Regardless if the deceased's personal devices will be inherited by surviving family, given away, or sold, backup their data and reset them first.

A surviving family member may want to keep photos, videos and contacts; see the links below for steps to backup common devices.

After personal data is saved, reset the device to ensure safety and privacy from a new owner; see links below for steps to reset common devices.

It may also be necessary to access a computer or phone if sensitive information is needed to help manage the deceased's Estate and other miscellaneous accounts.

Needed information may include, but is not limited to:

• Names / phone numbers / addresses


• Passwords / accounts (banking, email, backup systems, social media, shopping, etc)


• Documents (legal, financial, administrative)

If device passwords are unknown and cannot be unlocked to retrieve data, review the links below for additional methods.