Summary
If you have an older loved one who’s a little technically challenged, it might be a challenge to set up a smartphone for that person. However, with a few simple changes, you can make that phone much easier for a senior to use. Here are three changes you can make.
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Transcript
Do you have a parent or grandparent or know another senior who’s a little technically challenged? While smartphones are a fantastic convenience, they can be overwhelming for those not used to them. If you’re helping an older person set up their phone, here are some settings to change.
For Personal Tech Media, this is Two Minute Tech. I’m Jim Herman.
First, find out exactly what they plan to use the phone for and remove everything else from the home screen. This will reduce confusion and simplify the options. Minimize the home screen to just one page with the apps your loved one will use. Occasionally, you will encounter apps that can’t be removed from the screen, so I recommend putting those in a folder so they don’t take up space on the page.
On an Android phone, you can install a separate launcher instead. The app Baldphone provides a simplified launcher, alarms, pill reminders, and more. Unfortunately, you can’t install a different launcher on an iPhone.
Second, go into the Settings app. On both platforms, go to the Display settings and increase the text size. Then go to the Sound settings and turn the volume up. You can also add vibration and a screen flash to the phone. Vibration and flashes will help your loved one notice when the phone is ringing.
Third, assuming your loved one is okay with it, set up location tracking on the phone. Android comes with the Find My Device app, while iPhones come with Apple’s Find My app. This will help you locate the phone if it gets lost, and it could also help you find your loved one if they’re not responding to you.