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    3 min read 4 stepsJuly 15, 2026Verified July 2026

    Digital Estate Planning: Sharing Passwords and Accounts With Loved Ones

    A plain-language guide to organizing your passwords, accounts, and digital assets so your family can access them if something happens to you.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Safety & Privacy
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    3 min read
    Steps
    4
    Topics covered
    estate planning
    passwords
    family
    legacy contact

    In this guide (4 steps):

    1. 1.Set up Apple's Legacy Contact (iPhone/iPad/Mac)
    2. 2.Set up Google's Inactive Account Manager
    3. 3.Note your password manager and its emergency access feature
    4. 4.Store the master list somewhere physical and secure
    1

    Set up Apple's Legacy Contact (iPhone/iPad/Mac)

    ~22s
    Go to Settings > [your name] > Sign-in & Security > Legacy Contact. Add a trusted person's name. Apple gives you a physical or digital access key to share with them — they'll need this key plus a death certificate to request account access later.

    Quick Tip

    Quick Tip: Print the access key and store it with your other important papers, not just in your phone.

    2

    Set up Google's Inactive Account Manager

    ~15s
    Visit myaccount.google.com/inactive while signed in. Choose how many months of inactivity should trigger the process (for example, 12 months), then add up to 10 trusted contacts who will be notified and given access to specific data you choose, like Gmail or Google Photos.
    3

    Note your password manager and its emergency access feature

    ~17s
    If you use a password manager (like the one built into your iPhone, Android phone, or a separate app), write down which one you use. Many offer an "emergency access" setting where a trusted contact can request your vault after a waiting period you control.
    4

    Store the master list somewhere physical and secure

    ~21s
    Keep your written list of accounts and instructions in a fireproof safe, safe deposit box, or with your will — not in an email or a note app that dies with your phone. Tell one trusted person where to find it.

    Quick Tip

    Never write actual passwords next to account names on a list that isn't in a locked safe.

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    Digital estate planning means organizing your online accounts, passwords, and digital assets so a trusted family member or executor can access them if you become unable to manage them yourself, or after you pass away. Without this planning, loved ones can be locked out of email, banking, photos, and social media accounts for months, or permanently.

    Start with a simple written list (kept somewhere secure, not emailed or texted) of your major accounts: email, banking, investment, social media, and any subscription services with a balance or stored payment method. You do not need to write down every password on this list — instead, note which password manager you use, since most password managers have a feature to name an emergency contact or legacy contact who can request access.

    Apple, Google, and most password managers now offer a formal "Legacy Contact" or "Inactive Account Manager" feature built for exactly this purpose. So you don't have to hand over your everyday password to anyone in advance. Source: support.apple.com/en-us/102631 (Apple Legacy Contact) and myaccount.google.com/inactive (Google Inactive Account Manager).

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    estate planning
    passwords
    family
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    Official Resources

    FTC Consumer ProtectionCISA — Cybersecurity TipsAARP Fraud Watch Network

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