The Digital Estate Planning Checklist: Because your iPhone shouldn’t become your final secret

Let’s be honest—most of us procrastinate on estate planning. It feels overwhelming, a little morbid, and not exactly top of mind between soccer practice and late-night scrolling. But this? This you can do right now – for free.

It’s fast, it’s important, and it’ll save your loved ones a mountain of stress if something unexpected happens.

Step 1: Make Sure Someone Can Get Into Your Devices

Even with a court order, Apple won’t unlock your phone unless someone knows your passcode. If no one can access your phone, your photos, notes, messages—contacts for all of those people listed as your kid’s friend’s mom or dad—could be lost forever.

To make sure someone can access your iPhone in case of emergency, do this:

Write down your iPhone/iPad passcode(s)

Write down your computer login(s)

Store them in a secure place (password manager, fireproof safe, encrypted digital vault)

Let your estate planning attorney or trusted person know where to find them.

Step 2: Set Up a Legacy Contact (for Apple users)

This is one of the rare tech tasks that’s super easy and incredibly helpful.

Go to Settings → Tap your name → Password & Security → Legacy Contact

Add someone you trust (spouse, sibling, favorite child—you decide)

Share or print the access key

Keep it with your Will or other estate planning documents

For more details, check here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102431.

This won’t unlock your phone, but it does allow access to your iCloud: photos, notes, documents, and more.

Step 3: List Your Digital Life

We all have a sprawling digital presence these days. Take five minutes to jot down your key accounts, so no one has to play digital detective later. Or better yet, use a password manager like 1Password or LastPass and make sure someone knows how to access that—it can be the key to everything else.

Suggested Categories:

Email accounts (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)

Cloud storage (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox)

Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)

Financial accounts (banks, investments, crypto wallets)

Subscriptions (Netflix, Canva, Amazon Prime, Xfinity…)

Step 4: Tie It Into Your Estate Plan

Don’t stop with the checklist—make it official.

Reference digital assets in your Will or Trust.

Store this list with your estate plan.

Review it annually (or whenever you switch phones or forget a password and reset everything...).

Final Thought

Estate planning feels like a big job—and sometimes it is. But this part? You can do it today. You don’t need a notary or a law degree or a special binder. You just need 10 minutes and a little motivation.

Set it up. Write it down. Leave your loved ones a clear path forward—because the last thing they need in a crisis is a locked phone they can’t open.

The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial, or tax advice. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and may change over time, affecting the accuracy and applicability of the information provided. Always consult with a qualified attorney, accountant, or financial advisor to discuss your specific situation before making any decisions. This post does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and the author or their firm.