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To add a Legacy Contact, open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name, then go to Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact > Add Legacy Contact. On a Mac, open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, click your name, and follow the same Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact path. Choose someone you trust and make sure they can access the key Apple provides: they will need it, along with required documentation, to request certain account data after your death.
What a Legacy Contact does
A Legacy Contact is someone you designate to request access to certain data in your Apple Account after you die. It is an estate-planning setting, not a way to share your password or give someone access to your account while you are alive. The designated person must make a request to Apple and meet Apple’s requirements; they do not simply sign in to your existing account.
Apple’s instructions are in How to add a Legacy Contact for your Apple Account. The feature can provide access to eligible data such as photos, messages, notes, files, and device backups. It does not grant access to everything associated with your account; the limits are important when deciding whom to appoint and what to tell them.
Think of the designation as permission to begin a controlled post-death process. Apple verifies the request, checks the documentation, and then provides the approved contact with credentials for a new account and the necessary keying information. The contact does not receive your Apple Account password, and the feature is not intended to bypass Apple’s normal security review.
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Check the requirements before setup
- You need an Apple device signed in to your Apple Account: an iPhone or iPad running iOS 15.2 or later or iPadOS 15.2 or later, or a Mac running macOS Monterey 12.1 or later.
- Two-factor authentication may need to be turned on for your account. Apple may also ask you to authenticate during setup.
- The person you select does not need an Apple Account or an Apple device just to be chosen as your contact.
- To request access after your death, the contact must be over 13. Apple notes that the applicable age varies by country or region.
These requirements and interface steps are documented by Apple Support. If you cannot find the setting, first check that your device meets the operating-system minimum and is signed in to the account you intend to plan for.
The age rule applies to the later request, not merely to selecting a name in your Contacts app. If you are choosing a younger relative, confirm that the person who will actually submit the request will meet Apple’s age requirement in the relevant country or region. Because Apple’s documentation rules and age rules can vary by location, avoid treating another country’s instructions as universal.
Choose the person carefully
The best choice is someone you trust to safeguard a sensitive access key, obtain the required documentation, and follow Apple’s process. They should understand that their role concerns only eligible data and that Apple—not the contact—controls approval. If you appoint more than one person, make sure each understands that they can act independently.
Add a Legacy Contact on iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Tap Sign-In & Security, then tap Legacy Contact.
- Tap Add Legacy Contact. If prompted, authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode.
- Select a person in Family Sharing, or tap Choose Someone Else and select someone from Contacts. Apple lets you identify the person using their phone number or email address.
- Review the prompts and choose how to share the access key.
Apple says it sends an email confirmation when a Legacy Contact is added. You can appoint more than one person, and each can act individually on eligible account data after your death. That includes the ability to permanently delete the data, so appoint people whose judgment you trust and explain what the role entails.
Check the displayed contact details before completing the prompts. Selecting a familiar name is not enough if the entry has an old phone number or email address. The contact must be able to recognize the message and retrieve the key later. If you use Family Sharing, verify that you selected the intended family member rather than assuming every family member is automatically included.
How authentication fits into setup
Apple can require Face ID, Touch ID, a device passcode, or your Mac login password when you add a contact. This confirms that the person making the change is authorized to manage the account. It is separate from the later request, when Apple will authenticate the Legacy Contact and review the death documentation.
Add a Legacy Contact on Mac
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Click your name, then click Sign-In & Security.
- Click Legacy Contact, then click Add Legacy Contact. Authenticate with Touch ID or your Mac login password if prompted.
- Choose a Family Sharing member, or choose Choose Someone Else and select a person from Contacts.
- Follow the prompts to choose how to share the access key.
Menu wording can change with software updates. If the labels on your device differ, use Apple’s current Legacy Contact setup instructions for the device and software version you have.
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The Mac and iPhone workflows lead to the same type of designation. You do not need to repeat the setup on every Apple device signed in to the account. Use whichever supported device gives you access to the account settings, then preserve the resulting key and confirmation information.
Share and preserve the access key
The access key is essential: the contact needs it to request access after your death. Apple describes it as an alphanumeric code associated with a QR code. Its security process uses the key alongside Apple’s encrypted packet and the beneficiary-held key; the key is not an account password or a shortcut around Apple’s review. Apple explains the mechanism in its Legacy Contact security overview.
