Short answer
Yes, Apple says the data a Legacy Contact might be able to access can include notes.
That makes Apple Notes potentially relevant after death if you have stored important personal information there.
But notes are only as useful as the planning inside them
If the notes are vague, outdated, or mixed with unrelated content, access alone does not solve much.
The real question is whether the person handling your estate can tell:
- which notes matter
- which instructions are current
- what belongs somewhere more formal
Notes are not a substitute for a structured plan
Apple Notes can help capture context, but they do not replace:
- a deliberate trusted-contact plan
- organized account inventories
- password and recovery planning
- release rules for different people
That is why many families still need a separate system for the broader handoff.
A better use of Apple Notes
Use notes for context, not as the only place the whole plan lives.
For example, a note can explain:
- which documents matter
- what should happen to the Apple account
- where the executor should look next
