OmniTech Newsletter 04

Hi there!

It’s Tom Koch from OmniTech, Apple/Mac Tech, Security and Tutoring. Welcome to the 4th edition of the OmniTech Newsletter!

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Let’s talk about something most people don’t want to think about but is just as important as setting up a trust or a will: preparing your digital life for the unexpected.

One of the first steps to securing the legacy of your digital life is to make sure a trusted friend or family member easy access to your computer in case of emergency. They will need the passwords and passcodes that unlock all your primary devices: iMac, iPad, or iPhone.

Having an up-to-date physical password book or printed sheet of current passwords is a great idea. Make sure your loved one or trusted friend know where that is and how to access it.

Apple’s new Passwords application on the Mac even allows you to export your passwords to a file, allowing you to print a physical password book. If you need help doing this, let me know.

Ever wonder what happens to your iCloud when you're no longer around? Apple has taken a thoughtful step toward solving that with Legacy Contact—a feature that ensures your loved ones can access your Apple account and data when it truly matters.

🔐 What is Apple’s Legacy Contact? Legacy Contact is Apple’s secure way of allowing someone you have entrusted ahead of time to access your iCloud data after your death. This includes photos, notes, contacts, Apple-hosted email (@mac.com, @me.com, @icloud.com), documents, and more—but not your saved passwords or licensed media like movies or music.

Find a complete list of what iCloud data a Legacy Contact has access to in the link below:
Data that a Legacy Contact can access

🛠️ How It Works: You choose one or more people as your Legacy Contact(s) from your family or close circle. Once added, they’ll receive a unique access key. In the event of your passing, they can request access by providing that key plus a copy of your death certificate. Apple then reviews and, if all checks out, grants them access to your iCloud data.

🧭 How to start your set up of Apple’s Legacy Contact:
Choose someone you trust and talk to them about what they’ll have access to. You can update or remove a Legacy Contact at any time.

📲 Set It Up

To get started, make sure your device is running:
• iPhone: iOS 15.2 or later
• Mac: macOS Monterey 12.1 or later

Then follow these steps:

1. On iPhone go to Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security
On Mac go to Apple Menu > Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security
1. Tap Legacy Contact
2. Follow the prompts to add a contact and share the access key (you can print it or send it digitally)

🧾 Why It Matters: Legacy Contact helps ease a difficult time for your loved ones by making important memories and files accessible, without the legal and technical nightmares often associated with managing legacy digital estates.

Once Apple approves a Legacy Contact’s access request, they are granted temporary access to the deceased person’s iCloud account and data—but it’s not indefinite.

⏳ How long does access last?
Legacy Contact access is intended to be temporary—
lasting three years from when the first legacy account request is approved—after which the iCloud account is permanently deleted.
• Apple encourages Legacy Contacts to download and preserve any important data shortly after access is granted.
• Apple will deactivate the account permanently after 3 years, or once all data has been retrieved and the account is closed.

❤️ What can the Legacy Contact do?
They can:
• View and download data from iCloud (like photos, notes, mail, and files)
• Remove Activation Lock from Apple devices
• Request that Apple delete the account entirely, if desired

They cannot:
• Access stored passwords or keychain items
• Access licensed media (e.g., movies, music, apps)
• Impersonate or continue using the Apple ID as if it were their own

Legacy Contact is something everyone should do, young or old, to make sure their important iCloud data is accessible to their loved ones after the unthinkable happens.

💡FYI: You can also secure your Facebook and Google data through their own legacy contact features. Let me know if you need help with this.

I hope this newsletter finds you well.
Let me know if you have any questions, or suggestions for future newsletter topics, or just want to say Hi!

Until next time,
-t