How to notify providers, preserve locked devices and use current Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta and bank deceased-account routes.
This guide is part of ProbateHelp's Estate Assets guide cluster. Estimated reading time: 10 min.
This guide explains the practical route for dealing with a deceased person's online accounts, devices, cloud storage and digital services, including what executors can usually ask providers to do and where access may be limited.
It is part of ProbateHelp's estate-assets and digital-assets cluster, linking account access to email cleanup, social media, bank notifications, asset tracing and executor record keeping.
Often, yes. A provider may accept a death notification and secure an account before a grant exists. Releasing money, supplying content or changing ownership is a separate decision, and the provider may require probate, letters of administration or other evidence of authority.
Do not assume that estate authority authorises a login or bypasses the provider's terms and security controls. Access without authorisation can raise Computer Misuse Act issues. Preserve the evidence and use the provider's deceased-user or bereavement route.
Do not rely on it. Modern encryption and provider security can make local device data unavailable without the passcode or recovery material. Preserve the device's current state, avoid reset attempts, and obtain specialist advice before changing its power or network conditions.
Apple says a Legacy Contact can request access with the unique access key and death certificate. Without that route, Apple verifies legal documentation and may require a court order or other documents appropriate to the country or region.
No. Google says it cannot provide passwords or login details. Immediate family or representatives can request closure, funds or account content; content is supplied only in certain circumstances after review.
Do not treat a purchased library as automatically transferable. Access and transfer depend on the service's licence and deceased-account terms. Apple excludes licensed media from Legacy Contact data, and streaming subscriptions normally need cancellation rather than distribution.