We published a blog a while back now discussing what happens to our digitally stored assets when we die – What will happen to your ‘Digital Life’ when you die?   Apple have now created a feature which enables those with iPhones to appoint a digital Legacy Contact to make sure precious digital memories aren’t lost forever when someone dies.

The tangled digital web we weave
From online bank accounts to music to photos and social media accounts, the list of our digital assets is long and getting longer as the years go by as our ‘Digital Life’ gets more complicated. As well as all the hassle of retrieving the more mundane information, it’s a very sad thought to think that for some of us, all those treasured photos and videos on their iPhone will be lost forever when we die not that very few of us actually print photos, let alone put them into an album for future generations to look at and reminice. However, there is now a solution for iPhone users at least in the shape of Apple’s new Legacy Contact feature.

Apple’s new Legacy Contact feature
Since our last Digital Legacy blog was written, Apple have introduced a new ‘Legacy Contact’ feature which could solve the problem for those with an iPhone.  Previously, Apple required both a court order and a Grant of Probate to access a deceased’s iCloud account, so this new feature will save a lot of hassle and heartache.

How to set up your Legacy Contacts on your iPhone
To set this feature up on your iCloud Account you need to go to ‘Settings’, then go to your iCloud account, then choose ‘Password & Security’ and then select ‘Legacy Contact’. Your Legacy Contact will be able to access the data stored in your account after your death when they provide a death certificate and access key code which is generated when you set them up as a Legacy Contact.  You can print this out and keep it with your Will, or send it directly onto your Legacy Contact.

Get in touch
If you would like to find out more about making Will, our friendly and experienced team would be pleased to hear from you.  You can email info@penderlaw.co.uk or call us on 01872 241408.