PLEASE don't let this happen to your family!

[The_Chief]

I read this tragic post and my heart broke:

"I joined this forum because I really need some help. My youngest son passed away a couple of weeks ago. I got his two phones and wanted to try to get any pictures, etc off of them, but they both are password protected. I was searching for some software to be able to do this..."

This is the LAST thing a grieving parent should be worried about, and it is 100% preventable. Every member of your family with a cell phone, computer, etc. should have password protection on their device: but that protection is to prevent people OUTSIDE the family from accessing those devices.

Every person in your family needs to keep an updated letter that provides ALL login credentials to EVERYTHING. Have the passwords sealed in an envelope in case of emergency.

I have a letter to my family printed out in our safe, and updated every few months: it lists every account; every login & password; every insurance policy number, phone numbers, everything! This has to be a priority for your family!

Finally, consider using a password manager with a family plan like LastPass. It's a password manager that can generate, and store, complex passwords for every website and account: safely locked in a vault behind a single master password. LastPass features an emergency mode that allows family members to access your vault if a tragic situation demands it.

I hope you & your family will take this to heart. There is too much evil out there and catastrophe could strike any of us at any moment. Make sure your family can get to your data if something happens to you... it may help authorities piece together what happened.

 

[ocnbrze]

i also use last pass. don't have the family plan though. i also have it set to unlock via my fingerprint. i wonder if my family members can request to unlock via my fingerprint?

 

[Dannydet]

I agree on this...
It's a sad situation that each one of us needs to address.
Nobody is guaranteed a tomorrow.

 

[Deleted User]

Totally agree, though I hadn't considered such an obvious solution as keeping access information safe, but to share with family in the event...

Incidentally this poster replied today that he had been promised the case will be looked in to by Google since November 11th iirc. Perhaps that post prompted the OP. I haven't replied.

https://androidforums.com/threads/help-needed.1338183/#post-8054341

 

[The_Chief]

i also use last pass. don't have the family plan though. i also have it set to unlock via my fingerprint. i wonder if my family members can request to unlock via my fingerprint?

Not without your finger! But in the event of emergency, have your master password stored where they can get to it. They can use the password as an option: both on your device and the web.

 

[ocnbrze]

Not without your finger! But in the event of emergency, have your master password stored where they can get to it. They can use the password as an option: both on your device and the web.

as long as i'm not buried or cremated can't they just go to were every they store the bodies to use my finger to unlock the phone?......this is such a weird question.....lol

 

[The_Chief]

What if you're in a wreck and your hand gets mangled? I mean,we could down this ugly rabbit hole forever... but it's really not necessary. LastPass allows for fingerprint login as a convenience: but your account is still secured with your master password. It just seems more reasonable to give your family access to the password rather than expecting them to log into your phone, in the morgue, with your dead finger. Just sayin'

 

[mikedt]

as long as i'm not buried or cremated can't they just go to were every they store the bodies to use my finger to unlock the phone?......this is such a weird question.....lol

I'm sure this has been discussed on AF before, about a fingerprint can't be used for unlocking a device unless the digit is actually alive and has blood flowing through it. And so a finger that's on a corpse ,or is detached may not work.

 

[Milo Williamson]

MMM.....zombie hands lol.. Sorry my brain went that way hahaa...

 

[Milo Williamson]

I read this tragic post and my heart broke:

"I joined this forum because I really need some help. My youngest son passed away a couple of weeks ago. I got his two phones and wanted to try to get any pictures, etc off of them, but they both are password protected. I was searching for some software to be able to do this..."

This is the LAST thing a grieving parent should be worried about, and it is 100% preventable. Every member of your family with a cell phone, computer, etc. should have password protection on their device: but that protection is to prevent people OUTSIDE the family from accessing those devices.

Every person in your family needs to keep an updated letter that provides ALL login credentials to EVERYTHING. Have the passwords sealed in an envelope in case of emergency.

I have a letter to my family printed out in our safe, and updated every few months: it lists every account; every login & password; every insurance policy number, phone numbers, everything! This has to be a priority for your family!

Finally, consider using a password manager with a family plan like LastPass. It's a password manager that can generate, and store, complex passwords for every website and account: safely locked in a vault behind a single master password. LastPass features an emergency mode that allows family members to access your vault if a tragic situation demands it.

I hope you & your family will take this to heart. There is too much evil out there and catastrophe could strike any of us at any moment. Make sure your family can get to your data if something happens to you... it may help authorities piece together what happened.

Well my mother said to me this past few weeks ago she said "Well I hope your passwords one day will be in a sealed envelope so we can access it through."

Still if anyone has access to my accounts, would they understand the cyber life of me?

 

[The_Chief]

Still if anyone has access to my accounts, would they understand the cyber life of me?

Maybe not: which is why it's important to explain, in the letter, what accounts are what and how to close them out. We have extremely complicated lives online: commerce, financial, education and entertainment, work and hobbies.... it all has to be dealt with.

If you're doing things that you would prefer your family not know about (stop doing that! LOL), you may instruct the executor of your estate to appoint someone who doesn't even know you to close out the accounts.

My Dad died four years ago and some of his accounts didn't have anyone else's name on them... not even his wife. It was a nightmare trying to access those funds and close out the accounts. After that, the Darling Bride and I made sure we are listed as joint owners on ALL our accounts - and our son is listed as beneficiary if something happens to us both. There's no question about where our wills are, where the money is, and who gets what.

 

[mikedt]

MMM.....zombie hands lol.. Sorry my brain went that way hahaa...

Got me thinking as well...
Detached body parts may not always work with biometric security...
...unlike in the movies.

Demolition Man.

 

[Milo Williamson]

Maybe not: which is why it's important to explain, in the letter, what accounts are what and how to close them out. We have extremely complicated lives online: commerce, financial, education and entertainment, work and hobbies.... it all has to be dealt with.

If you're doing things that you would prefer your family not know about (stop doing that! LOL), you may instruct the executor of your estate to appoint someone who doesn't even know you to close out the accounts.

My Dad died four years ago and some of his accounts didn't have anyone else's name on them... not even his wife. It was a nightmare trying to access those funds and close out the accounts. After that, the Darling Bride and I made sure we are listed as joint owners on ALL our accounts - and our son is listed as beneficiary if something happens to us both. There's no question about where our wills are, where the money is, and who gets what.

Nooooooo (force of habit for protection against the small town chats....) on topic: yeah you are really on the target though, at least I did come clean with a few people, selective people. Besides it is not like I am running for World Leader of Android Forums lol

 

[The_Chief]