Apple iPhone's Spring Festival holiday push about "Legacy Contact" upset users; customer service responds: The timing and content of the push are random.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, I received a notification on my phone about this feature, and I felt somewhat offended… Recently, Mr. He, a citizen, told Yangtze Evening Post/Ziniu News that on February 18, his iPhone suddenly popped up a notification about “learning how to add an estate contact.” Since it was during the Spring Festival holiday, this push notification made him feel uncomfortable. A search by reporters found that some users had previously reported receiving such notifications during late-night hours, the Spring Festival holiday, and other special times, which caused controversy.

In response to this issue, on February 24, Apple’s official customer service told reporters that the notification comes from Apple’s “Tips” app, mainly to introduce various phone operations and related features. The timing and content of the notifications are randomly updated. If users do not want to receive such notifications, they can disable them by deleting the app.

Mr. He received a similar notification

Related feature introduction

A search by reporters revealed that some users had previously reported receiving such notifications during late-night hours, the Spring Festival holiday, and other special times, sparking controversy. According to media reports, in June 2023, a citizen said she received a similar notification late at night, with words like “inheritance” and “deceased” making her instantly alert and moodless. She was tossing and turning that night and couldn’t sleep well, which even affected her work the next day. Additionally, in February 2025, another user posted a video complaining that they received this iPhone notification on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.

Regarding this phenomenon, netizens have different opinions. Some said objectively, “adding an estate contact” is just a feature of the iPhone, which has certain practicality and should be viewed rationally. Others believe that just because the feature is useful doesn’t mean the push timing can be random. Apple should consider different regional customs and users’ emotional needs and adjust the timing of notifications reasonably.

On February 24, the reporter contacted Apple’s official customer service about Mr. He’s concern. The customer service explained that the notification comes from Apple’s “Tips” app, mainly to introduce users to how to use various phone features and operation tips. The timing and content are randomly updated. If users do not want to receive such notifications, they can delete the app directly.

At the same time, the customer service representative said they are not the best person to answer this question and suggested that the reporter send an email to Apple’s media PR department. The reporter then compiled the issue into a message and sent it to the designated email, also expressing Mr. He’s request. As of press time, no reply has been received.

Apple’s official website states that “estate contacts” refer to the people designated by users who can access the user’s Apple account data after their death. It is explained that if users want trusted persons to access their Apple account data after they pass away, they can designate one or more estate contacts. Additionally, estate contacts need to hold the access key generated when the user designates them and present a death certificate to apply for access to the user’s data within a certain period.