If you’re one of the 87% of older people using a smartphone, you’ll love our list of the best apps for the elderly. They could help make your life that little bit easier.
Best health and fitness apps for the elderly
Be My Eyes
Free
Be My Eyes is a helpful app for people who may have visual impairments. It connects you with a community of volunteers who can lend their eyesight to support you in many ways. They’re on hand to help with:
- Reading small print
- Seeing and matching colours
- Reading labels and instructions
- Navigating home appliances, TV screens, and operating machines
- Picking out clothes or jewellery
With three million volunteers at their disposal, the service is open 24/7 for calls.
Pillboxie
£1.99
It can be difficult to organise and remember medications, but the Pillboxie app is an easy way to arrange your pills virtually. You can customise the colour and shape of your meds in the app, making them look like the real-life thing. Then you can arrange the pills by dropping them into the designated day in your virtual pill box.
Once you’ve entered all your pills for the week, the app records this and sets reminders to alert you each day and time. You can then tick off when you’ve taken it to keep track. Better yet - you don’t need a network connection.
Though this is exclusive to Apple devices, there is a similar app for Android.
Blood Pressure Monitor
Free - offers in-app purchases
It’s common for many older people to monitor their blood pressure, or to take blood pressure tablets. With this app, you can track your blood pressure whenever you like, letting you keep an eye on your health. You can also measure your weight and temperature!
The app does a great job of visualising your health through charts and reports. You can choose to share all this data with your doctor to show your progress over time.
Pocket Physio
Free
If you’ve recently had hip, knee, foot, or hand surgery, this physio app helps you recover at home through exercise. If you haven’t had surgery, you can still use this app to do some gentle movements throughout the day to stay fit.
The app also includes:
- Breathing exercises (why not try meditation?)
- Advice on managing pain
- How to walk with a frame or crutches
- Bathing tips
- Ways to get in and out of vehicles
Best social apps for the elderly
Simple Social
Free - offers in-app purchases
This app is designed to create a simpler, less cluttered, and more enjoyable experience on social media.
Facebook, for example, is usually packed with posts and pictures that aren’t always relevant or coherent. But if you use Facebook through the Simple Social app, you’ll find a simplified, clutter-free interface that lets you browse more easily. This can be helpful for people who feel overwhelmed by very busy webpages or struggle with their sight. It also reduces the amount of battery power the normal version uses up.
Best lifestyle apps for the elderly
Find My iPhone / Find My Device
Free
As the names suggest, these apps are phone locators - Find My iPhone for Apple, and Find My Device for Androids. These are vital if you lose your phone or if it’s stolen. Not only can you find your phone using this app, but you can also remotely lock or wipe the data to keep your information safe.
Learn more about keeping your smartphone data safe.
Amazon Alexa
Free
Amazon Alexa is an AI (artificial intelligence), which is a virtual device that can complete tasks for you.
Once activated, you can make virtual, hands-free commands by simply saying “Alexa” and a task. For example “Alexa, set a timer for ten minutes”, or “Alexa, play [a song or album of your choice]”, or set up a shopping list that can sync with your smartphone’s app. You can also ask for the weather or news updates.
Alexa can also link to some smart appliances in your home (if you have any!). The AI can turn lights on and off for you, as an example.
Find My Parked Car
Free - offers in-app purchases
As you’ve probably guessed, this app allows you to find exactly where you parked your car. By using this you won’t have to remember where you left it or risk wandering around a large car park in search of your vehicle.
After you’ve parked, you can simply open the app and press the ‘park’ button. The app will then save your location and lead you back to your vehicle when needed. You can also add additional notes to the saved location, such as the floor number, how much money parking costs, or the street name.
Personal Capital
Free
If you need an app to help you track and manage your retirement funds, then Personal Capital could be the one for you. This app allows you to watch your investments and other finances to get your retirement savings on track.
Charts and graphs allow you to see your total income, expenditures, and budget each month, so you can properly manage your retirement money.
Money on your mind? There’s plenty of other money saving apps and ways to save money.
Best games and entertainment apps for the elderly
Lumosity
Free - offers in-app purchases
The Lumosity app is a cognitive training game that encourages you to keep your brain active.
There are over 40 activities and challenges to work through. They focus on a variety of skills, including:
- Memory
- Logic
- Problem-solving
- Language and vocabulary
- Mathematics
- Speed
The games also record your personal strengths and weaknesses by assessing your cognitive patterns. This way, you can see which parts of your brain might be functioning slower than others, and choose to improve this area.
Scrabble
Free - offers in-app purchases
Scrabble is a firm family favourite and one of the most popular word games around. With the app you can play against the computer, a loved-one, or with others from around the world.
Scrabble helps keep your mind sharp, as it forces you to recollect words and to solve small anagrams. With the app you can also:
- Collect customisable tiles to personalise the board
- Compete in fun and challenging game modes (like duels, word drop, tumbler, and rush)
- Climb the online leaderboard
- Track your own stats on your profile page
Other great apps for the elderly
Magnifying Glass + Flashlight
Free - offers in-app purchases
This app is simple but handy for zooming in on small text, like restaurant menus, prescription bottles, serial numbers, and more. Simply point your phone’s camera at what you need to read, and the app will magnify it for you. It also activates the flashlight in dimly-lit locations, so you don’t have to worry about trying to find light.
Discover more
On the hunt for a new phone? Check out the best phones for seniors. Why not pair your device with one of our great-value SIM-only deals? Or, if you prefer more flexibility, order a free SIM and start your pay as you go journey with us today.
