Death is so final, while life is full of possibilities, like whether or not you take the steps to keep people out of your shit. But once you’re gone, so is your data oversight. Even if no one in the world knows or can guess your passwords, Apple will release your iCloud data to your family if they give the company the proper credentials.

For the survivors of someone who has passed away, this can be a wonderful thing. They can save important photos, videos, messages, and files that the deceased may have fully intended to share but can no longer. Of course, no one can ask the deceased if they want someone snooping through their personal data. I imagine many reading this have an explicit interest in not giving people full access to their stuff, at least not at an unexpected moment.

For those who want their family to have access to their iCloud backups after they pass away, there is a feature for that: Legacy Contact. For those who don’t, take action now or you risk having your Apple ID and its contents exposed to your family after you’re gone.

The only way to ensure your Apple data remains private long after you’re gone is to turn on Advanced Data Protection. It’s a feature Apple introduced with iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS 13.1 that lets you end-to-end encrypt most data you back up to iCloud. That includes device backups, Messages backups, iCloud Drive, Notes, Photos, Reminders, Safari bookmarks, Siri Shortcuts, Voice Memos, and Wallet Passes.