New Apple update has vital privacy feature – but will only work if you’re dead

Users of tech giant Apple’s new software update can leave a digital legacy when they die.

The coming iOS update allows people to nominate someone who will have access to your digital world when you leave this world, reports The Mirror.

It allows people to leave “legacy contacts” where someone else can access your account and personal information when you die.

Apple Cloud Services vice-president Mike Abbott said this week: “We don’t often think about it, but it’s important that we can easily pass down information to family members or friends when we pass away.

“You’ll now be able to add people to your account as legacy contacts so when you’re gone, they can simply request access and your information can be passed along, quickly and easily.”

In the past, Apple has usually required a court order and a grant of probate to allow access to its cloud storage in the UK.

To prevent the need for this, lawyers advise making “digital wills” that identify executors who can manage your digital estate.

Some platforms, such as Facebook and Google, already allow users to nominate someone who can access their account after their death, known as legacy contacts or trusted contacts.

Thanks to this system twiddle, users will need to provide a copy of a death certificate and an access key to gain access to the account – but this will not include payment information or subscriptions.

It will also not allow access to a passcode-locked device, so this should be included in a digital will if you want someone to inherit your tech hardware.

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The feature is one of a range of new additions that will transform the way Apple products work once iOS 15 arrives.

Others include: More ‘natural’ FaceTime calls thanks to new audio and microphone settings which separate the user’s voice from background sound

SharePlay experiences so friends and family can listen to music together or watch films and TV shows at the same time

New look online browsing with a redesigned version of Safari.

The new iOS 15 operating system is expected to be available later this year.

For funeral notices in your area visit funeral-notices.co.uk