Most people in the UK have an Apple account. Whether it was used for an iPhone, an iPad, a MacBook, or simply for downloading the occasional app, that account will hold photos, messages, contacts, device backups, and in many cases an ongoing iCloud subscription. Sorting out that account after a bereavement is different from dealing with most other companies. Apple’s digital content rules, the Activation Lock that can render devices unusable, and the Digital Legacy feature – a tool that can make everything dramatically simpler or, if it was never set up, leave your family with a much harder path – all make this one of the more complex accounts to handle.
This guide covers every aspect: what to do if Digital Legacy was set up, what to do if it wasn’t, what happens to subscriptions and purchased content, how to deal with locked devices, and what to watch out for along the way.
Quick reference:
- Online (Legacy Contact access): digital-legacy.apple.com
- Online (account info and closure): Apple’s deceased account support page (UK)
- Phone: No dedicated bereavement line – all requests handled online. Apple Support (general): 0800 107 6285
- Documents needed: death certificate + access key (if Digital Legacy was set up), or death certificate + court order (if not)
Digital Legacy – the right way to prepare
Apple’s Digital Legacy feature is the most important thing to understand about Apple accounts and death. Introduced with iOS 15.2 and macOS Monterey 12.1 in December 2021, it allows anyone with an Apple account to designate one or more people as Legacy Contacts. If you have not yet set it up yourself, this section is worth reading for your own planning as much as for understanding the process you may now be navigating.
A Legacy Contact is someone you trust to access your Apple account data after you die. When you add someone as a Legacy Contact, Apple generates an access key – a unique digital document that the contact must keep safe. When the account holder dies, the Legacy Contact uses that access key together with a death certificate to request access via digital-legacy.apple.com.
Once Apple approves the request, the Legacy Contact receives a dedicated Apple ID that gives them access to the account for a period of three years. During that time they can download photos, messages, notes, files, app data, device backups, contacts, and calendar information.
To add a Legacy Contact (for your own planning):
- On iPhone or iPad: Settings → [your name] → Sign-In & Security → Legacy Contact
- On Mac: System Settings → [your name] → Sign-In & Security → Legacy Contact
- You can designate up to five Legacy Contacts; they do not need to have an Apple account themselves
The access key can be shared via iMessage, printed, or saved as a PDF. Keep it somewhere secure – without it, the process becomes significantly harder.
(Source: Apple Support – How to add a Legacy Contact, last verified April 2026.)
If Digital Legacy was not set up: how to request access
For anyone who died before iOS 15.2 was available (December 2021), or who simply never activated the feature, the process of accessing their Apple account is considerably more difficult.
Apple’s position is that, in the UK and most other countries, account access requires a court order naming you as the rightful inheritor of the deceased’s personal information. The order must:
- Name the deceased
- Identify their Apple Account (usually their email address)
- State your relationship to the deceased
- Contain specific wording that “Apple is ordered by the court to assist in provision of access to the deceased’s information”
In some countries (France, Germany, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand) Apple accepts alternative documentation in place of a court order. The UK is not currently on that list, which means the court order route applies here. You will need to apply to a court for a legal order – this is a separate process from applying for a grant of probate, though it may happen at a similar time. If you need guidance on the probate process, see our guide to probate.
You can start a request via Apple’s deceased account support page. Apple does not have a dedicated bereavement phone line; if you prefer to speak to someone, call Apple Support on 0800 107 6285 and explain the situation, but the formal process must be completed online.
If your only goal is to have the account permanently deleted – rather than gaining access to its data – Apple provides a separate form for this at digital-legacy-account.apple.com. You will need your own Apple account and legal documentation (such as a death certificate) to submit the request.
What you can and cannot access
The difference between having an access key and not having one is substantial:
| With Digital Legacy access key | Without access key (court order route) | |
|---|---|---|
| Process time | 2–4 weeks | Several months (court proceedings required) |
| Photos and videos | Yes | Potentially, once court order granted |
| Messages and notes | Yes | Potentially, once court order granted |
| Files and documents | Yes | Potentially, once court order granted |
| Device backups | Yes | Potentially, once court order granted |
| Purchased apps, music, films | No – licences do not transfer | No |
| iCloud Keychain (passwords) | No | No |
| Payment information | No | No |
| Subscriptions | No – these end when account closes | No |
| Activation Lock removal | Yes | May be possible with court order + death certificate |
(Source: Apple Support – How to request access to a deceased family member’s Apple Account, last verified April 2026.)
