For a deceased family member’s email, the only legitimate path is through the provider’s official “deceased user” or “account access” process. Each service is different:
- Gmail: Search “Google deceased user account request.” They may ask for death certificate, ID, proof of relationship, and sometimes a court order. They don’t always grant access; sometimes they only allow data download or account closure.
- Outlook/Hotmail, Yahoo, Apple, etc.: Each has its own support page for deceased users—start there, not with generic password recovery.
Avoid any “hacking” tools or shady services; they’re illegal and often scams. Monitoring apps like Spynger are for consensual/parental use, not posthumous access.