Digital Legacy

With the release of iOS 15.2, you’ll be able to set a Legacy Contact to authorize somebody to access your data in the event of your death.

Although this is mostly a back-end feature that’s tied to your Apple ID on Apple’s servers, you’ll use iOS 15.2 to set the whole thing up, including adding one or more contacts and sharing the necessary recovery information with them. You can either send this over via iMessage or print a hard copy that can be stored alongside your will and other estate paperwork.

The recovery info will include a QR code and access key that your Legacy Contact can provide to Apple, along with a copy of your death certificate, to request access to the data in your iCloud account and remove the Activation Lock on your Apple devices after your death.