Your Digital Afterlife: What Happens to Your Photos, Passwords and Accounts If Something Happens to You?

Written by Martyn — Marple Tech Help

Most people have a Will for their house and savings. Almost nobody has a plan for their digital life.

Earlier this year, I helped a man who had recently lost his wife. Among everything else he was dealing with, he wanted to do something kind: pass her iPad on to his granddaughter.

Simple enough, you would think.

But the iPad was locked. He did not know her passcode. And without it, there was no way in. Even to reset it and hand it over as a blank device, he had to contact Apple, provide a death certificate, and go through a formal process at one of the worst moments of his life.

At the end of it, everything on that iPad was gone. Her photos, her notes, her apps. All inaccessible.

That story is not unusual. It is what usually happens when nothing has been set up in advance.

What goes wrong when nothing is set up

• The phone is locked, so nothing else can be accessed.
• Photos are stored in iCloud or Google Photos, so no one can get to them.
• Email is inaccessible, so nothing else can be reset.
• Subscriptions keep running, so money continues to be taken.
• Important details are behind logins, so they cannot be found when needed.

This is the default outcome.

1. What happens to your accounts when you die?

Different companies handle this differently.

Apple (iPhone, iCloud)

Without a Legacy Contact

Family cannot access photos, notes or backups. Apple will not unlock the device without legal documentation.

With a Legacy Contact

Your chosen person can access eligible Apple Account data using an access key and a death certificate.

Note: Apple says Legacy Contact data can include things like photos, notes, files, device backups and some messages. It does not include saved passwords, passkeys, payment details in iCloud Keychain, purchased media or subscriptions.

Google (Gmail, Photos, Drive)

Without Inactive Account Manager

Families usually cannot access the account or retrieve data. Google may also delete an inactive personal account and its data if it has not been used for at least two years.

With Inactive Account Manager set up

You choose who is notified and what they can download, including selected data from services such as Gmail, Photos and Drive.

Facebook

• You can nominate a Legacy Contact to manage a memorialised profile.
• They can post updates, update profile images, respond to friend requests and request account removal.
• They cannot log into your account or read private messages.

2. The hidden blocker: Two-Factor Authentication

Most people think leaving a list of passwords is enough. It is not.

Most services send a security code to your phone when someone tries to log in from a new device.

If the phone is locked, that code cannot be seen.

So the login fails.

That is why the phone PIN matters more than anything else.

3. Your photos: where they actually live

For most families, this is what matters most.

And this is where people get caught out.

iCloud Photos are stored in the cloud, not just on the device itself. Google Photos works the same way. Without account access, neither can be retrieved reliably.

Simple fix:

• Set up legacy access.
• Note where your photos are stored.
• Keep a physical backup.

That last step bypasses everything.

4. Subscriptions that keep charging

Without access, things quietly continue:

A simple list, or access to email, stops this quickly.

5. What to set up today

Start with the essentials and build from there.

6. If nothing has been set up

It is not always impossible, but it becomes slow and uncertain:

• Apple often requires legal steps.
• Google may allow closure rather than access.
• Banks freeze accounts quickly.
• Subscriptions have to be found and cancelled manually.

What should be simple turns into weeks of admin.