A true digital testament on your Apple ID iPhone or iPad and that it can be made accessible to whoever will be named heir by the owner. this is one of the innovations introduced by Apple with the new version of the operating system iOS 15.2. A feature that the Cupertino company has decided to include allowing owners of an Apple account to indicate up to 5 people who, in the event of death, will be able to receive an access key to the account to remove the blocks on the device and therefore access all the content on it.
Apple and Digital Heritage: how does it work?
Access to your digital profile has undoubtedly become a fundamental thing today, in an increasingly connected world where all your documents but also your personal information are “secured” in the cloud or even in your smartphone. Companies are preparing and Google as well as Facebook have already resorted to the creation of this type of system which allows access to the accounts of the deceased only and exclusively to those authorized by the deceased himself.
Even Apple therefore decided to allow access to its Digital Legacy thanks to the implementation of the system on the new version of iOS 15.2 just came out a few days ago. In this case, to access the section, just follow a few steps:
- Enter the Settings and in yours full name
- Enter the section ”Passwords and Security”
- Enter the section ”Heir contact”
Here it will be possible to add the heir which, in the event of the death of the user holding the Apple ID, will automatically have access to the data of the account of the deceased. In this case, it will be possible to choose between the telephone number or the e-mail address where to provide access to the digital heritage.
In this case to access your account detailsthe former contact must provide the access key and a copy of the account holder death certificate. In the event that the heir has an Apple device, and it is updated to iOS 15.2, he can store the access key directly in his Apple ID. Otherwise, with an Android device or with an Apple device with a previous version of iOS, you can provide the access key via a QR Code.
How long does Apple’s digital legacy last?
The heirs indicated by the user will have access to documents and legacy Apple account for 3 years from the validation of the first account request for heir contact. This means that after 3 years, the account of the heir contact will be permanently deleted and only during these 3 years, the heirs will be able to download all the content present in the account.
What content will heirs find on the Apple ID?
The data a Legacy Contact can access depends on the content stored in iCloud and iCloud Backup by the Apple ID account holder. For example, if the owner has stored all photos on a third-party website, those photos are not stored through an Apple service and therefore are not included in AppleID data. Thus, the data a former contact may have access to includes:
- iCloud Photos
- Note
- To post
- contacts
- Calendars
- Memorandum
- Mail on iCloud
- Call history
- Files stored in iCloudDrive
- Health data
- Voice Memos
- Safari Bookmarks and Reading List
- iCloud backup that may include: apps downloaded from the AppStore, photos and videos stored on the device, device settings, and other content that has been backed up to iCloud and is not excluded from the list below
Some data is not available for a former contact, including:
- Licensed media files, such as movies, music, and books purchased by the account holder
- In-app purchases, such as upgrades, subscriptions, in-game currency, or other content purchased within an app
- Payment information, such as AppleID payment information or cards registered for use with ApplePay
- Information stored in the account holder’s keychain, such as Safari usernames and passwords, Internet accounts (used in Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Messages), credit card numbers, and dates of expiration, and