- iPhone Tips for Seniors: If you’re looking for an easy-to-use smartphone, the iPhone is the perfect choice. However, certain mobile interfaces can be difficult to use technically. Our staff at Seasons Retirement Villages can help residents with their needs, so they can get the most out of their iPhone. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Make sure your phone is properly charged: Older people often rely on battery life to make decisions about their day-to-day lives. Charging your phone regularly will help ensure that your device is always ready to go.
- Use a compatible app: Certain apps are better suited for older people than others. For example, aARP’s App offers features that are specifically designed for seniors, like personalized advice and discounts on health care services.
- Use voice commands: If you have trouble using touch screens or don’t know how to operate certain apps, voice commands can be a great option. For example, if you need to turn off your lights in your room, say “turn off light.” Or if you want to change channels on your TV, say “change channel.”
iPhone Tips for Seniors
Increase the font size for better readability
To make text on your iPhone larger, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Under Display & Brightness, tap Text Size.
- Drag the slider to make text larger or smaller. ..
If you have an iPhone and need to enlarge text on the screen, you can do so by tapping on “Larger Accessibility Sizes.” This will make the text larger on the iPhone. ..
Teach them to use Siri
- Open the Settings app and navigate to the General tab.
- Scroll down to the bottom and select “Siri.”
- Toggle on “Answer requests in natural language.”
- Click on “OK.”
This will launch the Siri setup page, which will ask the user to utter a few commands so that Siri can get to know them and understand their voice. The elderly person should do this under your supervision so they can learn which orders Siri can interpret.
Enable the “Spoken Content” option
- Open the Settings app and navigate to the General section.
- Scroll down and find the “Text-to-Speech” option.
- Toggle it on and enjoy your reading experience!
Settings on the iPhone are a great place to find and change your preferences for the device.
Tap “Speak Screen” to enable it
To slow down the speech pace on your iPhone, slide a slider located at the bottom of the same screen. When you do this, your iPhone can now read everything on the screen aloud. Make sure to explain how to use that motion to the user and, if necessary, have them write it down. ..
Make the ringing louder on the iPhone
- Open the Settings app and select the General tab.
- Scroll down to the Ringer section and change the ringer level to loud.
- Close the Settings app and your iPhone will now have a louder ringer than before.
The more you move the slider to the right, the louder the phone will ring. You can also change the iPhone’s ringtone to something different, if needed, under the “Ringtone” option.
Set up “Emergency SOS” and teach them how it works
- Open the Settings app and scroll down to the bottom to find the Emergency SOS section.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the Emergency SOS section and press and hold one of the volume buttons on your iPhone 8 or later for two seconds to activate it.
- If you are using an iPhone 6 or earlier, press and hold one of the power buttons for two seconds to activate it.
- If you are using an iPhone 7 or later, press and hold one of the volume buttons for two seconds to activate it.
If you are the senior user of this account and are experiencing an emergency, please tap “Emergency SOS” on the top right of your screen. This will send a message to your emergency contact with all the information needed to find you. ..
Set up “Find my iPhone”
- Open the Settings app and tap on the General tab.
- Scroll down and select “Find my iPhone” from the list of options.
- Toggle the feature on to be active.
This feature allows you to use the “Find My” app on your own iPhone to track this one’s location, even if you and the senior person are in the same Family Sharing group or using the same Apple ID.
Final Words
If you’re a senior citizen looking for an iPhone, the iPhone is a great option. There are several ways to make it easier for seniors to use, if they’re not happy with how it comes out of the box. ..