By Jim Miller Savvy Senior
August 6, 2026 - 6:00 am
Dear Savvy Senior: My 79-year-old ma conscionable upgraded from a flip telephone to a smartphone, but she’s having occupation figuring it out. Is determination a mode to marque it easier for her to use? — Only Daughter
Dear Only Daughter: Switching from a flip telephone to a smartphone tin beryllium a large adjustment. What seems 2nd quality to younger users tin consciousness overwhelming to idiosyncratic who’s ne'er utilized a touchscreen. Even though the surface is bigger, the substance tin inactive beryllium tiny, the buttons hard to tap, and 1 accidental interaction tin unfastened an app oregon alteration a setting. Even elemental tasks similar texting oregon taking a representation tin abruptly consciousness frustrating.
The bully quality is that smartphones tin beryllium amazingly senior-friendly. Both iPhones and Android phones person built-in accessibility features that marque them easier to see, perceive and navigate. Here are immoderate of the astir adjuvant settings to look for.
Apple iPhone
If your ma has an Apple iPhone, commencement by opening Settings, past pat Display and Brightness. From there, she tin marque the substance larger, crook connected bold substance and usage Display Zoom to marque icons, buttons and menus bigger.
Even these tiny changes tin marque the telephone overmuch easier to use.
Accessibility offers respective adjuvant tools. VoiceOver reads immoderate is connected the surface aloud, Zoom enlarges tiny substance oregon photos and Voice Control lets her unfastened apps oregon dictate messages simply by speaking.
For a simpler location screen, effort Assistive Access. It creates a cleanable layout with ample buttons and less apps, and you tin fastener it with a passcode truthful it won’t accidentally power back. For idiosyncratic moving from a flip phone, this tin marque utilizing the telephone overmuch little intimidating.
Google Pixel
If your ma uses a Google Pixel, unfastened Settings, past Display and prime Display size and text. She tin marque words, buttons and icons larger and summation colour opposition to marque everything easier to see.
Swipe gestures tin beryllium confusing for first-time smartphone users. Switching to the accepted three-button layout brings backmost elemental on-screen buttons for Home, Back and Recent Apps, making navigation overmuch easier.
In Accessibility, TalkBack tin work substance aloud, Magnification zooms successful connected parts of the screen, Live Caption adds subtitles automatically, Sound Amplifier makes brushed sounds louder and Voice Access lets her power the telephone by speaking.
Samsung Galaxy
If she has a Samsung Galaxy phone, commencement by turning connected Easy Mode. Open Settings, pat Display and crook it on. This enlarges substance and icons, simplifies the location surface and adds a flimsy hold to trim accidental taps.
She tin besides set font size, surface zoom and power navigation from gestures to buttons. Accessibility settings amended contrast, connection captions oregon proceeding assistance connections and fto her run the telephone with dependable commands.
Extra tips
Clean up your mom’s location surface by removing apps she doesn’t usage and placing her astir utilized apps connected the archetypal screen. Choose a elemental wallpaper, crook up the ringtone and alert volume, adhd favourite contacts for one-touch calling and summation the surface timeout truthful the show stays connected longer.
Remember, the extremity isn’t to maestro each feature. Start with the basics — answering calls, sending texts and taking photos — and springiness her plentifulness of clip to practice. With a fewer elemental adjustments, her smartphone tin go a instrumentality she really enjoys using.
Send your elder questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, oregon sojourn SavvySenior.org.
English (US)·