Christmas is a very important date because it is the time when we come together as a family to celebrate, once again, that we are all well. It’s a good thing, and in my case, since I spend the whole year talking about technology, I want to get together with my family to talk about other things. However, writing about technology means they believe I fix cell phones and a recurring request is for me to solve a problem for them.
Therefore, below I’ll tell you what I do when I need to set up an elderly person’s cell phone. so that you don’t have problems using it, when notifications arrive, and even so that you don’t run out of memory at all. WhatsApp, I’m looking at you.
If it is an Android mobile, you can change launcher or activate simple mode
First of all and I must say that, if the elderly person has a cell phone with which he can clarify, I will not change the launcher or enlarge the icons. Does it work well for you? Well that’s how it staysbecause not everyone, and even less so if they are an elderly person, wants to rediscover how their cell phone works.
Now though, If you’re not very happy with the phone because it’s unclear or seems confusing, there are three options. The first is to ask if it’s a visibility issue and make the icons larger.
On Android, it’s very simple, since, in certain layers, you give a long press on the main screen and you can change the size of the icons in the grid options. If that clears things up, so much the better.
What is not the solution? Many of today’s mobile phones come with some sort of simple mode or simple mode. This can be in the accessibility, screen or design options of your mobile (each manufacturer has it in a section) and, automatically, it makes the icons larger and easier to click. This also generally increases the contrast and font size.
Mi Vivo X80 Pro with Big Launcher
And if your phone doesn’t have this mode, you can always download a launcher suitable for seniors. There are several in the Play Store, with two examples such as Simple Launcher or Big Launcher which remove many icons from the main screens and generate larger fonts and icons.
My opinion is that, As long as the mobile allows it, it is better to configure simple or simple mode before a launcher of this type, but if there is no other choice, it is not a bad solution. Of course, something essential is not to change the launcher… and that’s it. We need to talk to our elders and see how they are evolving.
WhatsApp must be configured so that the memory does not fill up
“Look at my phone, I have no memory”. This is one of the phrases I heard the most from my elders. The first thing I do is go to the storage section to discover what I have already noticed: WhatsApp consumes practically all the memory.
The problem? Automatic download is enabled of all WhatsApp files and contains dozens, dozens and dozens of megabytes of photos, videos and audios. The solution is in WhatsApp itself, by disabling automatic downloading so that it does not fill up the storage little by little.
If the mobile is an Android, what you need to do is the following:
- You need to click on the three dots in the upper right corner and go to “Settings”
- There we go to “Storage and Data”.
- In the lower half we find the automatic download options.
- We click on “Download with mobile data” and “Download with Wi-Fi” and deactivate all options.
Of course, as the application itself warns us, the voice files are always downloaded automatically, but in the end it takes the least time.
The magnifying glass is always useful
When I talk about magnifying glass, I refer both to the magnifying function of the camera, for which we usually need an application, and to the magnification of interface elements. To find the function on Android, you probably have to look at accessibility or directly search for “magnifying glass” in the settings search engine.
If we talk about the magnifying glass through the mobile camera, both in the App Store and in the Play Store there are many “Magnifying Glass” applications. Find the one you like the most, download several that have no ads (or lots of ads, especially if they are full-screen ads that turn off by pressing a lowercase “x”), remove that application because it will not be useful to an elderly person) and ready.
Of course, in single or simple mode, many layers already have a magnifying glass app preinstalled.
And adjusting the volume is also vital
Something I usually do is manage the type of sounds and volume offered by the mobile. For example, if I know my grandparents have email (for whatever reason), but it’s something they never use, I mute incoming emails. I also usually turn off sounds for calendars and the kinds of apps they tell me I don’t use, leaving only ringtones, alarms, and messages.
Because? Well because like that, If your cell phone is making noise and you go to see what it is, but you don’t see a missed call or message, you may be going crazy. thinking about what happened. This may seem like overkill to you, but if you’re dealing with people who aren’t very familiar with technology, it’s best to make things as simple as possible.
Additionally, I also like to explain what they can do if the cell phone does not ring. On Android, you can turn up the volume and click the bell icon that appears to toggle between silent, sound, and vibration.
It’s worth explaining these things to them so they don’t get lost if they touch it by mistake. It’s not all about installing apps, it’s also about explaining things that may seem basic to us, but aren’t to other people.
Accessibility settings are becoming more and more comprehensive
And one section that’s also worth stopping at is the accessibility settings. Android has many accessibility settings and these are becoming more and more comprehensive. Here I recommend stopping at those that concern both sound and visualization.
Indeed, if these settings allow you to modify the fonts, make them bold or enlarge them slightly (a rare thing not to be found on mobile phones), it is advisable to activate them. In fact, I would also see if it is necessary to enable viewing options for people with special vision.
For example, if we have to use color correction modes, if the dark theme does more harm than good, if reducing animations makes the other’s perception clearer, etc. And… Does the mobile phone have an automatic transcription option? It might be a good idea to use this, or use a text-to-speech system if the other person has visual difficulties.
And something very important, changing the size of the keyboard is essential so that they are correct when it comes to both dialing a number and, above all, sending a message.
Automatic updates enabled
This point may be controversial. And, when an application is updated, the simplest thing is that nothing happens and everything stays in its place, but for example WhatsApp has been updated a lot this year and it is possible that these updates change one day the position of a button. For the others.
However, if it happens and they call me saying “boy, where is it, I can’t find it”, I can lend a hand because we will both be on the same version. And more importantly, An application may stop working if it is not updated. This is much further away, but it can happen and so it is advisable to enable automatic updates.
Although, as I said, this can be a controversial point and it depends on you and what you consider appropriate in each case. I usually enable them, but that’s just my opinion. Don’t know how to activate them? To do this, find the app you want to activate in the Play Store, click on the three dots at the top right of the app page and Check if the option “Automatic update” is enabled. If so, you’re all set..
Siri and Assistant
What I find very, very useful are telephone assistants. Siri and Google Assistant can be very useful for six very clear examples:
- Remind me of something.
- Set a timer.
- Increase the brightness to maximum.
- Turn the volume up to maximum.
- Call X
- Call 112.
If we accustom our elders to the fact that with these commands they can control a large part of the phone, there is a lot to be gained. In fact, it’s something that makes using the cell phone even easier and yes, they’re going to have to get used to saying the “OK Google” tag, but if they catch it, it’s a very good ally for them on a daily basis. base.
And be careful, there are smartphones for adults
I have already explained to you what I usually do to configure the cell phones of the elderly people around me, but it is… with their existing cell phones or a new one that was given to them. Now, perhaps, before entering into this type of configuration, it is worth take a look at mobile phones created specifically for seniors.
There are several companies that develop phones for seniors (SPC, for example, sells a cell phone with an SOS button, a physical button for calls and Android 11 with a simple interface for seniors for around 140 dollars, but there are other companies that do something similar) There is no need to configure them as extensively as they are already designed to be intuitive and easy to use.
Maybe if you are planning to give a gift to an elderly person, these Android phones created for them are the best solution. Whatever sort of, These are my tips for setting up an elderly person’s cell phone this Christmas. If you have a similar experience and want to share it, we will read it in the comments.
In Xataka Android | Why use “Ok Google, configure my device” and how to start an Android from an old mobile
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