Use a simplified launcher like “BIG Launcher”, not the confusing default Android homescreen
Your Phone’s First-Aid Kit, Not Its Junk Drawer
Imagine trying to find a band-aid in a messy, overflowing junk drawer filled with tiny screws, old batteries, and cryptic tools. That’s the default Android screen for a beginner. A simplified launcher is like a perfectly organized first-aid kit. It has huge, clearly labeled buttons for “Call,” “Messages,” and “SOS.” Everything is easy to see, easy to read, and impossible to get lost in. It transforms a confusing gadget into a reliable lifeline, replacing the user’s frustration with pure confidence and a feeling of control.
Stop letting your kids install anything they want. Do use Google Family Link to approve or block app installations instead
The Digital Permission Slip
You wouldn’t let your child go on any school field trip without signing a permission slip first. Yet, letting them have free reign over the app store is like letting them go anywhere, anytime, with anyone. Google Family Link is the digital permission slip. When your child wants to install a new app, you get a notification on your phone. You can see what the app is, decide if it’s appropriate, and then approve or deny it. It’s the simple, powerful gatekeeper that lets you parent in the digital world just as you do in the real one.
Stop squinting at tiny text. Do increase the “Font size” and “Display size” in the main settings for better readability
Get the Large-Print Edition of Your Phone
Handing someone a phone with default text size is like giving them a book with tiny, dense print. They have to squint and strain just to make out the words. Increasing the “Font size” and “Display size” is like instantly swapping that book for the large-print edition. Suddenly, all the text is big, bold, and comfortable to read. Icons become larger and easier to tap. This isn’t just a feature; it’s a revelation that transforms the phone from a frustrating tablet of hieroglyphics into a clear and accessible window to the world.
The #1 secret for a safe experience for kids is setting up a restricted profile on an Android tablet, not just handing them your phone
Their Own Room, Not the Master Keys to the House
Handing your child your unlocked phone is like giving them the master keys to the entire house. They can wander into your office, read your mail, and break your expensive things. A restricted profile on a tablet is like giving them their very own bedroom. You get to choose the toys (apps) that go inside, the TV channels (content) they can watch, and they can’t get into any of the grown-up rooms. It gives them a wonderful sense of ownership and freedom within a space that you have made perfectly safe for them.
I’m just going to say it: The standard Android interface is far too complex for a true beginner or an elderly user
A Pilot’s Cockpit vs. a Car’s Dashboard
The standard Android interface is like the cockpit of a 747 jet. It’s a dizzying array of tiny buttons, mysterious symbols, and complex menus, powerful for a trained pilot but completely overwhelming for everyone else. What a beginner needs is the dashboard of a simple, automatic car: a big steering wheel, a gas pedal, and a brake. A properly configured phone with a simple launcher provides that clarity, removing the hundred intimidating switches and leaving only the essential controls needed to get where they want to go.
The reason your elderly parent keeps getting scammed is because their phone is full of notifications from malicious apps, not because they are careless
A Mailbox Overflowing with Fake “Urgent” Notices
Imagine if every day, your parent’s mailbox was stuffed with official-looking letters flashing “URGENT!” and “FINAL NOTICE!,” all designed to look like real bills or warnings. It would be incredibly confusing. That’s what their phone’s notification panel is like. Malicious apps send a constant stream of fake virus warnings and prize notifications. Cleaning up these notifications and deleting the bad apps is like clearing out all that junk mail. The scams stop because the deceptive messages can no longer reach their front door.
If you’re still writing down passwords for a relative, you’re doing them a disservice by not setting up a simple PIN or pattern unlock
A Simple Key, Not a Secret Handshake
A long, complicated password is like a secret handshake that changes every month. It’s impossible to remember and a source of constant frustration. A simple PIN or a pattern unlock is like a sturdy, old-fashioned key to the front door. It’s easy to remember, simple to use, and provides excellent security for most people. By setting up a PIN, you are taking away the stressful memory test and handing them a single, reliable key that will always let them into their digital home.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need an expensive, complicated phone. A simple budget phone is often better for basic needs
The Chef’s Knife vs. the Butter Knife
A thousand-dollar flagship phone is like a set of razor-sharp, professional chef’s knives. They are incredible tools for a master chef, but they are unnecessary and dangerously complex if all you want to do is make a peanut butter sandwich. A simple, budget Android phone is the perfect butter knife. It does the basic jobs—calling, texting, taking photos—perfectly and without any intimidating complexity. For a beginner, the “best” phone isn’t the one with the most features; it’s the one that’s most comfortable to hold.
I wish I knew about the “Accessibility Menu” when I was setting up my grandma’s phone; it provides large, easy-to-press buttons for common functions
The Handy Multi-Tool on the Countertop
Common phone tasks like taking a screenshot or adjusting the volume can be like trying to find the right tool in a messy garage. The Accessibility Menu is like a handy multi-tool that sits right on the screen at all times. Tapping it opens a panel of large, simple buttons for “Power,” “Volume,” and “Recent Apps.” It’s a game-changer for anyone who struggles with pressing small physical buttons or remembering complex gestures, placing all the most important tools within a single, easy tap.
99% of beginners make this one mistake: granting every permission an app asks for without understanding what it means
Handing Out Keys to Your House
When a new app asks for permission to access your contacts, microphone, or location, it’s like a stranger knocking on your door and asking for a key to your house, your car, and your filing cabinet. A beginner, wanting to be helpful, often just hands over all the keys. It is crucial to explain that it’s okay to say “no.” A simple weather app doesn’t need a key to your contacts. This one piece of knowledge changes them from a trusting victim into a savvy homeowner.
