Hello,

i was asked by a family to support them getting access to iCloud files from their dead son. He died last week and used a new iPad for his daily work. The surviving dependants have a great interest in all the files and photos he might have synced to iCloud.

They have a relativly new powered-off iPad, a powered-off iPhone 7, his email adress and that`s it. Apple ID and password are unknown. Does anyone know, perhaps from his own experience with Apple, how to get access to these files?

best regards,
Robin  

Admittedly old news (2016):

9to5mac.com/2016/01/19...-password/

Maybe in the meantime they put together a definite policy, see:
www.gillware.com/blog/...ones-data/
in any case contact Apple support first.

jaclaz
_________________
- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. - 

Has he got a computer /laptop ? try looking for passwords stored within.  

Thanks for the hints, Jaclaz.
I already talked to the Apple Support. They told me, it is "impossible".

In the mentioned case in the first link, the widow needed a warrant from court to get access to the files...so these files exist, whatever Apple tells me on the phone. Does the family really need a lawyer and a court to get access?

regards, Robin  

- dandaman_24

Has he got a computer /laptop ? try looking for passwords stored within.

No Laptop in use or his property, his main device was the mentioned iPad.

regards, Robin  

- Bunnysniper

Thanks for the hints, Jaclaz.
I already talked to the Apple Support. They told me, it is "impossible".

In the mentioned case in the first link, the widow needed a warrant from court to get access to the files...so these files exist, whatever Apple tells me on the phone. Does the family really need a lawyer and a court to get access?

regards, Robin

That is the issue, reportedly (and ONLY after CBC made a public case of this) Apple seemingly found a way to provide access to the account without the court order:

bgr.com/2016/01/19/wid...-password/

In a "normal" world *any* normally managed company with a minimal (not even decent, minimal is enough) level of care for their customers would have found a way to make this same (unfortunately I believe common enough nowadays) issue easily solvable through a given, simple, public procedure.

Evidently Apple doesn't actually care about their customers (not that so many of the competition does), and so (according to the given article) it seems like a few states are making appropriate Laws.

Of course, in a "normal" world such Laws would be simple and effective, in "this" world, the result is often similar to the AZ Law mentioned here:

www.jdunderground.com/...dId=137527

Which:
www.azleg.gov/ars/14/13108.htm
essentially allows anyway the "custodian" to require a court order.

If I were you (or actually the family of the deceased) I would really make a case of this, contacting the press.

jaclaz
_________________
- In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is. - 

- Bunnysniper

In the mentioned case in the first link, the widow needed a warrant from court to get access to the files...so these files exist, whatever Apple tells me on the phone. Does the family really need a lawyer and a court to get access?

They need a certificate of heirship that is issued by the probate court (Erbschein).