How to access or close a phone after someone dies
Nobody, including Apple, Google or your telco, can give you a deceased person's phone passcode. What you can do is recover the data stored in their cloud account, clear the lock so the device can be reused, and close or transfer their mobile plan. Which path you take depends on whether they set up a legacy contact.
Last changed: 19 October 2026Before you cancel anything: keep their mobile number active for a few weeks. Banks, myGov and many apps send security codes by SMS. If the number is cancelled first, you can lock yourself out of accounts you still need to close.
Want this done for you? See the Guided Inventory ↓
If they had an iPhone
If they named you as a Legacy Contact, you need two things: the access key they generated, and their death certificate. Request access from your own iPhone (Settings → your name → Sign-In & Security → Legacy Contact) or on Apple's Digital Legacy website. You don't need an Apple device or Apple Account yourself. (Apple: request access as a Legacy Contact)
Once Apple approves the request:
- You get a special Legacy Contact Apple Account to view and download their data.
- Activation Lock is removed from their devices. You'll need to erase and restore a device before it can be used again.
- Access lasts three years from approval, then the account is permanently deleted. Download what you want to keep.
A Legacy Contact can see iCloud Photos, Messages in iCloud, Mail, Notes, Contacts, iCloud Drive files, Health data and iCloud backups. They cannot see saved passwords (iCloud Keychain), payment details, or purchased films, music and books. (Apple: data a Legacy Contact can access)
If there's no Legacy Contact, you can still ask Apple to delete the account through the Digital Legacy website. For access to the data, Apple's process normally needs a court order. Apple says Australia is one of the countries where alternative documentation can be accepted instead, so contact Apple Support with the death certificate and your grant of probate or letters of administration. (Apple: deceased family member's account)
If they had an Android phone
Android phones are tied to a Google Account. If they set up Google's Inactive Account Manager, up to 10 trusted contacts automatically receive a download link once the account has been inactive for the period they chose. (Google: Inactive Account Manager)
If they didn't, use Google's deceased user request form. It offers three options: close the account, request funds, or request data. Google reviews each request individually, can't hand over passwords, and only releases data in some circumstances. Request data before closure. Once Google closes an account, it can't process a later data request.
Closing or transferring the mobile plan
The quickest first step is the free Australian Death Notification Service (ADNS), a joint initiative of all states and territories. It lets you notify multiple participating organisations, including telcos, banks and super funds, in one online form once the death has been registered. Each provider then contacts you about next steps.
You can also go to the telco directly:
- Telstra: use the online Bereavement Support form, call Telstra and ask for the bereavement team (Telstra's own pages list different numbers, so use the one on its bereavement page), or book a store visit. You can transfer services into your name or cancel them, and request a copy of the voicemail greeting. The bereavement form also lets you transfer Telstra Plus points. (Telstra bereavement support)
- Optus and others: most have a bereavement form or team. Search "[provider] bereavement" or ask in store.
If you keep the number by transferring it into your name, it can stay as a way to receive codes while you close other accounts.
What you'll usually need
- Death certificate (a copy is often enough to start)
- Your ID
- Proof of your role: executor (the will or a grant of probate) or next of kin
- Account numbers, if you can find them
Make it easier for your own family
Most of the difficulty here comes down to one missing thing: no Legacy Contact, no access key, or no record of which phone and accounts someone had. Setting up an Apple Legacy Contact or Google Inactive Account Manager takes about five minutes. The Legacy Mapped Guided Inventory walks you through a Devices step to record every phone, tablet and computer and what you want done with each, and includes a one-page Executor Guide so your executor knows where to start.
- Includes the $49 Digital Estate Kit
- Generates your finished inventory, ready to print
- Encrypted on your device with your own passphrase — we never see your answers
- Sign in with your email and a one-time code · 12 months’ access
This guide is general information only, not legal, financial or tax advice. Providers change their processes, so always confirm the current steps on the linked official page. For advice on a specific estate, speak with a solicitor, accountant or licensed financial adviser.