Apple will use iOS 15.2 to introduce the old contact features. This feature helps iOS users’ loved ones access the user’s iPhone. Traditional contacts will access users’ messages, photos, notes and other sensitive data. Given the criticality of this feature, the most trusted contacts should be retained. In addition, the traditional contact feature also enables contacts to remove activation locks from other devices. iOS 15.2 is currently available in Beta mode and will be released to the public later this year.
The traditional contact feature is part of the upcoming iOS 15.2 update. As mentioned earlier, this feature allows Set Contact to access Dead iPhone users’ phones while accessing their personal data. Apple mentioned that people who will be set up as traditional contacts will get special access codes and will need to provide Apple as well as death certificates to unlock the device. This is how to add old contacts.
How to add old contacts
Adding contacts to old contacts is very simple, but the most important requirement for this feature to work is that both users and old contacts must run at least iOS 15.2.
- Click Profile picture And turn on Apple ID settings.
Open Password and security.
Click Add old contacts.
Click again Add old contactsonce the disclaimer screen pops up.
If the user has family sharing enabled, you can select family members. Otherwise, they can choose others From their contact list.
After selecting the estate contact, click Next.
Click continue How this function works is described on the screen.
- The user can then choose how to share the access key. It can be shared via iMessage or a copy can be printed.
Once the sharing method is selected, the selected contact is set as a legacy contact.
Users can have multiple legacy contacts, so the process of other old contacts can be repeated.
Apple is providing all requests to the user’s data for the old contact. In order to access the user’s data, an old contact needs to know its date of birth, death certificate, and access key. The access key is a huge multi-digit key, a mixture of letters and numbers and QR codes.
Users should make sure their date of birth is set accurately in the device’s settings, as it is used as authentication during the process of unlocking the iPhone after their death.
Traditional contacts need to collect access keys and death certificates of the deceased user. They then need to visit the old digital website to start the authentication process. The site then needs to use its own credentials to log in to the old contact and provide the necessary information to Apple. If there is a chance to lose the access key, the family members of the deceased user can still access their iPhone, but all data and all data in the login account will be deleted first. Even for this, families need to provide a death certificate.
How to delete an estate contact
Apple can also enable users to delete legacy contacts (if they wish to do so).
- Open settings.
- Click on the profile picture and open Apple ID settings.
- Open Password and security.
- Click Traditional contacts.
- Click on the name of the person you want to delete.
- choose Delete a contact.
- On the disclaimer pop-up page, click again Delete a contact.
Once these steps are followed, the old contact will be deleted and the generated access key will become invalid.
