iCloud Apple Legacy Contact

[dmt43]

My husband isn’t technical.I am gathering digital asset info so someone technical can help him with all that in the event I predecease him. I created a Legacy Key for my account. But I was thinking, why can’t I just give him the password? I understand the Legacy key allows my contact to get into my account and I will provide that, but I thought if he has the password, that would also work. This is from iCloud terms & conditions: Except as allowed under Digital Legacy and unless otherwise required by law, you agree that your Account is non-transferable and that any rights to your Apple Account or content within your Account terminate upon your death. Upon receipt of a copy of a death certificate your Account may be terminated and all content within your Account deleted. Contact iCloud Support at https://support.apple.com/icloud for further assistance.

I know certain entities are notified upon death (e.g. SS, banks, etc) and access is blocked. But Apple isn’t notified are they? Are the terms & conditions the reason for the need for a Legacy contact? Just wondering…..thanks!

 

[!!!]

But Apple isn’t notified are they?

Not unless you do. I would not, I would actually avoid telling anyone unless absolutely necessary. Most company support staff really don't care, and they're not generally allowed to help you out when you need it (they will disable the account and refuse to help you out, even with power of attorney or being the executor of the will will often be ignored, and you will have to fight them on an uphill battle). If you have the password for the account of the deceased person, get in, do what you need, and disable/delete the account.

Are the terms & conditions the reason for the need for a Legacy contact?

Yes. For most people who have no clue about Legacy Contact/Key, they will just share the password and use it that way. While this technically does violate the terms, it's not like Apple would even know, let alone bother to investigate and subsequently terminate the account if password-sharing/account-transferring happened.

 

[dmt43]

Not unless you do. I would not, I would actually avoid telling anyone unless absolutely necessary. Most company support staff really don't care, and they're not generally allowed to help you out when you need it (they will disable the account and refuse to help you out, even with power of attorney or being the executor of the will will often be ignored, and you will have to fight them on an uphill battle). If you have the password for the account of the deceased person, get in, do what you need, and disable/delete the account.

Yes. For most people who have no clue about Legacy Contact/Key, they will just share the password and use it that way. While this technically does violate the terms, it's not like Apple would even know, let alone bother to investigate and subsequently terminate the account if password-sharing/account-transferring happened.

thank you! I will take your advice. What you say about company support staff and account access is 1000% true. It was a frustrating and difficult ordeal with my parents’ digital accounts when they became incapacitated and after they passed. Things got done, but it was extremely difficult and there were some accounts (like my father’s SS account) that I could never access and it caused me much heartache (aside from my father’s death). It was critical info for his ongoing care and I just could not get what I needed. Many accounts allow family member access. Or at least, you should set up accounts and know the passwords. Word to the wise - if you are responsible for your family members’ digital assets/estate in any manner - make sure you have access to what you will need to manage those assets prior to their incapacitation or death.

 

[doogm]

I have both made my wife, who is also not very technical, a legacy contact, plus I have specifically shared the location of my passphrase for my devices and the passphrase for my iCloud account. It can't hurt to have both, and there is a lot that legacy contact cannot access that I think she'd want access to.

Still to do: a list of things that she should do to my account and to her account if I die first. Such as, turn off family sharing in my account; upgrade her account to at least 1 TB and share with our son, if he still wants to. Etc.

 

[dmt43]

I have both made my wife, who is also not very technical, a legacy contact, plus I have specifically shared the location of my passphrase for my devices and the passphrase for my iCloud account. It can't hurt to have both, and there is a lot that legacy contact cannot access that I think she'd want access to.

Still to do: a list of things that she should do to my account and to her account if I die first. Such as, turn off family sharing in my account; upgrade her account to at least 1 TB and share with our son, if he still wants to. Etc.

I agree, it can’t hurt to have both - I have to create a legacy contact for myself on my husband’s account, even though I control and manage the passwords. I have to also do the things you mention - leave instructions on what to do with the account. Thank you for sharing those items, I would not have thought of them.

 

[doogm]

I agree, it can’t hurt to have both - I have to create a legacy contact for myself on my husband’s account, even though I control and manage the passwords. I have to also do the things you mention - leave instructions on what to do with the account. Thank you for sharing those items, I would not have thought of them.

I'll try to remember to follow-up when I come with the entire list. Some other things:

Go through my app subscriptions and cancel ones I know she won't want. For example, my podcast player - she doesn't listen to podcasts.

Add subscriptions to things I know she may want (even if she doesn't know she'll want them.) Subscribing to Apple Music, for example.

Cancel my Apple Card (she has her own favorite and also doesn't want to use Apple Pay, though I think she should think about it.)

Specific instructions for payment method updating on the Apple Account, etc.

 

[dmt43]

I'll try to remember to follow-up when I come with the entire list. Some other things:

Go through my app subscriptions and cancel ones I know she won't want. For example, my podcast player - she doesn't listen to podcasts.

Add subscriptions to things I know she may want (even if she doesn't know she'll want them.) Subscribing to Apple Music, for example.

Cancel my Apple Card (she has her own favorite and also doesn't want to use Apple Pay, though I think she should think about it.)

Specific instructions for payment method updating on the Apple Account, etc.

Thank you! 😊