For the first time, Apple is allowing its customers to choose up to five people who can access their iCloud data after their death. With its latest iOS version, Apple is addressing a complex issue: the right to survivorship.
It had previously been impossible to access a deceased loved one’s iCloud account, and there was no way to unlock their phone without their passcode. The iCloud terms of service explains that even with a death certificate, the deceased person’s data remains with them.
You may now designate up to five people as Legacy Contacts using the new Digital Legacy service, which was first introduced at WWDC earlier this year and is now available in iOS 15.2. In the event that you pass away, these people will be able to access all of your personal information saved in iCloud, including your images, documents, and purchases.
As long as your designated contacts provide Apple with proof of death and possess the necessary key, they will instantly be granted access to that specific account’s data and the activation lock will be removed from all of your devices.
CAVEAT: It is your duty, however, to ensure that your Digital Legacy contacts are up to date.
Apple still wants proof of death, as well as an access key, in order to activate the Digital Legacy service. At this point in time, it’s a far more straightforward procedure than it was previously, which could necessitate getting a court ruling establishing an heir’s claim to inheritance. Please keep in mind that you must be running iOS 15.2 in order to use this feature.
The company Apple, which has long emphasised the importance of protecting users’ privacy, has found itself in a difficult situation. A group of bereaved parents and spouses shouting at a company for denying them access to their husbands’ images is not a positive image to project. That is not to say that personal information should be given out at random.
It’s encouraging to see Apple catching up to Google and Facebook in this area, which both have procedures in place for granting other people access to another user account.
SETTING UP A LEGACY CONTACT
- If you’re using an iOS device, go to Settings > [your name] > Password & Security to change your password.
- Select System Preferences > Apple ID > Password & Security from the menu bar on your Mac.
- To add a Legacy Contact, go to Legacy Contact and follow the on-screen instructions. To add a member of your family to Family Sharing, you can either choose one from the list or enter the person’s email address or phone number.
- Share an access key with your Legacy Contact via Messages. A copy of the access key is automatically stored in their Apple ID settings if they accept the invitation. You’ll be informed right away if they decide not to respond. In the event of your death, the access key will be required to access your account.
Because Legacy Contacts who are not running iOS 15.2 will be unable to save the access key in their device’s settings, you’ll need to deliver it to them in another means. They can still be added.
There is a new feature called Legacy Contact in iOS 15.2 for iPhones called Digital Legacy and it is currently available in the public beta. When iOS 15.2 is released in its entirety, it will be widely available. Apple has not specified which version of macOS will be compatible with the new functionality.
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