Apple and iCloud after a death: photos, devices and the account

Start with what is at stake

An Apple account holds more than photos. It holds iCloud backups, files, contacts, calendars, notes, and often the keys to a phone or tablet. If the account holder has died, the family usually needs two things: the photos and files themselves, and time. An unpaid account can be closed or restricted, and when that happens the cloud copies can go with it.

So the first job is to keep the account in good standing while you sort out access. The second is to get the files somewhere the family controls. Apple's exact steps change, so check Apple's current help page for the details before you act.

Keep the account alive for now

Payments tied to the account may stop once the card holder dies. A subscription, an iCloud storage plan, or a family plan can lapse. If the account holder set up a payment method in their own name, that card will eventually be cancelled by the bank, and Apple will ask for a new one.

If you can, keep the storage plan paid while you collect the photos and files. Ask the bank or the person handling the estate about paying from estate funds if that's appropriate where you live. Check the rule where you live, and check Apple's help page for what happens to an account when billing fails.

What the account holder can set up now

Apple has a feature that lets an account holder name one or more people as account contacts. Those people can request access to the account after a death, with an access key and a death certificate. It's set up in advance, by the account holder, on their own device. This is the cleanest path, because it doesn't depend on guessing a password later.

If you're the account holder, set up your account contacts today. Name more than one person if you can, and give each of them the access key in a way they'll still have it years from now. Write down who they are and where the key is kept. Our guide on legacy contacts walks through it.

Keep a current list of what's in the account: the Apple ID email address, the devices tied to it, the storage plan, and any subscriptions billed through Apple. Don't put the password itself in the envelope. Put a note saying where the password manager entry is and who can reach it. There's more on that in why not share passwords.

What the family does after a death

Gather the basics: the Apple ID email address, the death certificate, and any access key the account holder left. If account contacts were named, the named person starts the request through Apple's process. Apple reviews it and, if it's approved, gives that person access to the data. The exact steps and what's included are on Apple's help page, so read it there rather than relying on memory.

If no contacts were named, the family can still ask Apple for help. The company has a process for requests from people handling an estate or from close family. What Apple asks for and what it will release depends on the account and the request, so check Apple's current help page before you send anything.

Expect this to take time. Approvals are reviewed by people, not instantly. Keep copies of everything you send, and note the date you sent it.

Get the photos and files out

Once you have access, download before you delete anything. Photos, videos, and files can be pulled to a computer and kept on a drive the family owns. iCloud backups of a phone are different from the photos themselves, so check both. If several family members want copies, make one master copy first and copy from that.

While you're in the account, look at what's stored and what's shared. Shared albums, family sharing groups, and notes may hold things other people need. Note any devices still signed in, because they may need to be erased or handed on.

Devices, passcodes and the phone itself

A locked iPhone or iPad can be a separate problem from the cloud account. If the passcode is unknown, the device may need to be erased before it can be used again, which can take the local data with it. Get the cloud copy first where you can. Our guide on the phone passcode first covers the order to do things in.

Don't wipe a device until you've confirmed what's in the cloud. And don't hand a device to a repair shop before you've thought about what's on it.

Write it down for the family

The person who will need this is usually a spouse, an adult child, or whoever handles the estate. They won't know the Apple ID if nobody wrote it down. A short note saves them weeks.

• The Apple ID email address and the devices tied to it
• Whether account contacts were named, who they are, and where the access key is kept
• The iCloud storage plan and how it's paid
• Subscriptions billed through Apple
• Where the password manager entry lives and who can open it

Put that note in the Digital life section of your envelope, and tell the person it's there. If you're starting from scratch, the checklist shows what else belongs alongside it.