10 Easy Smartphone Tips Every Senior Should Know
Smartphones are incredibly powerful — and yes, they can feel overwhelming at first. But here's the truth: you don't need to know everything. You just need to know a few things really well. These ten tips will help you feel more confident and in control every time you pick up your phone.
Whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone, the basics are the same. Take it one step at a time, be patient with yourself, and remember — even younger people get confused by technology. You're not alone, and every question is a good one.
1. Make the text bigger so it's easy to read
Small print strains your eyes and makes the phone more frustrating. You can make all the text on your phone bigger in just a few taps. On an iPhone, go to Settings → Display & Brightness → Text Size and slide the bar to the right. On Android, go to Settings → Display → Font Size and choose "Large" or "Largest." Once you do this, everything — emails, messages, website text — gets easier to read.
2. Learn the one button that fixes almost everything: restart
If your phone is acting strange — an app won't open, the screen is frozen, something just looks wrong — restarting it solves the problem about 80% of the time. To restart an iPhone, press and hold the side button and either volume button until a slider appears, then slide to power off. Wait 10 seconds, then press the side button again to turn it back on. On Android, press and hold the power button and tap "Restart." Think of it like a nap for your phone — it wakes up refreshed.
3. Use the volume buttons on the side for quick control
The two small buttons on the side of your phone control the volume. Press the top one to make things louder, press the bottom one to make things quieter. This works for calls, music, and videos. If you accidentally put your phone on silent (a common frustration!), look for a small switch on the upper left edge of an iPhone — flip it toward the screen to turn sound back on. You'll see a small orange stripe when it's silenced.
4. Connect to Wi-Fi at home to save your data
Your phone can use two types of internet: your home Wi-Fi (free and fast) or cellular data (limited and potentially costly). At home, always use Wi-Fi. On an iPhone, go to Settings → Wi-Fi and tap your home network name, then enter the password. On Android, it's Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi. Once you connect, your phone will remember and reconnect automatically every time you're home.
5. Ask Siri or Google Assistant to dial for you
You don't have to search for a contact to make a call. Just hold the home button (or say "Hey Siri" on iPhone, or "Hey Google" on Android) and say: "Call Mary" or "Call my daughter."The phone will dial for you. This is especially helpful if your hands are full, your screen is hard to see, or you simply find typing names slow and frustrating. Voice commands work for setting reminders, checking the weather, and sending texts too.
6. Learn how to answer and end a video call
FaceTime (iPhone) and Google Duo or WhatsApp (both iPhone and Android) let you see the person you're talking to — which many families love for staying connected. When a video call comes in, you'll see a green button with a camera icon. Tap it to answer. To hang up, look for the red button — it might say "End" or show a phone icon pointing downward. Don't worry if the camera is pointed at the ceiling at first. Everyone does that at the beginning.
7. Keep your apps up to date
App updates fix problems and add improvements — think of them like tune-ups for the programs on your phone. On an iPhone, open the App Store, tap your picture in the top right corner, and scroll down to see available updates. Tap "Update All" to install them at once. On Android, open the Play Store, tap your picture, then tap "Manage apps & device" → "Update all." Doing this once a month keeps everything running smoothly.
8. Use the camera to remember things
Your phone's camera is one of its most useful tools — and not just for family photos. Take a picture of a medication label before your doctor appointment. Photograph your parking spot so you remember where you left the car. Snap a picture of an instruction sheet or a recipe instead of copying it down. The camera app is usually right on your home screen. Tap it, point, and press the big white or grey button. It's that simple.
9. Charge your phone every night
A dead battery is one of the most common reasons a phone "stops working." Make it a nightly habit: plug your phone in before bed, just like you might charge a hearing aid or a medical device. The small port on the bottom of the phone is where the charger cable goes. If the phone won't charge, make sure the cable is fully clicked in on both ends. Modern phones can't be damaged by charging overnight — it's perfectly safe to leave it plugged in all night.
10. Protect yourself: never give your password over the phone
This one could save you a lot of heartache. No real company — not Apple, not your bank, not Medicare — will ever call you and ask for your password, your Social Security number, or gift card numbers. If you get a call like that, hang up. If you get a scary pop-up saying your phone is infected and you must call a number immediately, ignore it and restart your phone (see Tip 2). When in doubt, call a family member or a trusted person before doing anything.
When you'd like a patient guide by your side
Tips on a page are a great start. But sometimes what really helps is having a real person walk you through something step by step — someone who moves at your pace, never makes you feel rushed, and answers every question without sighing.
That's exactly what Kindly offers. For $29 per session, you get one-on-one help from a friendly, patient tech helper over the phone or video call. Whether it's setting up a new phone, learning to video call the grandkids, or figuring out why something stopped working — we'll sort it out together, at your speed, with zero judgment.
Many seniors tell us a single session answered six months of questions. There's no contract, no subscription required, and you can book a session anytime you hit a wall.
You've already taken a great first step by reading this guide. Technology gets easier with practice — and with the right support. Take it one tip at a time, and don't be hard on yourself when something doesn't click right away. That's normal. You've got this.
Get patient, one-on-one smartphone help — $29
Real human support, at your pace, with no jargon. One session covers whatever's stumping you right now — from setting up a new phone to mastering video calls.