Apple iOS 15: The Legacy Contact

There are big changes coming in the world of Apple. The tech giant has had a record-breaking year in 2020, setting multiple revenue records, and setting an all-time high for number of FaceTime calls made on Christmas Day 2020. Apple has an astounding 1.65 billion devices in active use overall.  The company announced on June 7th big software updates coming to Apple devices in the upcoming months, and one of them is one that we have been waiting for… a Legacy Contact! To read full details of the update, click the link! (https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-15-preview/) 

The new iOS 15 update comes with a variety of new and improved features, one of them is a digital pre-panning feature which allows users to appoint legacy contacts. The new feature would allow users to assign a contact who can access their data when they die. The feature is similar to Facebook’s pre-planning options and will allow the user to fully pre-plan what they would like to happen to their data in advance.  

The legacy contact will need to provide a copy of the death certificate for proof of death to gain access to the user’s data when the time comes. Access to the account will not be granted to the legacy contact if the user is still alive. Once death is proven, the legacy contact will be able to sign in through a “legacy contact Apple ID” and gain access to the iCloud data and download it if they choose. 

It’s great to see Apple catch up with the times and finally add an option for managing digital assets and data before your death.  While this feature isn’t available to users yet, it is something that we will be anxiously awaiting in the fall when the iOS 15 update launches. Be sure to check back in the fall for a step-by-step blog to fully set up this new and exciting feature! 

This blog is not intended to be legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you require legal advice, please contact a legal professional concerning your particular circumstances.