iOS 15.2: How to assign a legacy contact to allow data recovery on your account

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With iCloud progressively storing captious information, an utile caller iOS 15.2 diagnostic lets you retrieve an relationship from a deceased person oregon household subordinate to sphere their integer legacy.

At WWDC 2021, Apple unveiled respective caller iCloud features, 1 of which was iCloud Legacy Contacts. iCloud contains a batch of important information, from passwords to contacts to app and record data. All of this information mightiness beryllium important aft you die, and arsenic a result, Apple has added the quality to delegate idiosyncratic to get entree to your information aft death. This includes important accusation similar passwords, photos, files and more.

Using this diagnostic means that your information volition not beryllium mislaid aft your passing and tin beryllium handed down to a person oregon household member. If this isn't acceptable up and nary 1 has entree to your account, past the information can't beryllium accessed and volition yet beryllium deleted aft Apple's retention argumentation has lapsed connected an unpaid iCloud account.

This diagnostic allows you to stock your idiosyncratic information stored successful iCloud (and instrumentality backups) with a loved 1 aft you dice much securely than conscionable sharing passwords to your online accounts. Apple besides controls the travel to guarantee that your relationship information is shared lone successful the lawsuit of your passing and lone with the contacts you've selected.

SEE: Apple iOS 15 cheat sheet: Everything you request to cognize (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

How to delegate a bequest interaction successful iOS 15.2

Once you're acceptable to adhd a bequest interaction to your iCloud account, iOS 15.2 makes this process precise simple, truthful beryllium definite to upgrade your instrumentality to that mentation if you privation to adhd a bequest contact. Then, to adhd a bequest contact, execute these steps:

Open the Settings app.
Select your sanction astatine the apical of the screen.
Tap Password & Security | Legacy Contact (Figure A).
Tap Add Legacy Contact to statesman the process and travel the prompts (Figure B).

Figure A

By default, this shows your household sharing members successful your Apple ID; however, you tin prime idiosyncratic different than conscionable those enabled successful your household sharing. You tin prime lone 1 bequest interaction currently.

Figure B

After selecting the idiosyncratic you'd similar to designate arsenic your bequest contact, proceed successful the process, and past hold by tapping Continue erstwhile shown what information volition beryllium shared with the user.

At the end, you'll beryllium allowed to nonstop a connection to your bequest interaction with your entree cardinal successful it, oregon people a transcript instead. This entree cardinal volition beryllium needed successful bid to retrieve your information aft your passing (and tin beryllium utilized lone aft your passing).

If you are utilizing a company-assigned iCloud account, past the Digital Legacy diagnostic whitethorn not beryllium available. However, if you are utilizing a idiosyncratic iCloud relationship connected a company-assigned device, past it whitethorn beryllium available. But if the instrumentality is managed by an IT department, the diagnostic could beryllium disabled. If you're incapable to activate the Legacy Contact diagnostic successful iOS 15.2 connected an iPhone oregon iPad, it tin besides beryllium enabled utilizing a Mac by visiting System Preferences | Apple ID | Password & Security.

SEE: Hiring kit: iOS developer (TechRepublic Premium)

How a bequest interaction recovers your information

In the lawsuit of your death, a bequest interaction needs a fewer important pieces of accusation successful bid to get entree to your data:

A decease certificate.
The entree cardinal assigned by an iCloud idiosyncratic to the relationship they privation to recover.
The day of commencement of the deceased user.

Once each of this accusation is collected, the idiosyncratic recovering the relationship tin spell to a caller website Apple has acceptable up called digital-legacy.apple.com. Here, you tin petition entree by submitting the entree cardinal and the pertinent accusation requested by Apple. You tin besides presumption the presumption of your petition from this page.

This process is wholly unafraid and Apple notes that unless each of those items are collected, your relationship can't beryllium recovered. Someone with conscionable an entree cardinal oregon a decease certificate can't unsocial unlock an account. This is large from a privateness and information position to guarantee that lone contacts you've selected volition person entree to your data.

For much accusation astir Apple's Digital Legacy program, visit this Apple enactment article.