What happens to Apple subscriptions
Apple subscriptions are tied to the Apple ID. When the account is closed, all subscriptions end. There is no mechanism to transfer them to another account.
The subscriptions most likely to be affected include:
iCloud+: iCloud storage plans (50 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB) are billed monthly. These stop when the account closes. If you are in the middle of a billing period, Apple does not typically issue a refund for the unused portion.
Apple Music: Individual, student, and family plans are all Apple ID-based. A family plan organiser dying does not automatically transfer the plan to another family member. The remaining family members will lose access to the family plan when the account closes, and will need to set up their own subscriptions.
Apple TV+: Same position as Apple Music. Content accessed through Apple TV+ under the deceased’s account will become inaccessible once that account closes.
Apple Arcade: The same applies. If the deceased was the Family Sharing organiser and the family was sharing an Apple Arcade subscription, access will end when the account closes.
Apple One: Apple One bundles multiple services (Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, and in higher tiers Apple News+ and Fitness+). All of these will end.
Family Sharing
If the deceased was the organiser of a Family Sharing group, this creates an additional complication. Apple does not have a straightforward process for transferring Family Sharing organiser status to another family member. When the organiser’s account closes, the family group dissolves. Each family member will need to set up their own Apple ID subscriptions independently.
If the deceased was a member (not organiser) of a Family Sharing group, the other family members’ access is unaffected. The organiser can remove the deceased’s account from the group via Family Sharing settings.
The practical advice here is: do not rush to close the account. First, make sure every family member who was relying on a shared subscription is aware that it will end, so they can make alternative arrangements.
Purchased content – apps, music, films, and books
Apple’s approach to purchased digital content is one of the most common sources of confusion for families. When someone buys a song, a film, a book, or an app from Apple, they are buying a licence to use that content – they do not own it outright. Apple’s terms of service explicitly state that these rights terminate upon death and do not form part of the estate.
This means:
- iTunes music and film purchases do not transfer to another Apple ID
- App Store purchases do not transfer
- iBooks/Apple Books purchases do not transfer
If a family member was sharing content through Family Sharing’s family purchase sharing feature, they may continue to see those items in their own library while the account remains open. Once the account is closed, that shared access ends.
This is a frustrating reality, and it is worth being realistic with family members who may be expecting to inherit a large digital library. The content is not recoverable after the account closes.
(Source: Apple Support – Legacy Contact feature, last verified April 2026.)
Apple devices – Activation Lock and Find My
This is where Apple accounts intersect directly with physical hardware, and it matters a great deal if the deceased’s devices are to be used or sold.
Activation Lock is a security feature that links an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch to an Apple ID. If Find My is enabled on a device (which it is by default on modern iOS and macOS), that device cannot be set up with a new Apple ID – or used by anyone – without the original Apple ID credentials. A device with Activation Lock active and no way to enter the Apple ID password is, for most practical purposes, unusable.
If the deceased’s devices have Activation Lock enabled, you have two routes:
Route 1 – via Digital Legacy: If you have been granted Digital Legacy access, you can remove Activation Lock through the legacy access process. Apple provides this facility as part of the Legacy Contact system.
Route 2 – via Apple Support (without legacy access): Apple may be able to remove Activation Lock from devices with a death certificate and proof of purchase. The documentation requirements can include the original purchase receipt showing the device serial number, a copy of the death certificate, proof of your identity, and documentation showing you have inherited the device (such as a will or grant of probate). You can start this process via Apple’s support page, call Apple Support on 0800 107 6285, or visit an Apple Store with the original documentation.
Important: even after Activation Lock is removed, the device will typically need to be erased and restored before it can be set up with a new Apple ID. Any data still on the device (that was not backed up to iCloud) will be lost in this process. If the iCloud account is still accessible, download any backups before proceeding.
(Source: Apple Support – How to request access to a deceased family member’s Apple Account, last verified April 2026.)
iCloud data – photos, files, and email
iCloud holds a significant amount of data for most Apple users: photos and videos, documents in iCloud Drive, iPhone and iPad backups, emails (if the deceased used an iCloud email address), contacts, calendars, and notes.
If you gain access through Digital Legacy, you can download this data during the three-year access window. Once that window closes, the account and all its data are permanently deleted. There is no recovery route after deletion.