The key also plays a practical role in completing setup for the contact’s Legacy Contact Apple Account. Losing it can make the later request harder, while casually distributing it creates an unnecessary privacy risk. Treat it as an estate record that must be available to the intended person, not as a general account credential.
Choose a sharing method
- Send an iMessage: If this option is offered, it notifies the person you selected. If they accept, a copy of the key is stored in their Apple Account settings. The option will not appear if either person does not have iMessage turned on.
- Print or save a copy: Apple allows you to print the key or make a PDF or screenshot. A nearby contact can scan the QR code displayed with it.
- Keep a paper copy with estate-planning documents: Apple recommends preserving a printed copy with those documents. If you send the key electronically, confirm that the intended person received it.
Think about who can access any saved or printed copy. A lost key may make a later request harder; a copy exposed to the wrong person may disclose sensitive information about the arrangement. Store it in a place your chosen contact or estate representative can find when needed, without treating it as information to distribute casually.
After using iMessage, ask the recipient to confirm that the notification arrived and that they know where the key is stored. If you print the key, check that the code and QR image are legible before filing it. A screenshot or PDF should be stored with the same care as the paper version. Keep the contact’s name and the location of the copy understandable to the people handling your estate, while avoiding unnecessary copies.
What happens if iMessage is not available?
Apple does not show Send an iMessage unless iMessage is turned on for both people. That does not prevent you from appointing the person. Use the print, PDF, or screenshot option instead, and preserve a copy with estate-planning documents. The person you select still does not need an Apple device merely to be chosen.
What a Legacy Contact can—and cannot—access
Apple says eligible data may include photos, messages, notes, files, and device backups. The exact data available is subject to Apple’s process and the account’s data; the designation should not be described as unrestricted access.
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| Data or account item | Legacy Contact access |
|---|---|
| Photos, messages, notes, files, device backups, and other eligible data | May be available after Apple approves a request |
| iCloud Keychain information, including payment information, passwords, and passkeys | Not available through Legacy Contact access |
| Movies, music, and books purchased with the Apple Account | Not available through Legacy Contact access |
| Subscriptions purchased with the Apple Account | Not available through Legacy Contact access |
| The account holder’s password or unrestricted sign-in to the existing account | Not granted by this feature |
Apple Support names these access limits, and Apple’s security documentation explains that the Legacy Contact keying information does not include what is needed to decrypt the deceased person’s iCloud Keychain. Do not rely on this feature as a way to pass on passwords, payment credentials, passkeys, or purchased media.
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Why the feature does not reveal everything
Apple separates ordinary eligible account data from iCloud Keychain secrets and certain licensed purchases. The security design does not give the contact the material needed to decrypt the deceased person’s iCloud Keychain. As a result, knowing the access key is not equivalent to knowing the account password and does not unlock every service connected to the account.
What the contact needs to request access later
After the account holder dies, the contact needs the access key and documentation of the death to submit a request to Apple. Apple carries out security checks; once the request passes, its security overview says Apple issues credentials for a new account and releases the necessary keying information. This is a controlled request process, not direct access to the deceased person’s existing sign-in.
Document rules can vary by country or region. Apple gives Japan as an example where a family certificate indicating the account holder’s death is needed instead of a death certificate. Do not assume one document checklist applies everywhere. The contact should follow Apple’s current request instructions for their location, including Apple’s guidance for requesting access to a deceased family member’s Apple Account; the linked page is for the UK locale, so readers elsewhere should use the appropriate local Apple Support instructions.
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Apple’s review means that possessing the key alone does not guarantee approval. The contact must provide the requested documentation and satisfy Apple’s security checks. Do not mail documents or submit a request based on a checklist copied from another country; open the current Apple Support page for the contact’s location and follow its instructions.
Make the handoff practical
- Tell the person you appoint that they are your Legacy Contact and where you have stored the access key.
- Keep the key with estate-planning records or another secure arrangement your representative can locate.
- Make sure the contact knows that Apple will require documentation and will review the request.
- If you appoint more than one contact, explain that each can act individually, including permanently deleting eligible data.
- Explain that Apple may create credentials for a new account as part of the approved process rather than handing over your existing sign-in.
Review this information when your estate documents change. A contact who does not know about the designation may not know to look for the key, and a contact who expects unrestricted access may misunderstand what Apple will release.
