Google, Apple and Facebook Legacy Contacts Explained
The big platforms let you choose who can get into your account after you die. Here is how each one works, and what is missing.
Google Inactive Account Manager
Name up to 10 trusted contacts who can access Gmail, Drive, Photos and YouTube after your account has been inactive for 3 to 18 months. You can also choose automatic deletion.
Apple Legacy Contact
Name up to 5 Legacy Contacts for iCloud data such as photos, messages, notes and backups. Each contact gets an Access Key and presents it with a death certificate.
Facebook and Instagram
A chosen legacy contact can manage a memorialised profile, for example pinning a tribute post. You can instead choose to have the account deleted. Instagram follows Facebook’s settings if the accounts are linked.
X
No legacy contact option. Family can request deactivation with a death certificate.
Microsoft
Next of kin can request a download of OneDrive files and Outlook email with documentation, but cannot get account access.
Password managers
Services such as 1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass and Dashlane may offer emergency access, often with a waiting period such as 7 days during which you can deny a request.
Cryptocurrency
Self-custody wallets depend on a seed phrase. Without it, funds are generally inaccessible. Exchange holdings may pass through the exchange’s estate process.
Based on a guide from Will.com, a company that also appears in our platform comparison. Settings change, so confirm in each provider’s own help pages.
Common questions
What happens to my Google account when I die?
If you set up Inactive Account Manager, the contacts you named can get access after the inactivity period you chose, which can be 3 to 18 months. If you did not, your family has to go through Google’s own process.
Can my family get into my iPhone photos?
If you named a Legacy Contact, they can request access to iCloud data with their Access Key and a death certificate.
Do legacy contacts cover my bank accounts?
No. They only cover the platform’s own data. Banks, pensions and insurance have separate processes. See our comparison of platforms for those.