If Someone Dies, Can You Unlock Their Phone?

When a loved one passes suddenly, you may need to use their phone to access their contacts and photos. After all, how else would you know who to invite to their funeral or memorial service, and where else could you find the best pictures to use in a tribute to their life? The situation may lead you to ask, if someone dies, can you unlock their phone?

The answer is yes, and the process depends on their phone's operating system. Before reading further, check whether your loved one left behind a death binder with a list of their accounts and passwords. If they did and their Apple ID or Google accounts are included, your problem is already solved. If they did not, we're here to help.

In this guide, we'll look at the two most popular phone types, Android and iPhone, and explain how to unlock a phone after someone dies. You may be able to find other emergency-level "secret codes" for unlocking phones online, but you should be aware that there are ethical considerations and limitations to the types of access they grant.

A quick note about the language technology companies use: Everything stored in a person's phone, Google account, iCloud, etc., is considered data. So, when you see "data" while working through the formal request process, you can think of it as photos, email, and access to their apps, among other things.

How to Unlock a Deceased Relative's Android Phone

If your loved one used an Android phone, there will be a Google account associated with it. The easiest way to unlock their phone is if you know their account username and password. However, if you don't, you can request access to their account data. When you make the request, you'll have the option to close the account or access their data. If you need access to email, contacts, photos, or anything else, do not request the account be closed because once Google closes the account, all that information will be lost.

For Google to approve your request, they will require these things:

• The full name of your loved one
• Their email address
• Your (or the legal representative's) name, email address, and physical address
• Your loved one's date of death
• The Google products you want to access
• Scans of your government-issued photo ID or driver's license, their death certificate, and any additional documentation proving you should be granted access (like a power of attorney or will)

Google states they will review the request and validate your documentation before granting access, so it may not be a quick process.

How to Unlock a Deceased Relative's iPhone

Like Google, Apple takes its customers’ security seriously, so gaining access to everything stored inside a person's iPhone requires a formal request and documentation to back it up. If your loved one planned ahead, they may have selected a person to be their legacy contact, and that person will already have a way to unlock the phone. But if they did not designate a legacy contact, Apple may require a court order to gain access to a user's data.

How to Get a Court Order for an Apple ID

In the United States and some other countries, Apple requires a court order to unlock your loved one's iPhone and access their data. Unfortunately, this will likely require going through the probate process and using an attorney. While the idea may seem daunting, if what you need access to is important or irreplaceable, it may be worth the effort.

The court order needs to specify the following information:

• Your loved one's name and Apple ID
• Your name, as the person requesting access
• Confirmation that your loved one was the user of all the accounts associated with their Apple ID
• That you are your loved one's legal personal representative, agent, or heir, whose authorization constitutes "lawful consent”
• A statement that Apple is required to assist you in accessing your loved one's accounts associated with their Apple ID

Whether your loved one preferred Android or iPhone, we hope this guide helps you prepare to request access to their phone. After all, to the tech companies, it may all just be data, but to family and friends, that data holds the memories of the life they lived.