The Importance of Setting Legacy Contacts on iPhone and Google Accounts
- Heather Schingel
- Nov 15
- 4 min read
In our work at Beechwood Photo Organizing, we understand how deeply personal and
sentimental your digital photo collection is. It’s more than just folders on a drive — it’s memories, stories, connections. And as we help you organize and safeguard those photos, we want to invite a slightly different but equally important conversation: what happens to your digital life when you’re no longer around to oversee it?
Today we’re talking about legacy contacts — particularly for your Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac) and your Google account — and why setting them up matters far more than you might think. Let’s walk through what a legacy contact is, why it matters for photo collections and digital memories, and how to set one up.
What Is a Legacy Contact?
A legacy contact is someone you trust, a family member, beloved friend, or another loved one — whom you designate ahead of time so that they can access certain digital assets when you pass away or become incapacitated.
For Apple: A legacy contact can access certain parts of your Apple account (photos, messages, files, device backups) after you’ve passed on.
For Google: Through the “Inactive Account Manager”, you can specify trusted contacts, a period of inactivity, and what data you’ll share (Gmail, Drive, Photos).
Put simply: this isn’t just about passwords or devices — it’s about ensuring your memories and digital life are entrusted to the right person, in the way you want.
Why It Matters: Protecting Memories + Minimizing Stress
When we talk about photo organizing, we always emphasize: memories matter. But what happens if your loved one can’t access them when you’re gone? What if they’re locked out of your accounts, can’t get to the photos, videos, messages — the things that tell your story?
Here’s why setting legacy contacts is so vital:
Access to digital legacy: Without planning, loved ones often need court orders or face painful delays just to gain access.
Preserve sentimental value: Your photos, videos, digital messages — they’re part of your legacy. Setting a contact ahead of time means your memories stay accessible.
Simplify matters for those you leave behind: In one example, a case took 570 hours and 16 months in court simply because digital access wasn’t planned.
Peace of mind: You take care of the organizing now, so your family can focus on the memories — not navigating tech or legal obstacles.
At Beechwood, we believe care for your photos should go hand in hand with care for your digital life. Setting a legacy contact is one of the most practical, meaningful ways to do that.
How to Set Up a Legacy Contact on Apple (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
Here’s a straightforward guide:
On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → tap your name at the top.
Tap Sign-In & Security → Legacy Contact.
Tap Add Legacy Contact. (You may be prompted to authenticate with Face ID or passcode.)
Choose a person from your contacts, then share the access key with them — they will need that access key (and a death certificate) later.
You can remove or change legacy contacts later through the same path.
Important notes:
The person you choose doesn’t need an Apple device or an Apple ID.
They can’t access certain sensitive data, like payment info, passwords stored in Keychain, or subscriptions.
How to Set Up a Legacy Contact (or Equivalent) on Google
If you use Google for your photos, Gmail, Drive or Android device, here's how to plan ahead:
Go to your Google account and locate Inactive Account Manager (under Data & Privacy).
Start the setup: pick how long your account can be inactive (options from 3 to 18 months).
Enter recovery contact info (phone number/email) so Google can try to reach you.
Choose up to 10 trusted contacts. Decide what they can access (e.g., Google Photos, Drive, Gmail).
Write a personal message (optional) that they’ll receive if the plan activates.
Decide what happens: Do you want your account deleted after inactivity? Or data passed to your contacts?
Review and confirm. Once set, your plan will activate per your choices.
Setting this up means you control your digital account long before others have to deal with it — and your loved ones won’t have to guess your wishes or jump through hoops.
Our Recommendation: Pair This With Your Photo Organization
As we help you at Beechwood with organizing your photo vault, backups, albums, and metadata, I strongly recommend adding this digital-legacy step:
Tell your legacy contact(s): Make sure your trusted person knows what you’ve done and where key documents or devices are (password manager pointer, backup drives, cloud account list).
Review your devices and accounts: How many devices do you have? Where are they located? What are the passwords? Where are your important photo backups?
Include legacy contact info in your estate-planning folder or with your important documents, so your executor or loved ones aren’t trying to guess.
Consider this as part of your overall legacy course: We’d love to develop a full “Digital Legacy + Photos” course at Beechwood — it might include your cloud storage strategy, device inventories, contact lists, backup plan, and legacy contact setup.
Take Action Today
Here’s your clear checklist:
On your iPhone/iPad/Mac: Visit Settings → [your name] → Sign-In & Security → Legacy Contact. Set one up.
On your Google account: Visit Inactive Account Manager and walk through the setup (choose inactivity period, trusted contacts, data sharing).
Choose your trusted legacy contact(s) and tell them you’ve named them — and share the access key (for Apple) and/or make sure they understand their role.
Document your devices/accounts/passwords/backup locations so your loved ones aren’t left in the dark.
Revisit this every year or so to keep it current.
Final Thoughts
At Beechwood, our mission is to help you preserve life’s precious moments — not just through photo organizing, but through thoughtful digital legacy planning. Setting a legacy contact on your iPhone and Google account might feel like a small tech task, but it carries immense emotional weight. It’s about protecting your memories, easing the burden on your loved ones, and making sure your story — your life’s photo-footprint and digital presence — remains accessible in the way you intend.
If you’d like help walking through this with your photo collection and digital accounts in tandem, I’d be honored to assist. Let’s ensure your memories and your digital life are both safe, organized, and ready for whatever comes next.
— The Beechwood Photo Organizing Team
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