Hi folks, my brother passed away this week suddenly. My sister-in-law can't unlock his phone, and he was the one who had the mortgage, electricity Wi-Fi in his name and all done through the phone. Does anyone know of anyone or anyway to unlock it. Its either fingerprint(impossible) or a 6-digit code.
I tried a local phone place, and they said they could unlock it, but it would wipe/factory reset it.
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.
Kildare area.
You don't need to unlock the phone to handle these things. She needs to contact all the utility companies individually and get everything in her own name. She may need the death cert to complete the process. It's a very common thing
I hate to comment this but you won’t be able to get into the phone at all. Once a phone in this day and age has a lock you are at nothing unless your brother had it written down somewhere. Phones like Samsungs are supported by Knox security it’s a hardware protection. A phone shop can only do so much Aswel legally for that matter, once you send the phone to get unlocked it’s completely wiped. Sorry for your loss! My sincere Condolences to you all
Contact the utility providers, it's common enough ???? Unlocking a phone for right or wrong is a massive breach of privacy in life or death and no way I'd touch it if I worked in a phone shop.
Sorry to hear that. May he rest in peace. I'd say you can ring all the utilities. They may ask for a copy of the death cert.
My sister died of Covid suddenly also. Worth knowing that. Credit Cards are still owed unless he had insurance. Each company has a bereavement department, so don't worry too much about the phone if utilities are your concern. You may have to attend an inquest. So take some notes now while you fully remember everything. This was very helpful to us as a family to have answers. Condolences to you all.
PSA - On an iPhone, you can set up a “Legacy Contact”. This generates a unique key that you pass on to someone close. That key can then be used in future (by going through an Apple verification process) to access the phone without a court order etc. I would recommend that everyone with an iPhone sets this up.
Sadly, this won’t help the IP.
Better off just contacting the utilities etc directly rather than trying to get into the phone unless there's some other actual reason for trying to get into it
You can go to the bank and to the companies to get set up in the next of kin
Hey, I don't think you can unlock the phone. If he used fingerprint and his body is available still you could try that..or face unlock will work too. Otherwise you just need to contact the bank, the wifi company etc and get the accounts changed over to his wife. This is something that can be done after the funeral and is the correct path to follow. All the companies have SOPs for people dying. I had a friend die suddenly and we and her family decided not to try unlock her phone because we wanted to respect her privacy.
Jaysus, that's bleak,
And clueless as to how the fingerprint and face unlock tech works as to prevent exactly that that type of thing happening.
I didn't think the brother put it on face lock or fingerprint lock "for exactly that type of thing".
There's a grieving spouse who's life is already very tough very fast, and now she has to take over the running of everything. I've switched mortgages, life insurance, banks, utilities so often I'm not sure my spouse would know where to start.
The technology doesn't recognise the dead face or finger. It needs body heat to work.
Yeah, the fingerprints won't work if your hand is wet. Dead for a week? Fuggetaboudit.
Start by ensuring spouse has some access to cash, either through a joint account or that they have enough in their account.
Then, make a document, start by listing all your bank accounts, passwords for utilities, insurances, etc.
With larger online accounts, you can make each other be the recovery person for each other.
Oh yeah, basically a will would be great too, but making a list is a good start of that.
Thats on your spouse. No way should they have automatic access to your phone and god knows what accounts on your passing. I'm not talking about finding out they were on dating apps or whatever but so what if they were, you have no right so access their conversations with anyone.
I mean that's just a personal preference though, no? My husband knows the code to unlock my phone and if anything ever happens to me I'd be fully on board with him using it to make his life easier on my passing.
Honestly, it was such a wake up call when my friend was in hospital. She was 39, healthy, had a brain bleed overnight and never woke up (she was never conscious in the hospital). We live abroad and couldn't figure out how to connect with her family. 1 week of horrendous ICU hope. Family were able to make it to us and we had to turn off the machines and she passed a few hours later. Then came all the grim logistics of death. It made me realize I needed to build in some guidance for my family if I suddenly passed away.
I think what’s bleak is the “if his body is still available” part… sorry to OP for this insensitivity but do you think the family are going to lift up his cold dead hand to try and unlock his phone with it? Sorry for the loss of your friend, but jesus…
Quite common in the movies. So, must be a thing.... 🤷♂️
You need to be alive for biometrics to work
I feel for you, my brother passed away a couple of years ago. He changed his screen lock to the same as mine before he passed. The difference it made, having access to his phone and being able to organise all his stuff was unmeasurable.
I'm sure his wife, can contact all the relevant institutions and have the accounts moved to her phone.
Except maybe BOI, I don't know who touched them when they were young, but they are a total pain in the butt for stuff like this, (extra vigilance from a security perspective is no bad thing, I suppose).