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Legacy Contact versus account recovery contact
These are separate features for different situations. An account recovery contact helps you regain access to your own account while you are alive; that person can provide a recovery code but does not get access to your account. A Legacy Contact is designated to request certain data after your death. Apple distinguishes the two in its account and device lockout guidance.
| Account recovery contact | Legacy Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Help the living account holder regain access | Request access to certain data after the account holder’s death |
| Who initiates the action | The account holder needing recovery help | The designated contact after the account holder’s death |
| What the contact provides or receives | A recovery code to help the account holder; no account access | A post-death request is reviewed by Apple; access is limited to eligible data |
One role does not replace the other. Choose and set up each based on the specific situation it is meant to address. Giving someone recovery-contact status does not make that person a Legacy Contact, and appointing a Legacy Contact does not create a way to recover your account during your lifetime.
If the Legacy Contact option is missing or setup fails
- Check the device’s software version. The minimums are iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2, or macOS Monterey 12.1. An older operating system may not show the setting.
- Confirm you are signed in to the right Apple Account. On iPhone or iPad, start in Settings and tap your name; on Mac, open System Settings and click your name.
- Check two-factor authentication. Apple says it may need to be enabled. Follow the account’s prompts if setup asks you to turn it on or verify your identity.
- Authenticate when asked. The device may request Face ID, Touch ID, a passcode, or your Mac login password before allowing the change.
- Try another eligible device. If the feature is still unavailable, consult Apple’s current setup article for any updated requirements rather than assuming the person you want to appoint is ineligible.
- If iMessage sharing is unavailable, preserve the key another way. Apple says the Send an iMessage option is not shown unless both people have iMessage turned on; printing or saving a copy is an alternative.
Do not solve a missing setting by sharing your Apple Account password. Password sharing defeats the purpose of the Legacy Contact process and still would not provide the controlled post-death access Apple describes. First verify the operating system, account, authentication, and current menu labels.
Before you finish
- Confirm that the selected person is the intended person, using the correct phone number or email address if choosing from Contacts.
- Make sure they receive or can later locate the access key.
- Consider whether the person understands both the limits on accessible data and the ability to delete it.
- Review your Legacy Contact choices when your relationships or estate plans change. You can manage contacts through the same Legacy Contact settings.
- Tell the contact which Apple Support instructions apply to their country or region.
- Keep a legible backup of the key with the records your estate representative can locate.
Adding the contact is only the first step. A complete plan identifies the person, preserves the key, explains the limits, and makes the later documentation process understandable.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Legacy Contact in iPhone settings?
Open Settings, tap your name, choose Sign-In & Security, then Legacy Contact. Tap Add Legacy Contact to begin.
Can I add more than one Legacy Contact?
Yes. Apple allows more than one. Each designated contact can act individually on eligible data after your death, including permanently deleting it.
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Does my Legacy Contact need an iPhone or Apple Account?
No device or Apple Account is required merely to select the person. The contact will need the access key and must complete Apple’s later request and setup requirements.
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What does a Legacy Contact need after I die?
The person needs the access key and documentation of your death, then must submit a request that passes Apple’s security checks. Document rules vary by country or region.
Can a Legacy Contact see my passwords and payment information?
No. iCloud Keychain data, including payment information, passwords, and passkeys, is excluded. The designation also does not provide your password or unrestricted access to the existing account.
Can a Legacy Contact access movies, music, books, or subscriptions I bought?
Apple identifies movies, music, books, and subscriptions purchased with the Apple Account as excluded categories.
Why can’t I send the access key by iMessage?
Apple shows the Send an iMessage option only when iMessage is turned on for both people. You can print the key or save a PDF or screenshot instead.
Is a Legacy Contact the same as an account recovery contact?
No. An account recovery contact helps you regain access while you are alive and provides a recovery code without account access. A Legacy Contact requests certain data after your death.
Does the contact get my existing Apple Account login?
No. Apple reviews the request and, if approved, issues credentials for a new account with the necessary keying information. This is not direct sign-in to your existing account.
The Bottom Line
On a supported iPhone, iPad, or Mac, open your Apple Account’s Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact settings, choose a trusted person, and preserve the access key securely. Make sure the contact understands that Apple requires a later request and death documentation, and that access excludes iCloud Keychain data, certain purchases and subscriptions, and unrestricted account sign-in.
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