How to configure WhatsApp for seniors

For those who started using smartphones, apps, and WhatsApp in old age, the popular app might be a bit more difficult to manage. Thinking of them, we tell you here seven tweaks to adapt WhatsApp to older people.

Of course, your grandfather may not need all the adjustments, or at all. Pick the ones that apply to you and don’t be afraid to make them your own if you wish. In the end, what we are going to see are different parameters to make WhatsApp less messy utilisation facility.

The letter, very large

It is common for older people to have more difficulty reading small texts on the mobile screen, especially if it is a relatively compact mobile. The WhatsApp font is not tiny, but the default setting may be a little smaller than desired so much that forces them to strain their eyes unnecessarily.

The good news is that the app itself allows us to change text size from your settings

, which can enlarge them. If this bigger size is still not enough, you can also change the size of the whole system, in the Android settings.

Notifications for important chats

If mobile notifications aren’t controlled for people of all ages, and we already know they’re not all equally important. Not even on WhatsApp some conversations are more important than others and therefore your notifications should be adjusted to reflect this.

Basically the idea is that only ringtone notifications for important chats, and that a very active group doesn’t assume that grandfather’s motive is constantly clamoring for his attention (unless that’s what he wants). From WhatsApp’s settings, you can silence groups or ring them with a more subtle tone (or not ring at all), though it’s probably best to use custom notifications for the more important chats. .

Enter WhatsApp settings
Enter the important chat or group you want me to notify
Tap the top bar
Press on Customize Notifications
Mark personalized notifications
Adjust notification tone and vibration to your liking

Cats easy to distinguish from each other

Another thing you can do to help an older person know better who they are talking to is customize chat backgroundsSo they are not all the same. It totally depends on the consumer, but you can choose, for example, different colors to distinguish different cats, or even a personalized photo of each person.

Enter a chat
Tap the menu button ⋮
Press on Wallpaper
Choose a custom color or photo for each cat

Above all, the essential

WhatsApp chats are automatically rearranged by placing those chats with new messages at the top, which can be somewhat confusing as it is possible that larger but less frequent cats are “buried”.

The solution is as simple as pin the catsa useful feature by which you can put a bunch of chats always on top of the chat list, even if there are other chats that have newer messages.

Long press on the chat conversation you want to pin, so that it is selected.
Press the thumbtack button at the top.

Shortcuts to chats

Another very useful way to facilitate the use of WhatsApp for the elderly is to create shortcuts to main chats in android launcherso that they can directly access this chat without first opening WhatsApp and finding the chat in question.

In a way, shortcuts to WhatsApp chats are the equivalent of speed dial keyssomething many seniors are more familiar with than the concept of opening the app and accessing the corresponding chat.

Enter the chat you want to create a shortcut for
Press the menu key ⋮
Click on Following
Click on Create direct access
Follow the prompts to add it to the home screen

Photos WhatsApp, on WhatsApp

If your grandpa likes to take photos, chances are he’s confused by the fact that the photos he takes on his mobile are mixed with videos and group photos, various memes and animated GIFs in the mobile gallery app. It’s better if whatsapp photos stay in whatsapp. except those you want to save manually.

WhatsApp, always updated

Finally, WhatsApp needs to be moderately updated, otherwise it will stop working until you do, which can be very confusing for an elderly person. To avoid future scares, make sure Google Play is set to update apps automatically (which is normal), as well as WhatsApp in particular has automatic updates enabled.