There is no single “next-of-kin login” for a deceased person’s online accounts. Choose the outcome first: request selected data, ask the provider to close the account, or prepare a device for reuse. Google uses a deceased-user request flow and will not provide passwords. Apple uses its Legacy Contact process when an access key exists; otherwise, the required legal documents depend on the country or region.
Do not request closure before pursuing Google data. Google says it cannot later process a contents request after closure has been selected. Apple likewise separates data access, permanent deletion and device reuse, and approval never guarantees that every item can be opened.
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Decide what you actually need
“Access” can mean several different things, and the correct request depends on the result you want. Make this decision before submitting anything because closure or erasure can remove the possibility of obtaining information later.
| Goal | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| Obtain account data | Use the deceased-user troubleshooter and select the option to request account contents. Google reviews requests individually. | Use a Legacy Contact request when the deceased person designated you; otherwise follow the legal-documentation process for your region. |
| Close or delete the account | Choose the account-closure route in Google’s troubleshooter. | Start an account-deletion request through Apple’s Digital Legacy process and provide the required documentation. |
| Recover money or account funds | Choose the funds option in Google’s troubleshooter; it is separate from a data request. | The Apple deceased-account process is for account data or deletion, not a general promise to release financial assets. |
| Reuse a phone, tablet or other device | The Google account request does not by itself remove a device lock. | After an approved Legacy Contact or deletion request, the device still must be erased and restored before another Apple Account can use it. |
Keep the deceased person’s account identifier, your own contact details, proof of death and any estate documents together. Never use a password-reset or “bypass” service as a substitute for the provider’s process.
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Request a deceased person’s Google account data
Google’s current route is the deceased-user request troubleshooter. It presents separate choices for closing an account, requesting funds and asking for account data. Select the result that matches your priority rather than submitting a generic support request.
Follow the data-first sequence
- Open the Google deceased-user troubleshooter.
- Choose the option to request data or account contents.
- Complete the prompts about your relationship to the account holder, the account involved and the information you are seeking.
- Submit the request and wait for Google’s review before choosing account closure.
Google says it may work with immediate family members and representatives to close an account where appropriate and may provide content in certain circumstances after careful review. It also states: “We cannot provide passwords or other login details.” Approval therefore does not mean that Google will hand over the deceased person’s sign-in credentials.
Why closure must wait
Google warns that selecting account closure prevents it from processing a later request to turn over the account contents. If you have already submitted a contents request, Google says to wait for that request to finish before submitting another request. Treat closure as an irreversible change to your retrieval strategy, not as a harmless first step.
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The published Google help flow does not give a universal checklist in its static guidance, and it does not promise a standard turnaround time. Follow the form’s instructions for your situation and provide complete, accurate information. A death certificate or proof of relationship may be relevant, but no single document is stated to guarantee access. Do not rely on a promised response date from an unofficial source.
What Google’s review can and cannot establish
Google evaluates requests carefully, so a family relationship alone is not an automatic entitlement to every message, file or photo. The outcome can depend on the account, the request and applicable law. Plan for the possibility that only some information can be supplied, or that the request can be refused.
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Plan ahead with Google Inactive Account Manager
Inactive Account Manager is a planning feature for a living account holder; it is not a way to unlock an account after death. The account holder can nominate up to 10 trusted contacts, choose all or selected available data types and set an inactivity period. Google can also send an inactivity notification. Some information cannot be shared through the feature.
Google determines inactivity using several signals, including sign-ins, activity in My Activity, Gmail use and Android check-ins. The account holder chooses the period that should trigger the plan. Google also says it reserves the right to delete an account and its data after at least two years of inactivity across Google. Anyone creating an estate plan should review the selected contacts, data categories and inactivity period while the account is still accessible.
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Use Apple’s Legacy Contact route when an access key exists
Apple’s deceased-family-member account instructions describe the simplest path when the deceased person designated you as a Legacy Contact. You need the unique Legacy Contact access key and proof of death. The key may be stored in your Apple Account settings, printed with estate papers or kept with other estate-planning documents.
Submit a Legacy Contact request
- Locate the deceased person’s Legacy Contact access key.
- Obtain the death certificate or the equivalent document accepted in the relevant region.
- Start the request through Apple’s Digital Legacy process, using the access-key option.
- Provide the requested identity and account information, upload the documentation and submit the request.
- Wait for Apple to verify the documents before assuming that data will be available.
Apple’s Australian guidance says a designated contact needs both the access key and the death certificate and can begin on a device or through the Digital Legacy request site. Legacy Contact support began with iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 and macOS 12.1; current regional instructions control if device or operating-system requirements have changed.
What the access key does not guarantee
A Legacy Contact request may provide access to certain data, not necessarily everything stored in the account. Apple says some data may be end-to-end encrypted and that it cannot decrypt that data. The process can also prompt for the deceased person’s device passcode or other information. Keep any known passcode, recovery information and estate records available, but do not attempt to defeat a passcode with third-party tools.
