How to Get Into My Deceased Brother’s Laptop

When someone passes away, accessing their digital data can be important—whether for emotional closure, business reasons, or managing their estate. However, doing so is often complex.

Legal Considerations

Under Australian law, digital assets are part of a person’s estate. This includes emails, photos, files, and cloud accounts stored on or linked to devices.

Step 1: Confirm Legal Authority

You must be the executor or administrator of the estate. If you're not, you’ll need legal documentation proving your authority.

Step 2: Try Known Credentials

If your brother left login details in a will, password manager, or with someone close, this may be the simplest route. Otherwise:

Step 3: Contact the Manufacturer or Service Provider

Accessing a locked device (e.g., MacBook or Windows PC) without credentials usually requires:

• Proof of death (death certificate)

• Proof of authority (probate or letters of administration)

• Serial number or purchase details

  
  

Some common support pages:

• Apple: Request access to a deceased person’s account

• Microsoft: Deceased user support

  
  

What About Cloud Accounts?

Cloud-based services—such as Google, Apple iCloud, and Microsoft OneDrive—store a significant portion of a person's digital life, including emails, documents, photos, and backups. Gaining access to these accounts can be just as important as accessing the device itself.

Each provider has its own process and privacy policy:

• Apple iCloud: Apple’s Digital Legacy program allows someone appointed by the deceased to request access. Without that setup, you’ll need to apply with legal documents, including a death certificate and probate.

  
  

• Google: If the user enabled Google's Inactive Account Manager, their designated contact may gain access. Otherwise, an authorised party can submit a request through Google’s support channels, but access is not guaranteed.

  
  

• Microsoft: They have a formal process for next of kin or estate executors to request data access, though this may be limited to data extraction and not full login.

  
  

Be aware that even with legal authority, companies may decline access depending on their jurisdiction or data policies. Some may provide a data export instead of login credentials. This means you may not be able to access the cloud account directly but can request a copy of its contents.

It’s advisable to:

• Collect as much information as possible about the account (email address, linked phone, etc.)

• Read each provider’s policy on deceased user accounts

• Prepare to submit formal identification and legal documents such as a grant of probate or letters of administration

• Avoid guessing passwords repeatedly—this may lock the account

• Physical access alone doesn’t guarantee digital access