Discover the 20 Best Smartphone Apps for Seniors

In today’s world, technology has become vital to everyday life. There is truly an app for everything – you can utilize an app to get you everything you need.

These apps can be extremely useful for ensuring our senior loved ones feel safe, secure, and connected in their home environment. While we still might occasionally worry about our loved ones and whether or not they are happy and healthy, these smartphone apps go a long way toward peace of mind.

Apps can be useful, but not all of them are necessary for everyone. That is why we’ve split them up based on what purpose they serve seniors. Discover which areas your senior is most in need of assistance and explore the apps that can help them and you feel more secure.

Best Apps for General Everyday Use

• Find my iPhone/Find My Device – Whether they are using an Apple or Android product, there is a free application that allows them to locate their devices. This app is helpful for any senior, especially those diagnosed with memory loss. With this app, your senior, or their caregiver, needs only login to their account on another device to locate the device in question.
• Google Maps “Remember Where I Parked” Feature – When your loved one has parked their car if they open up the free Google Maps app on their phone, there should be a blue dot to signify their current location. Selecting that dot and telling the app that this is their parking location will allow them to find their car later on.
• Magnifying Glass/Flashlight – As we age, our eyesight sometimes decreases. By using their phone’s free magnifying glass app, seniors can make words or images stand out for better visuals. The flashlight app can also be used to help add light which will help a senior to see things better.
• LastPass – With technology comes the pesky task of having multiple passwords for multiple websites or apps. Keeping track of them all is hard on anyone, especially seniors. A great free app to try is LastPass. This app helps seniors out by storing all their passwords in a secure location.
• Snapfish – Taking photos is a big part of life. For seniors, being able to take these photos off of their phones might be a bit of a challenge. Snapfish is an app that allows you to take photos from your phone and turn them into hangable art or photo books. This app is free to download but costs depending on what you choose to create.

Best Apps for Entertainment

• Spotify – One of the most popular ways for anyone to get music through their phone is from Spotify. This free music listening option also has a wide variety of podcasts.
• TV Streaming Apps – Being able to watch TV or movies while on the go could be a game changer for many seniors. The variety of free-to-download apps ensures that all seniors can find that perfect form of entertainment. Just be aware that most streaming platforms require a paid subscription once you’ve downloaded their apps.
• Social Media Apps – There are a few ways that seniors can get their news and connect with their loved ones. The most popular apps for seniors are Facebook and Instagram, but there is also Twitter and TikTok. All of them are free to use.
• Audible/Kindle – For those seniors who find it hard to read words on a screen or page but still want to enjoy books, there is Amazon’s audiobook app, Audible. For those who can still manage an ebook reader, there is the ever-popular Amazon app, Kindle. Both apps are free to download but require money to purchase the books individually. Some public libraries have ebook options that can be directly sent to Kindle apps.
• Game Apps – Games are always a fun way for seniors to remain entertained, especially if they are unable to easily attend public events. These games can also assist your loved ones with mental acuity and fine motor skills. There are a variety of games that cater to all sorts of interests. Most are free and offer in-app purchases should your loved one desire.

Best Apps for Health Monitoring

• GoodRx – Many seniors live on a limited budget which doesn’t help when they have multiple medications to pay for. The great thing about GoodRx is that it’s a free app that offers up coupons on a wide range of medications. Often, these coupons reduce prescription costs to only a couple of dollars each.
• Lively – Lively is a free app that serves as an urgent-response option. With one tap, the app connects you to an agent who can assist you when you feel unsafe, have fallen, or are experiencing a medical emergency. This can be ideal for seniors who live alone or only have part-time home care. GPS tracking allows the responders to accurately locate where you are.
• MyFitnessPal – This app has been lauded as the best app to help individuals track their diet. With access to a large database of food information, seniors can accurately log what they’ve eaten. This free app also syncs with over 50 other apps, such as a smartwatch, to give your loved one a full health picture.
• SmartBP – This free blood pressure app helps seniors track their blood pressure measurements and track their progress. It can be synced with Apple’s Health app or the Google Fit app, and it even shows charts and breakdowns, helping them stay proactive about their blood pressure.
• Pacer – Seniors can use this free app to discover new walking routes, track their friends’ steps, and participate in challenges. If your loved one wishes, they can also use Pacer to track what they eat. The app can even be paired with a smartwatch to find more accurate results.

Best Apps For Seniors to Stay Connected

• AARP Now – This app allows seniors to connect to local events with other seniors. The free AARP Now app also provides access to senior-specific news and more. Seniors can enable push notifications to receive alerts on nearby events and promotions so they always stay involved in their local community.
• Lyft/Uber – Often, seniors want to go to local events or get-togethers with friends and family but are unable to drive themselves. Downloading the Uber or Lyft apps is an easy way for seniors to purchase a ride from someone in the area. The app is free to download, but each ride has a rate dependent on the distance.
• Video Chat Apps – A great way for your senior loved ones to stay in touch with their friends and families is by downloading any one of the many video chat apps available. Most of these apps are free and simple to use. Just be sure your senior’s device has a camera before seeking this option.
• Facebook Messenger – If your senior has a Facebook account, another great way for them to stay in touch with their friends and family is through the app’s free messenger add-on. This service is a lot like texting, where your senior can send messages, videos, and images to their loved ones.
• Words with Friends – While playing games on your phone can be fun as a solitary event, there is one that allows seniors to play against others within their friend circle. Words with Friends is a free game application that allows users to play an interactive Scrabble-like game between two people. The app made the news when a 22-year-old man befriended an 81-year-old woman when they became opponents in-game.

Accessible’s Winning Technology Solutions

Accessible is more than happy to offer a variety of technology health solutions and services as well. We offer the CareCaller™, Remote Care Management services, Remote Physical Therapy options, and Brain Health Management to all our seniors and their families. These services can make a huge difference in your loved one’s quality of life. If you wish to learn more, contact us today.