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iOS 15.2 Beta 2 Lets Your Family Access Your Data If You Pass Away

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Apr 12, 2001
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When iOS 15 was first introduced in June, Apple outlined a new Digital Legacy feature that's designed to let you set a person as your Legacy Contact, giving the person access to your Apple ID account and personal information in the event of your death.

apple-ios-15-2-legacy-contact.jpg

Apple did not include Legacy Contact in the iOS 15 launch as the feature was not ready, but it is available in the iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 betas that were released today.

legacy-contact-2.jpg

The Legacy Contact option can be accessed by opening up the Settings app, tap on your profile picture and then select "Password & Security." From there, choose "Legacy Contact" from the list and you can select a trusted person to access your account after you pass away.

The person will have access to your data, and the contact will need to provide an access key and a copy of a death certificate to use your Apple ID account. The feature is designed to give your loved ones access to your photos, videos, notes, documents, and other personal information.

Article Link: iOS 15.2 Beta 2 Lets Your Family Access Your Data If You Pass Away
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/09/ios-15-2-legacy-contact/
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Does this give you access to their iPhone if it's passcode locked? If so, this would have been useful for me a couple of weeks ago when my mother passed. I have access to her iCloud account, but don't have access to her iPhone. I've no idea what's on there that may be helpful to wrap up the estate.
 
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Does this work similar to Facebook's? I am no longer testing beta so I'll leave it to those that still do...

I'm gonna stay on iOS 14.x until I need to replace my current iPhone...
 
I’ve had 2 friends die over the past three years. One 19 one 20. Before the second passed we had a specific talk about how she’d like her family to have her data (as the first family was able to get a few things but much was lost) but didn’t share her password currently as they she didn’t want them to just have free access, while morbid this is an important feature.

‘To the people talking about lawyers this girl was supporting her family and could barely afford their apartment. A sign up page on your phone is a lot less of a barrier to entry than finding a lawyer. Most people don’t HAVE a lawyer and have never spoken to one.
 
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Has Apple thought through the issues of someone dying abroad and the death certificate being issued by a foreign country? Indeed, will this work in all countries even without dying abroad issues added in?
 
NOTE TO SELF: If your family is repeatedly asking you to enable "Legacy Contact" they may know something you don't know. It's either time to get your affairs in order or time to hide anything that may be used as a weapon.
 
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