This question is actually deep and hits home for so many people. Without the password or biometrics, modern phones (especially iPhones) use strong encryption that keeps everything locked.
Simply resetting or "flashing" the phone usually wipes all your photos, messages, and important data forever, leaving families with nothing but frustration and lost memories.
The smart solution is to plan ahead right now while you still can:
FOR IPHONE USERS:
Go to Settings > tap your name at the top > Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact.
Add one or more trusted people (like a spouse, child, or sibling). You'll get an access key to share with them.
After you pass, they just need that key plus a copy of your death certificate to request access to your Apple account and data.
It's straightforward and doesn't require going to court in most cases.
FOR ANDROID/GOOGLE USERS:
Go to https://t.co/ZXZMiSLgfb, sign in, then head to Data & Privacy > More options > Make a plan for your digital legacy (or search for Inactive Account Manager).
Choose a waiting period (like 3 to 18 months of inactivity), pick trusted contacts, and decide what data to share (Gmail, photos, Drive files, etc.). Google will notify them and give access if the account goes inactive.
Do this today. It only takes a few minutes, but it can save your loved ones from huge headaches later.
Most people never think about it until it's too late, and precious memories or important information end up locked away forever.
Above all, love God.
Not related, but as COO,
I built an automation with Google Sheets Apps Script, Google Docs, and Gmail.
It lets employees know they've been paid without the founder sending receipts directly.
It was and still is especially helpful for a lean-budget startup.
The goal was to free up the founder's time.
Whoever is in charge simply updates each employee's payment status to "paid" in the payroll Google Sheet. Instantly, the employee gets an email with a PDF of their custom receipt including deductions, plus a Slack notification.
You can incorporate that so you don't feel awkward when employees don't thank you for paying their salaries. 🥲
Attached is what it looked like when I was testing it. Can't show the rest unfortunately but I am open to helping you build yours 🌚😮💨
Employing a more structured approach to this automation journey....enrolling with @TSAcademyOnline should help out. Let's see how the next 3 months plays out