While there are plenty of older people who are doing just fine with the latest smartphones, there are also plenty of them who, while they want to stay connected, they are not so used to technology. For everyone, it is possible to find several models on the market that stand out for their simplicity and affordable price.
Another option we have is to configure any mobile phone so that an elderly person can use it more easily. And this is where we find the ‘BaldPhone’ application, a launcher for Android It adds a more accessible interface and some handy functions like a distress button or a reminder for pills.
With accessibility indicator
The full name of the application, ‘BaldPhone – senior launcher accessible to the elderly’
According to its creators, ‘BaldPhone’ is “a goodwill product” which is not only designed for older users, but also for people with motor or visual disabilities and for anyone who has difficulty using a smartphone. It is an application free, open source, ad-free and without in-app purchases.
The only thing you have to do to transform the phone is to download ‘BaldPhone’ from Google Play, open it and choose the accessibility level (High, Intermediate and Normal). The difference lies in the time it takes to press the keys and the horizontal and vertical scrolling mode (scanning or using the arrows).
There are three levels of accessibility depending on the length of time you press the keys and how the screen and menus scroll.
Our recommendation is to choose the medium to avoid excessive delay, although the high level can be useful to avoid accidental keystrokes. In addition, you must define ‘BaldPhone’ as launcher or mobile home application
-
Open phone settings and go to ‘Applications’.
-
Enter “Default applications” and click on ‘Starter application’.
-
To choose ‘BaldPhone’ as starter application and click OK.
From there, our home screen will change to a mosaic of large and very intuitive icons. Of course, as usual in launchers of this type, ‘BaldPhone’ will ask you for a lot of permissions to access and make changes to all other apps on the phone.
Once granted, the default home screen gives us direct access to the most common and useful applications for the elderly (Phone, Contacts, Messages, Photos, Camera, Videos, Messages and Alarms).
However, there is the option to change this home screen by including shortcuts to other apps (such as WhatsApp or FM radio, for example). Also we have an application called ‘Pills’ to set reminders with daily medications.
Also, at the top of the clock, we will see a bar with five very practical functions. From left to right, the SOS button, remaining battery, flashlight, vibrate / sound / silence mode and notifications. At press the SOS button, it is possible to call three previously defined contacts (by default, one of them is 112).
As you can see, ‘BaldPhone’ is a good launcher for anyone who is not familiar with using smartphones, but it is mostly aimed at older people because, in addition to a simple interface, provides some very useful applications (SOS button and pill reminder). And all this in a free app, with no ads or added purchases and in multiple languages (including Spanish). For something, it has 4.4 out of 5 in the average Google Play rating.
BaldPhone – senior launcher accessible to the elderly
- Download it on: google play
- Price: Free
- Category: Customization