In today’s digital age, much of a person’s life and memories are saved on their devices. Whether it is pictures on social media or memories saved to the Cloud, data stored on one’s device can offer relief and valuable memories to grieving loved ones. So, what happens to these photos and data stored by third parties when the owner passes away? Many companies have either refused or have made it extremely difficult for loved ones to access a deceased client’s data or account. But recently, companies like Facebook, Google, and Apple have had revelations regarding the importance of family members accessing their loved one’s data and memories. With this new mindset, the companies have set up legacy contact settings that allow families to access the photos and personal data of a loved one.
In 2015, Facebook, began allowing users to assign a legacy contact to close or memorialize someone’s account in the event they passed away. Once assigned, the legacy contact can write a pinned post for your profile, update your profile picture and cover photo, request removal of the account, or if you choose to allow, download a copy of what you have shared on Facebook. Your legacy contact cannot log into your account, read your messages, or add/remove any of your friends. To setup a legacy contact on Facebook via the mobile app, you must be at least 18 years of age and go to your main page by clicking on your profile picture → profile settings (three dots on the top right of the screen) → Memorialization Settings.
If you are an Android user or use Google products, an option exists called an inactive account manager. This tool becomes particularly relevant in the event of your passing, as it assists in the management of your digital legacy, ensuring the proper handling of your information and possessions. You can set it to automatically contact the person you have assigned as account manager after your account is considered inactive. This inactive status is determined by a period of your choosing during which you have not utilized services like signing in, Gmail, or other Google tools. To establish the Inactive Account Manager and formulate strategies for your data’s fate in cases where your Google Account becomes inaccessible, proceed to myaccount.google.com/inactive.
Apple has been one of the more recent adopters of the legacy contact settings, making it possible for designated individuals to access your account after you pass away. Apple’s legacy contact settings can be set up from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer, provided these devices are running either iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 or macOS 12.1 or newer. Unlike Google and Facebook, Apple will not allow you to select categories of data to access. Instead, the legacy contact will have access to a wide range of data, like your call history, email, health data, notes app, contacts, calendars, voice memos, Safari bookmarks, reminders and even your iCloud backups and there is no way to customize what they can see. Given the amount of access the legacy contact will have, Apple has not made this process simple. To set up your legacy contact, you must first visit Apple’s Digital Legacy access page, https://digital-legacy.apple.com/. Here, you will get an access key includes a QR code and a string of text that you can print or send to them via an encrypted Messages text. The legacy contact will need this key and a copy of your death certificate to access your data. Keep in mind that only people who also use Apple devices will be able to use the digital version of the key; you will have to print it out for anyone else. Once equipped with the access key on your iOS device, go to Settings → tap your name on the top → Password & Security → Legacy Contact. On your Mac, it is also in Settings → Password & Security → Legacy Contact.
All in all, allowing people to delegate access to loved ones in the case of their death is a useful tool and will save loved one’s time and resources when trying to recover the memories stored on a third-party server. By taking a few moments to set up a legacy contract today, you can save your loved ones time and heartache by designating someone you trust to be your legacy contact.
