What happens to Google and Apple accounts when the owner dies?

Google and Apple each offer tools that let users decide in advance what happens to their accounts after death, but both require action before that point. Without such arrangements, the fate of the accounts falls to company policy, and the two companies handle inactivity differently. The issue affects account holders and the family members left to settle their digital affairs.

Google's approach centers on the Inactive Account Manager, introduced in 2013. The tool lets users choose a period of three, six or 12 months of inactivity before data is deleted, or direct that data be shared with as many as 10 trusted contacts. Content covered by the program includes messages, contacts and YouTube channels. Andreas Tuerk, a Google product manager, said in the blog post announcing the tool that the company hoped it would let users plan their digital afterlife while protecting privacy and security.

An account holder who takes no such step leaves the Google account in place until the company acts. Google's system prompts deletion after at least two years without activity, which the company detects through sign-ins, use of the Gmail app and other actions across Google products. Family members can also contact Google directly to ask that a deceased relative's account be deactivated before that two-year mark, though the company does not provide account data in those cases.

Apple's system works through Legacy Contacts, a designation that allows a user to name up to five people to reach iCloud data and devices after death. The contacts are chosen in Apple Account settings, which produce an access key for each one. A Legacy Contact must supply that key along with a death certificate to obtain photos, messages, notes, files and device backups. Access lasts three years, after which the account is permanently deleted.

Purchased content is excluded from that access. A Legacy Contact cannot reach music, movies or books bought by the account holder, since digital media cannot be handed down the way a DVD or a printed book can.

For users who name no Legacy Contact, Apple's inactive-account window is shorter than Google's. After a single year of inactivity on iCloud, the user receives a warning email, and the account is deleted 30 days after that notice.

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