Tips to make a smartphone more senior-friendly

Dear Savvy Senior: My 79-year-old mom just upgraded from a flip phone to a smartphone, but she’s having trouble figuring it out. Is there a way to make it easier for her to use? — Only Daughter

Dear Only Daughter: Switching from a flip phone to a smartphone can be a big adjustment. What seems second nature to younger users can feel overwhelming to someone who’s never used a touchscreen. Even though the screen is bigger, the text can still be tiny, the buttons hard to tap, and one accidental touch can open an app or change a setting. Even simple tasks like texting or taking a picture can suddenly feel frustrating.

The good news is that smartphones can be surprisingly senior-friendly. Both iPhones and Android phones have built-in accessibility features that make them easier to see, hear and navigate. Here are some of the most helpful settings to look for.

Apple iPhone

If your mom has an Apple iPhone, start by opening Settings, then tap Display and Brightness. From there, she can make the text larger, turn on bold text and use Display Zoom to make icons, buttons and menus bigger.

Even these small changes can make the phone much easier to use.

Accessibility offers several helpful tools. VoiceOver reads whatever is on the screen aloud, Zoom enlarges small text or photos and Voice Control lets her open apps or dictate messages simply by speaking.

For a simpler home screen, try Assistive Access. It creates a clean layout with large buttons and fewer apps, and you can lock it with a passcode so it won’t accidentally switch back. For someone moving from a flip phone, this can make using the phone much less intimidating.

Google Pixel

If your mom uses a Google Pixel, open Settings, then Display and select Display size and text. She can make words, buttons and icons larger and increase color contrast to make everything easier to see.

Swipe gestures can be confusing for first-time smartphone users. Switching to the traditional three-button layout brings back simple on-screen buttons for Home, Back and Recent Apps, making navigation much easier.

In Accessibility, TalkBack can read text aloud, Magnification zooms in on parts of the screen, Live Caption adds subtitles automatically, Sound Amplifier makes soft sounds louder and Voice Access lets her control the phone by speaking.

Samsung Galaxy

If she has a Samsung Galaxy phone, start by turning on Easy Mode. Open Settings, tap Display and turn it on. This enlarges text and icons, simplifies the home screen and adds a slight delay to reduce accidental taps.

She can also adjust font size, screen zoom and switch navigation from gestures to buttons. Accessibility settings improve contrast, offer captions or hearing aid connections and let her operate the phone with voice commands.

Extra tips

Clean up your mom’s home screen by removing apps she doesn’t use and placing her most used apps on the first screen. Choose a simple wallpaper, turn up the ringtone and alert volume, add favorite contacts for one-touch calling and increase the screen timeout so the display stays on longer.

Remember, the goal isn’t to master every feature. Start with the basics — answering calls, sending texts and taking photos — and give her plenty of time to practice. With a few simple adjustments, her smartphone can become a tool she actually enjoys using.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org.