How to Recover Important Passwords

Recovering the deceased's passwords is one of the most time-sensitive digital tasks because it gives you access to email, financial accounts, subscriptions, and other critical services. Start with the most accessible sources: check for a handwritten list of passwords in the deceased's desk, safe, filing cabinet, or wallet. Many people keep a physical record of their passwords, and this is the easiest path to access.

If no written list exists, check the deceased's devices. If you can unlock their phone or computer (using a fingerprint, face ID, or a PIN that a family member might know), check the browser's saved passwords. In Chrome, go to Settings > Passwords. In Safari, go to Settings > Passwords on an iPhone/iPad or Safari > Preferences > Passwords on a Mac. In Firefox, go to Settings > Logins and Passwords. Also check for a password manager app — 1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden, and Dashlane are common. If you can access the password manager, you will have access to everything.

If you cannot access the devices at all, you may need to contact each service provider individually using their deceased user process, which typically requires a death certificate and proof of your legal authority as executor. Apple has a Digital Legacy program and, if no legacy contact was designated, a court order process for accessing a deceased person's Apple ID. Google has an Inactive Account Manager and a separate request process for deceased users. Important: do not factory reset any devices before attempting to extract passwords and data. Once a device is reset, locally stored passwords and data may be permanently lost.