SealedLight compared with Google Inactive Account Manager, Apple Legacy Contact and online will services
A fair, factual look at what each one covers. These tools do different jobs, and most people may want more than one.
By person, not by heir
Inheritance law passes assets to legal heirs. Research shows many people want to choose specific trusted people for specific things, who are not necessarily their legal heirs. SealedLight is being designed that way: you'll choose who receives each item. Financial assets still pass through your will and executor.
University of Birmingham research · Digital inheritance in Europe: what's changing in 2026
How do these options differ?
They cover different things: Google and Apple handle data inside their own services, a will handles legal entitlement, and SealedLight is a planned vault for messages and handover instructions.
| Feature | Google Inactive Account Manager | Apple Legacy Contact | Online will services (a category) | SealedLight (planned) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Specific Google data types that you choose. | Selected iCloud and backup data after death. Keychain passwords, payment information, purchased content and subscriptions are excluded. | A formal will document. Formal validity depends on the jurisdiction. | Messages, documents, photos and handover instructions in an encrypted vault. |
| Who receives it | Up to 10 people you select. | The Legacy Contact you choose. | Beneficiaries named in the will, subject to the law that applies. | Nominees you choose, who accept from their own email and create their own private key on their own device. You can request an optional ID check with a live selfie for each person, reviewed by our team. |
| What starts it | Inactivity on Google services. Trusted contacts are verified and receive a download link. | Death, with Apple verification using an access key and a death certificate. | Death, followed by the legal succession process. | A missed check-in starts an eight-stage, cancellable process with human review of evidence. |
| Privacy approach | Governed by Google’s own policies. See the cited page. | Governed by Apple’s own policies. See the cited pages. | Varies by provider. Check each provider’s privacy policy. | Planned on-device encryption, with no keys held by SealedLight. An independent audit is planned before the vault opens. |
| Crypto | Does not give control of external wallets. | External wallets are not among the data listed as covered. | Legal inheritance does not guarantee technical wallet access. | Non-custodial. Planned Legacy handover stores instructions only and never holds funds or keys. |
| EU focus | Not stated in the cited source. | Not stated in the cited sources. | Depends on the provider and the jurisdiction. | Built around the GDPR, based in the EU. |
When should I use which?
Use the tool that matches the job. They are not mutually exclusive.
- •Use Google Inactive Account Manager when you want selected Google account data to reach trusted people after a period of inactivity.
- •Use Apple Legacy Contact when you want a chosen person to access the iCloud data Apple lists, with Apple’s verification.
- •Use an online will service or a lawyer when you need a legally valid will. Check that the service is valid in your jurisdiction.
- •Consider SealedLight once it opens when you want to leave personal messages, documents and crypto handover instructions to verified people. It is planned for January 2027 and does not replace a will.