How to Sell a Deceased Family Member's Phone: A Gentle Guide

You can sell a deceased family member's phone, but only once it is unlocked, its accounts are removed, and the photos and information your family wants have been saved. There is rarely a deadline, so the kindest approach is to go slowly: preserve the memories first, sort out the accounts and paperwork next, and sell last.

This guide is for families who are holding a loved one's phone, tablet, or laptop and aren't sure what to do with it. It covers how to save what matters, how Apple and Google handle accounts for people who have passed, why a locked device can't be bought, and what to bring when you are ready to sell.

Start by slowing down: what to do with a loved one's old phone

Many families feel pressure to deal with devices quickly, and most of the time that pressure isn't real. A phone sitting in a drawer, charged now and then, is not causing any harm. In fact, keeping it intact for a while is often the best thing you can do, because it may still hold things you will want later.

Here is why it helps to wait before wiping, returning, or selling anything:

• Photos, videos, voicemails, and messages may exist only on that device or in an account you can't reach yet.
• Two-factor codes for email, banking, and other accounts are often sent to the phone. Losing the phone or number too early can make it harder to close or recover those accounts.
• Important documents are sometimes stored as photos, notes, or PDFs: account numbers, insurance cards, passwords written in a notes app.
• The device may be locked, and some problems are easier to solve while the phone and its linked accounts are still in their original state.

If you need to keep the phone working in the meantime, keep it charged and avoid factory resetting it. Don't cancel the phone number until you have thought through which accounts might send verification messages to it.

Save the photos and memories first

Before you think about selling, decide what you want to keep. Once a device is erased, whether by you or by a store's data wipe, the contents are gone unless they were backed up somewhere.

If you can open the phone

• Check for a cloud backup. On an iPhone, look in Photos and iCloud settings. On an Android phone, look at Google Photos and the backup settings. A backup you can reach is the safest copy.
• Copy photos and videos to a computer or external drive, then confirm you can open them there. Don't trust that a transfer worked until you have checked.
• Save voicemails and important messages. Voicemails can often be exported or recorded. Screenshots of meaningful text threads are better than nothing.
• Look beyond the camera roll. Notes, voice memos, saved documents, handwritten-style drawings, and downloaded files can all be sentimental.
• Check for contacts. Family and friends who should be told, or who might want to be at a memorial, may be listed there.

If you can't open the phone

This is very common, and it isn't a reason to panic. The photos may already be in an online account, on a tablet or laptop signed in to the same account, or on a computer the person used. Check any other devices they owned before assuming everything is out of reach. A family member who shared a photo stream, a shared family album, or a messaging group may also have copies of many of the pictures.

Be careful with websites or people who promise to unlock the phone of someone who passed away for a fee. Many are unreliable, and handing over the device or login details to a stranger puts a loved one's private information at risk. The official routes described below are slower, but they are safer.

Understand what is actually locking the device

When families search for how to unlock the phone of someone who passed away, they are usually dealing with one or more of three different locks. Knowing which one helps you pick the right path.

The screen passcode and the account locks are separate. Even if you know the passcode and can browse the phone, an erased device can still ask for the original account's credentials when it is set up again. That is by design, and it is the part that matters most for selling.

If you are guessing at a passcode, go carefully. Repeated wrong attempts can temporarily disable a device, and on some phones they may eventually lead to data being erased. If you have a short list of likely codes, such as a birthday or a code the person used on other devices, stop and think before trying them, rather than guessing repeatedly.

Apple and Google both have official processes for accounts of people who have passed

Both companies recognize that families end up in this position, and both have an official route. We are not going to list exact steps or timelines here, because requirements and wording change. Check each company's current support pages, and expect to be asked for documentation.

Apple

Apple has a Digital Legacy program, which lets a person name legacy contacts who can request access to their account data after they pass away. If your loved one set that up, the legacy contact may be able to use it. If they did not, Apple has a separate process for family members or representatives to request access, which generally involves documentation such as proof of death and proof of legal authority. In some cases a court order is part of that process. Apple's support site describes what it currently asks for.

Google

Google offers Inactive Account Manager, a setting people can use while they are alive to choose what happens to their account if it becomes inactive, including who is notified or given access to certain data. For accounts where nothing was set up, Google has a process for families to submit a request about a deceased user's account. Depending on the situation, that may involve closing the account or, in limited circumstances, requesting content. Google reviews each request, and it does not promise access in every case.

What to expect

• These processes are built to protect the person's privacy, so they are careful and can feel slow.
• You will generally need to show who you are, your relationship to the person, and your authority to act, so having paperwork ready helps (see below).
• Approval to access an account is not always the same as access to every photo or message, so it is worth saving what you can directly from any open device in the meantime.

Why a locked device can't be sold until the lock is removed

This is the part that surprises many families, so we want to explain it plainly. At Sell Your Gadgets, we do not buy devices that are iCloud or Activation Locked, reported lost or stolen, or blacklisted. That is not a judgment about your situation. A locked phone is simply a device nobody can use, including the next owner, and buyers can't responsibly pay for something they can't turn on and set up.

If you are searching for how to remove Activation Lock on an Apple device after a death, here is the honest picture:

• Erasing the phone does not remove Activation Lock. The lock stays tied to the Apple ID that set up the device, and a reset doesn't change that.
• The clean fix is for the account to be signed out properly. If your family has legitimate, authorized access to the account, signing out of the device and removing it from the account releases the lock. Only do this if you are authorized to act for the estate.
• If you can't access the account, the official Apple process above is the route. Apple's support pages explain whether and how a lock can be addressed for a family in this situation.
• Android works the same way in principle. The Google account needs to be removed from the device before it is reset, or the phone may ask for that account afterward.

We'd rather tell you this now than have you travel to a store and leave disappointed. The good news is that locks don't disappear forever. Once the account is cleared, the device can be sold like any other.

Other things that can block a sale

• Lost or stolen reports. If a phone was reported lost or stolen at any point, it can be flagged. If it was found again, the report needs to be resolved first.
• Blacklisting. Carriers can blacklist devices, sometimes because of an unpaid balance or financing issue. If the phone was on a payment plan, contact the carrier about the account before selling.
• Remote-management or work profiles. If the phone was issued by an employer, it may be managed by that organization and may need to be released by them.