If you do not gain access – because no Digital Legacy was set up and no court order is obtained – this data will eventually be deleted by Apple. Apple does not publish a specific timeframe for deleting inactive accounts, but accounts that have not been accessed for an extended period are subject to deletion under Apple’s terms.
Photos are typically what families care most about. If the deceased used iCloud Photos, those images are stored in iCloud and are only accessible through the account. If you manage to get Legacy Access, use the time available to download everything you want to keep. iCloud Photos can be exported in full from iCloud.com.
If the deceased shared albums with you through iCloud Photo Sharing (now called Shared Albums), those shared albums remain accessible to the participants even after the account closes – but no new content can be added.
How long it takes
The timeline varies considerably depending on which route applies.
With Digital Legacy: Once you submit a request at digital-legacy.apple.com with the access key and death certificate, Apple typically processes the request within two to four weeks. Once granted, you receive access for three years before the account is permanently closed.
Without Digital Legacy – account closure only: If you simply want the account closed and do not need to access its data, this can be handled more quickly. Contacting Apple Support (0800 107 6285) with a death certificate and proof of relationship to the deceased can result in account closure within a few weeks. Apple does not publish a fixed timeline.
Without Digital Legacy – court order route: Obtaining a UK court order specifically worded to Apple’s requirements is not a quick process. You will need to engage a solicitor to apply to the courts, and court proceedings can take several months from start to finish. The process is also costly – most families only pursue this route if the account contains data of specific financial or legal importance to the estate. For guidance on the legal side of estate administration, see our guide to probate.
Activation Lock removal (without Digital Legacy): If the main reason for contacting Apple is to unlock a device, rather than access account data, this is a separate process that can often move faster. Apple may remove Activation Lock with a death certificate and proof of purchase. Visiting an Apple Store in person with original documentation is often the most efficient approach.
Things to watch out for
A few practical points that can make the process smoother, or avoid making it harder:
Do not change the account password. If you know the deceased’s Apple ID email and can access their device or email account, you might be tempted to reset the password. Do not do this. Resetting the password will trigger two-factor authentication, lock out any devices already signed in, and can complicate the access process significantly.
Download data before closing the account. Once an Apple ID is closed, nothing can be recovered. Before you submit any account closure request, make sure you have downloaded everything you want to keep – photos, documents, notes – if you have access to the account.
Check Family Sharing before the account closes. If the deceased was the Family Sharing organiser, warn other family members in advance that shared subscriptions (Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud storage) will end. Give them time to set up their own subscriptions so they are not caught off guard.
iCloud subscriptions continue until you act. Unlike some companies, Apple’s billing does not automatically stop on death. The iCloud+ subscription will continue to charge the payment method on file until the account is closed or the payment method expires. If there is an active debit or credit card linked to the account, check whether it is being charged and factor this into your estate management. For more on managing direct debits and subscriptions after a bereavement, see our guide to direct debits and subscriptions.
Apple Card is not available in the UK. Apple Card is a credit card product that Apple launched in the US in 2019. As of April 2026, it has not launched in the UK, so there is nothing to deal with in that regard for UK users. (Goldman Sachs’ partnership on Apple Card transitioned to JPMorgan Chase in early 2026; there is speculation that a UK launch may follow, but no announcement has been made.)
Summary
Apple accounts require more thought than most when someone dies, because of the range of data they hold and the way digital content licences work.
If Digital Legacy was set up, start at digital-legacy.apple.com with the access key and a death certificate. The process takes a few weeks and gives you three years’ access to the account data.
If Digital Legacy was not set up, start at support.apple.com/en-gb/102431. There is no dedicated bereavement phone line, but Apple Support (0800 107 6285) can advise – be prepared for the possibility that a court order will be needed for full account access in the UK. For device unlocking, visit an Apple Store or contact support with a death certificate and proof of purchase. If you only need the account closed without accessing data, use the dedicated deletion form at digital-legacy-account.apple.com.
In all cases: take your time before closing the account, download what matters, and let family members know that shared subscriptions will end so they can make alternative arrangements.
For a broader overview of the digital and financial accounts to deal with after a bereavement, see our what to do after a death hub. If the deceased also had a Google account – Gmail, Google Photos, or an Android phone – our guide to notifying Google covers the equivalent process and the important differences in how Google handles data requests. For a full overview of all digital assets – social media, cryptocurrency, cloud storage, streaming services, and digital purchases – see our guide to what happens to digital assets when someone dies.