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Apple requests when there is no Legacy Contact key
If no access key can be found, Apple still requires legal documentation and applies the rules for the country or region connected to the account. Start with the current local Apple support page rather than assuming that a process described for another country applies to you. Apple’s UK page notes that Japan may require a family certificate showing the account holder’s death instead of a death certificate.
When a court order may be required
Apple describes a court-order route in the United States, Israel and other locales. In some jurisdictions, including France, Germany, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, alternative documents and a different process may be accepted. Do not obtain a court order automatically; first confirm the requirements for the applicable jurisdiction and Apple entity.
Details Apple says a qualifying order should contain
Where the court-order route applies, Apple says the order should identify:
- the deceased person and the relevant Apple Account;
- the requesting next of kin;
- that the deceased used the associated accounts;
- the requester’s status as legal personal representative, agent or heir and the requester’s lawful consent; and
- an instruction that Apple assist with access.
Apple’s described process allows only one person to request access under that order. Someone with a qualifying order or questions about the correct documents should contact Apple Support through the regional instructions.
Expect partial access
Legal approval does not turn the account into an ordinary family login. Apple may provide only certain data, and end-to-end encrypted information remains unavailable if Apple cannot decrypt it. A request can therefore succeed while still leaving some categories of data inaccessible.
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Request permanent deletion of an Apple Account
Deletion is a separate objective from obtaining copies of data. Apple says the requester needs their own Apple Account, the account to be deleted and the legal documentation required for the applicable country or region. The request starts through Apple Digital Legacy.
Before submitting deletion, identify anything the family needs to preserve and pursue the appropriate access request. Once an account is deleted, the practical opportunity to obtain its contents can be lost. If you are unsure whether a known email address or phone number belongs to an Apple Account, Apple’s Australian guidance points to iforgot.apple.com as a way to check.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reuse an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch after death
Account access and device reuse are different tasks. Apple says Activation Lock is automatically removed after a Legacy Contact or account-deletion request is completed, but the device must still be erased and restored before another Apple Account can use it.
What erasure means
Erasing or restoring removes the data stored on the device. A passcode lock cannot be removed without erasing the device, so there is no supported method that both preserves the on-device contents and makes the hardware available to a new account. Preserve any needed information through an approved account-data request before initiating the erase.
Safe order of operations
- Decide whether the family needs account data or only a usable device.
- Complete the relevant Google or Apple request first when data preservation matters.
- Wait for Apple’s Legacy Contact or deletion request to complete if Activation Lock is involved.
- Erase and restore the device using Apple’s standard recovery process.
- Set it up with the new owner’s Apple Account.
Do not pay for tools that claim to bypass Activation Lock or a passcode. They cannot replace Apple’s account and legal verification requirements and may expose private information.
Google and Apple compared
| Question | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you start? | Google’s deceased-user request troubleshooter. | Apple’s regional deceased-family-member instructions and Digital Legacy request process. |
| Can a family member receive a password? | No. Google expressly says it cannot provide passwords or other login details. | Apple’s process concerns access to eligible data, not a promise to issue ordinary sign-in credentials. |
| Is a designated-contact route available? | Inactive Account Manager can be configured in advance by the account holder. | Legacy Contact uses an access key created before death. |
| What if no advance designation exists? | Submit the appropriate request and follow Google’s review process. | Provide the legal documents required for the relevant region; a court order may be one route. |
| Is complete access guaranteed? | No. Requests are reviewed and may result in limited or refused access. | No. Apple may be unable to decrypt some end-to-end encrypted data. |
| Does account processing make a device reusable? | The Google request does not remove a device lock. | Activation Lock removal is followed by required erasure and restoration. |
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Choosing closure first: For Google, that can prevent a later contents request. Select data first when preservation is the priority.
- Treating a relative’s status as a password entitlement: Neither process is an ordinary family login. Use the provider’s request and verification route.
- Using another country’s document list: Apple’s requirements vary by region. Check the page for the country or region tied to the account.
- Assuming legal approval decrypts everything: Apple cannot decrypt some end-to-end encrypted data.
- Confusing an account with a device: Apple requires an erase and restore before another account can use a device, which destroys on-device data.
- Expecting a fixed deadline: Google’s published guidance does not promise a universal response time.
- Submitting incomplete identifiers: Check spelling, account email addresses, phone numbers and your own contact details before sending a request.
Prepare a stronger request
Before opening either provider’s form, make a private checklist:
- the deceased person’s full legal name and known account identifiers;
- your own name, relationship and contact information;
- a certified death certificate or the regional equivalent;
- estate, representative or heir documentation if applicable;
- an Apple Legacy Contact access key, if one exists;
- the specific data categories or devices involved; and
- a record of every request number, upload and response.
Describe the outcome narrowly. “Request copies of the deceased person’s photos and stored files” is more actionable than “give me the account.” If the family needs both data and closure, complete the data process first, retain the provider’s correspondence, and only then submit the closure or deletion request.
What to expect after submission
Both providers verify identity, authority and documentation before deciding what can be released. Keep the original files and monitor the email address used in the request for follow-up questions. Do not create multiple conflicting requests unless the provider instructs you to do so; duplicate submissions can make it harder to track which outcome you are pursuing.
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