Legacy contact (and Inactive Account Manager)
A legacy contact is someone who can get into your account and see your data after you die. It doesn't help if you simply lose your phone — that's what a recovery contact is for.
- What it is
- Access to your account if you die
- Since
- 2013 (Google) · 2021 (Apple)
- Verdict
- Yes
What it is
A legacy contact is a person you choose who, after your death and with a death certificate, can request access to your account and whatever's in it: photos, emails, notes, backups. Apple calls it a "legacy contact." Google solves the same problem with the Inactive Account Manager: you set up in advance who gets what if your account stops being used for a period you define.
It's easy to confuse with a recovery contact, but they're two different things with opposite purposes: one is for when you're no longer here, the other is for when you're still around but can't get in.
When it was introduced
Google launched the Inactive Account Manager in April 2013, as one of the first tools from a major provider to manage "digital legacy." Apple introduced the legacy contact later, with iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 and macOS Monterey 12.1, in December 2021.
Why it's used
Without this feature, if someone dies, their family has to request access from Apple or Google case by case, with legal paperwork and no guarantee of success. A legacy contact leaves the decision already made, by the person who knows what they want to share.
The common mistake is thinking this protects you if you lose your phone. It doesn't: neither Apple nor Google activates legacy contact access just because you can't get in one day. It requires proof that you've died (Apple) or the inactivity period you configured (Google).
Should you use it?
Set it up, but don't treat it as your plan for losing your phone. Use a recovery contact or your password manager's emergency access for that instead.
Check this
- Have you added a legacy contact to your Apple account?
- Have you set up the Inactive Account Manager on your Google account?
- Do you know this won't help you if you've only lost your phone?
Official sources: About Inactive Account Manager (Google) · How to add a legacy contact (Apple)