Old age can come with varied health conditions that limit a person’s vision, mobility, and dexterity. Whether living independently or in a senior’s community setting, communicating with loved ones is important, yet many of the standard smartphone models don’t offer the convenience desired for senior use. As a caregiver or family member, here are great phone hacks to improve a senior citizen’s phone comprehension and ease of use:

1. Set up speed dial icons
Speed dial icons enable seniors to easily find frequently used contacts and recent call logs. Elderly family members with eye problems find speed dial icons viable tools for helping them make calls and send messages. The speed dial widgets make it easier for seniors to connect with their favorite contacts with a single touch of the phone screen. Set up speed dial icons to enable seniors to make video calls, send messages, and make voice calls straight from the phone’s home screen.

2. Enable find my phone
With age can come bouts of forgetfulness or even cognitive decline that leads to misplaced or lost phones. You can easily track the location of a phone when you enable the “find my phone” feature. Share the senior’s phone to your phone to allow you to locate the phone with ease if it goes missing. Realize that when the phone’s network is off, you won’t locate the phone. So, you might need to install a home Wi-Fi or keep your senior’s phone loaded with data bundles. You can explore the many internet offers at your disposal and settle for ones matching your budget and speed requirements.

3. Set larger display and font size
Make the on-screen and keyboard text bigger to enhance readability for seniors with vision problems. For iPhone users, head to the settings, tap display and brightness, text size, and adjust the slider. On Android phones, head to settings, tap display, select the font size and adjust it to the preferred size. Larger texts and phone screen size enables seniors to easily and seamlessly navigate the contents of their phones.

4. Password protect in-app purchases
Seniors are more susceptible to hacking and manipulation by malware and virus software. A senior may not know when they are being prompted to make unverified payments. Keep your loved one safe from hacking and financial theft by setting complex passwords for all in-app purchases. Set a strong password for each account that requires a prompt before making payments. Utilizing a password manager ensures your loved one can access the passwords via the password manager.

5. Increase volume and alerts
Seniors may sometimes have issues with their hearing. If the phone is set at low alerts and volumes, they may miss important calls and messages. Besides setting high volumes and alerts, set custom ringtones. Set unique ringtones for healthcare providers and loved ones. You need to alert the senior on the ringtones you have set for different callers. Make sure to choose ringtones or music that the individual enjoys and will respond to.

6. Enter emergency SOS and medical ID
Google and Apple stores enable the smooth and seamless integration of emergency SOS and medical ID into your smartphone. These emergency details simplify how emergency responders react to the medical needs of an elderly loved one. On iPhones, click on the emergency feature on your phone’s lock screen and then click on medical ID. Fill in the required medical details, and tap get started. On Androids, launch the lock screen and click on an emergency call. Tap on the call screen and then view emergency information. Set your emergency and safety information on the settings feature.