How to set up Legacy Contact on iPhone, so your family can get your photos

An iPhone is protected by a passcode and encryption. If you're gone, it's hard for your family to get the photos on it, unless you've set up a Legacy Contact ahead of time. Setup takes a few minutes, and later your family can request the data you keep in iCloud.

Based on laws and official guidance as checked on 2026-10-20. Rules and screens can change, so check the latest official guidance before you act.

What a Legacy Contact can get

Included	Not included
iCloud Photos	Passwords and passkeys in iCloud Keychain
Messages, Mail, and Notes in iCloud	Movies, music, and books you bought
Files in iCloud Drive	Subscriptions and in-app purchases
Contacts, Calendars, and iCloud Backup	Payment information

Only data stored in iCloud is available, and that includes photos in your iCloud Backup. If you use neither iCloud Photos nor iCloud Backup, your photos are only on your phone, so be sure to back them up some other way.

How to set it up

Make sure your iPhone has iOS 15.2 or later.
Open Settings, tap your name at the top, go to Sign-In & Security, then tap Legacy Contact. (On older versions, it's under Password & Security.)
Tap Add Legacy Contact and choose a family member. You can add more than one, and each must be over 13. Any one of them can make decisions about your data on their own, including deleting it, so choose people you trust.
Share the access key with them: tap Send an iMessage (you both need iMessage turned on), or tap Print a Copy to give them a paper copy.

How your family requests access later

They'll need the access key and a death certificate.
They can apply at Apple's digital-legacy.apple.com. If they also use an iPhone, they can start from Settings.
Once Apple approves the request, the Legacy Contact has a limited time to download the data (Apple says 3 years). After that, the account is permanently deleted.

Set up Google too, for peace of mind

If your photos or email are in Google Photos or Gmail, set up Google's Inactive Account Manager as well. Apple and Google each handle their own data. With both set up, your family won't miss anything.

FAQ

Once I add someone, can they see my data right away?

No. Only after you've died, and they've requested access with the access key and a death certificate, and Apple has approved it, can they get your data. Until then, they can't see anything.

Do they need an iPhone?

According to Apple, no. Print the access key for them, and they can request access on the website later.

Sources and fact-check

This guide is general information, not legal, medical, or financial advice. For your own situation, talk to a qualified professional. Laws and platform features change, so rely on the latest version of the official pages below.

If you spot something wrong or out of date, email us at [email protected] and we will correct it.