
Think about what lives on your iPhone or iCloud account:
- Years of family photos and videos
- Heartfelt text conversations
- Important notes and documents
- Health and fitness data
- Contacts, calendars, and more
Without a Legacy Contact, your family would have no official way to retrieve any of this. Apple takes privacy seriously, and without your explicit permission (set up in advance), access is not granted — even to immediate family members.
Setting up a Legacy Contact changes that.
Before You Begin
You'll need:
- An iPhone running iOS 15.2 or later (or iPad with iPadOS 15.2+, or Mac with macOS 12.1+)
- Your Apple ID password or Face ID/Touch ID
- The name and contact information of the person you want to designate (they do not need an Apple device or Apple ID)
Step-by-Step: How to Add a Legacy Contact on iPhone
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap your name at the very top of the screen (your Apple ID profile).
- Tap Sign-In & Security.
- Tap Legacy Contact.
- Tap Add Legacy Contact.
- Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode when prompted.
- Choose a contact from your list, or type a name to search.
- Review the information on screen, then tap Continue.
- Choose how to share the Access Key with your Legacy Contact:
- Send Message — shares it via iMessage directly to their phone
- Print Access Key — creates a printable version to store physically (great for non-iPhone users)
- Save to Files — saves a digital copy you can share later
Tap Done, and you're finished!
What Happens With the Access Key?
The Access Key is a unique code tied to your Apple ID. Your Legacy Contact will need both the Access Key and a copy of your death certificate to request access to your account. Apple requires both to protect against unauthorized access.
This means:
- Your data stays completely private during your lifetime
- Only the person you chose — with verified proof — can ever request access
- The process is handled officially through Apple, giving your family a clear path forward
It's a good idea to store a printed copy of the Access Key somewhere safe, like with your important documents or will.
What Your Legacy Contact Can Access
Once Apple approves their request, your Legacy Contact will be able to access:
- Photos and Videos — your entire iCloud Photo Library
- Messages — your iMessage and SMS history
- Notes — personal and shared notes
- Files — documents stored in iCloud Drive
- Mail — your iCloud email
- Contacts and Calendars
- Health Data — stored in the Health app
- Device Backups — iCloud backups of your iPhone or iPad
What Your Legacy Contact CANNOT Access
Apple places some important limits to protect your security and financial accounts:
- Passwords saved in iCloud Keychain
- Payment information and Apple Pay cards
- Purchased content — movies, music, apps (these are licensed, not owned)
- In-app purchases or subscriptions
Can You Add More Than One Legacy Contact?
Yes! Apple allows you to add multiple Legacy Contacts, which is a great idea. You might add a spouse and an adult child, for example, so that more than one person has the ability to request access. Each person receives their own unique Access Key.
Can You Change or Remove a Legacy Contact?
Absolutely. You can return to Settings → [Your Name] → Sign-In & Security → Legacy Contact at any time to:
- Add additional Legacy Contacts
- Remove an existing Legacy Contact
- View or regenerate Access Keys
If your relationship with someone changes, it's worth revisiting this setting.
A Note for the Legacy Contact Themselves
If someone has named you as their Legacy Contact, you don't need to do anything right now. When the time comes, you can visit digital-legacy.apple.com to begin the process. You'll need the Access Key they shared with you and a copy of the death certificate.
Apple will review the request and, once approved, provide you with a special Apple ID that gives access to the account's data for a limited period.
Take Two Minutes Today
None of us enjoy thinking about mortality — but setting up a Legacy Contact is less about death and more about love. It's a way of saying: "I've thought ahead so you don't have to struggle."
It takes about two minutes. Your family will be grateful you did it.
Last updated: March 2026. Steps based on iOS 18. The path may vary slightly on older versions of iOS.