Can I ask what phone it was?? I might be able to help
Its a Samsung is all I have till tomorrow.
Samsung can do it but they want a death certificate and a marriage certificate and if possible the Google account information of the deceased . He may have use the same Google account on a laptop tablet or PC.
Very sorry for your loss. Talk with phone provider & see if they have a procedure in place for a bereavement perhaps? Hope you get sorted ❤️
Sorry for your loss . If he had a Google account and had backed up everything to it , you might be able to recover it . If he had his wife's email as his recovery email ? Also you can transfer data to a new phone even if the phone is locked . I did that with my latest phone . Once she gets the death certificate, it'll all sort itself out anyway . Partings are heartaches that no one can heal, memories are keepsakes that no one can steal.
I don't think you're correct on transfering data to a new phone and then having access to it. Otherwise, EVERYONE would be doing that - from spouses to the border guards to thieves to my mom!
You're talking data transfer without verification .That's never going to happen . In any form . I am correct . It's a two step verification so needs another person and account. Once overall data transfers . What you're talking about wouldn't happen . Ever.
Do they all have two step verification?
Two step verification . My phone to my phone .
Firstly sorry for your loss. Once the death certificate comes through your sis in law will be able to contact all the utilities to get the accounts changed over.
Sorry for your loss, saw on previous comments its a Samsung ?
Google should unlock it for you :https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/6357590?hl=en
You will need a death certificate, signed off by doctor if you have android too, theres a scan to PDF option. Your SIL might need to get involved too, and again with all the documentation. They will drag it out. but will get done.
Call (dont email) the bank, providers etc and explain the situation they will be OK, move it to a diff account etc
Did something similar myself a couple years ago, if he has a will the solicitor can take care of a lot of this in short/medium term
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My brother passed a few months back. Go to the bank, they freeze the account so no money can be taken. They wait until you give them the death no. From certificate. Contact the providers and they will help you swap the payments. I must say they were all very helpful. The bank has a dedicated bereavement section and they couldn't have done more.
Sorry for you loss. You might have luck with Cellebrite but I dont know where you'll get access to that.
Take out since sim card turn off Turn on phone you don't need sim card pin phone can be reset by volume. And power buttons Search android phone Reset vol power key This deletes all the data passwords and removes all pun codes
Or look on YouTube reset phone Android video
Company's have methods to deal with people dying re bills and esb mortgage etc
Is it an iPhone? I used to work at Apple and they could unlock them but the process took time and needed a lot of evidence.
Probably best calling the companies she needs to make arrangements with. This is not the first time this has happened. There will be solutions
if iPhone there may be a legacy contact listed if android and using a google account contact them with the details and see if they can give you access to his account, i have a ICE notifications set up with 3 months on non use of the account and it will link my partners email so she can access anything private that needs to be dealt with, i us the account daily so 3 months would be a good time frame as if i don't access in that time frame im either dead or in a coma
You can unlock the phone reset press power vol up or down Erases all data and installed apps Eg phone is like a new phone standard apps mail YouTube radio browser apps etc Unless he owns Bitcoin theres no value in the data on it Remove sim card turn on off phone see in it still asks for pin no code
You can angle the screen to try see fingerprint patterns however you could just call the companies. They all have procedures for deceased accounts, I have had to process a few in my career, you will need to provide the death certificate and they can transfer ownership or delete accounts.
I am so sorry for your loss.
So sorry for your loss op.
You should be able to contact the manufacturer and they should be able to help unlock it without wiping it. Sorry for your loss
Try to video his screen and maybe you'll see a pattern. Try a phone repair shop that might do it - but that's not legal AFAIK.
I'm very sorry for your loss. I had similar last summer. We couldn't get any way of unlocking it from the phone provider or from the phone manufacturer.
DM me if you need any advice. Wear comfortable shoes for the funeral and remember to eat!
Thank you. Unfortunately, we've lost a few recently so know the drill you don't want to know.
Any phone can be reset by pressing power vol buttons but it erases all the data on the phone in a few weeks time you can contact the bank about the mortgage Esb power company Most phones have 4 digit sim code take out the sim turn off turn on phone see if it still asks for a pin no
Sorry for your loss. Would putting the sim in a new phone help. The bank will have a bereavement team who will help her with accounts
I’d suggest not closing the accounts until after the funeral is paid for. It’ll make life easier. Sorry for your loss OP.
Its not the sim thats locked. Its the phone itself.
All the two factor logins and resets are to the sim
Contact Apple/Samsung and try and find a proof of purchase
Sorry for your trouble. This is a key reason why people need to think about their digital assets and passwords in the event of death
On showing his death cert your SIL will be able to get all accounts closed or transferred but it will be a massive pain and hassle
Some banks and utility providers nowadays have bereavement units. So ask about that first in each case