This one small action of adding direct dial widgets for family members to the homescreen will make calling for help incredibly easy forever
The Return of the Speed Dial Button
Remember old landline phones with a few big buttons you could program to instantly call family? A direct dial widget is the modern, super-powered version of that. You can place a widget on the homescreen with a person’s picture on it. When they want to call their daughter or a doctor, they don’t need to find the phone app, search for contacts, and then press call. They just tap the smiling face on their screen. It’s the most direct, reassuring, and simplest way to connect.
Use “App pinning” to lock the screen to a single app before handing your phone to a child
The Coloring Book, Not the Entire Library
Handing your phone to a child is like letting them into a giant library. They might start in the kids’ section, but they can easily wander into the adult stacks or the librarian’s private office. App pinning is like giving them a single, fascinating coloring book and locking the library doors. They can explore every page of that one app to their heart’s content, but they can’t exit it to read your emails, make accidental purchases, or post gibberish on your social media.
Stop just giving your kids a phone. Do have a conversation with them about online safety and screen time limits
Handing Over the Keys vs. Teaching Them to Drive
Giving a child a smartphone without any rules or guidance is like tossing them the keys to a powerful car and saying, “Good luck!” You would never do that. You enroll them in driver’s ed, teach them the rules of the road, and set clear limits on where and when they can drive. A phone requires the same parenting. The conversation about what’s safe to share, who it’s safe to talk to, and when it’s time to put the phone away is the most important driving lesson you can provide.
Stop using a complex weather app. Do use the simple “At a Glance” widget on the homescreen
Looking Out the Window, Not Reading a Weather Almanac
A full-featured weather app is like a dense, scientific meteorologist’s almanac, full of charts, graphs, and confusing data. For most people, this is total overkill. The “At a Glance” widget is simply the act of looking out the window. It sits at the top of the screen and quietly tells you the most important information: the current temperature and if it’s sunny or raining. It provides 90% of what a user actually needs to know, with zero effort and zero confusion.
The #1 hack for preventing accidental purchases is requiring a password for every single Google Play transaction
The Manager’s Approval
Leaving the Play Store open for purchases is like leaving a cash register drawer wide open in a room full of curious kids. It’s an invitation for trouble. By going into the settings and requiring a password for every single purchase, you are essentially making that cash register automatically lock after every transaction. To open it again, even for a “free” app with in-app purchases, you need the manager’s key (your password). This single setting is the ultimate defense against accidental “but I thought it was free!” charges.
I’m just going to say it: The sheer number of pre-installed bloatware apps on many phones is confusing and overwhelming for new users
A New House Filled With Someone Else’s Junk
Getting a new phone should be like moving into a clean, empty house. Instead, many phones come filled with dozens of pre-installed “bloatware” apps from the carrier and manufacturer. It’s like moving into a new house and finding it cluttered with someone else’s ugly furniture, weird gadgets, and things you’ll never use. For a new user, this is incredibly confusing. They don’t know what’s essential and what’s junk, turning an exciting new device into a stressful and overwhelming mess from the very start.
The reason your phone’s storage is full is because WhatsApp is automatically downloading every photo and video from group chats
A Mail Slot That Piles Junk in Your Hallway
Imagine your apartment’s mail slot was a giant chute, and every single flyer, cat photo, and video that anyone in the building received was automatically dumped in a giant pile in your hallway. Your home would be full of junk in days. That’s the default setting for WhatsApp. By going into the settings and turning off automatic media downloads, you are installing a proper mailbox. Now, you can look at the photos and videos, but you get to choose which ones you actually want to bring inside your house.
If you’re still using the default cluttered notification panel, you’re not helping a new user by turning off notifications for non-essential apps
The Doorbell That Only Rings for Guests
The default notification panel is a doorbell that rings for everything: a package delivery, a solicitor, a leaf falling on the porch. It’s a constant source of noise and anxiety. For a new user, you must become the security guard. By long-pressing on a notification from a game or shopping app and turning it off, you are telling the system, “Don’t ring the bell for this person anymore.” Soon, the doorbell only rings for important things—a text from family or a calendar reminder—transforming it from a nuisance into a genuinely helpful tool.
The biggest lie is that seniors don’t want or can’t use smartphones. They just need them to be set up properly
They Need an Automatic, Not a Stick-Shift
Saying a senior can’t use a smartphone is like saying they can’t learn to drive because their first lesson was in a complicated, stick-shift race car. Of course they were frustrated! Nobody can drive that without training. But if you give them the keys to a simple, automatic car with a clear dashboard and big windows, they can learn to drive just fine. A properly configured smartphone—with large text, a simple layout, and no clutter—is the automatic car they should have been given in the first place.
I wish I knew about Google Family Link’s location tracking feature for keeping an eye on my kids
The Digital “Check-In” Call
Remember the days of calling your kids and asking them to “check-in” to let you know they got to their friend’s house safely? Family Link’s location feature is the automatic, stress-free version of that call. With a quick glance at your own phone, you can see that your child has arrived safely at school or soccer practice. It’s not about spying; it’s about that incredible peace of mind that comes from knowing where your loved ones are, replacing the “I wonder if they’re okay?” anxiety with calm reassurance.
99% of parents don’t use the content restriction settings in the Play Store to block mature apps and movies
The Gate Between the Kids’ Section and the Adult Section
The Google Play Store is a massive library that contains both delightful children’s books and graphic, adult-only novels. Not using the content restrictions is like letting your child wander the entire library without any supervision. By going into the settings, you can install a gate that locks them safely in the children’s section. You can set the ratings for apps, games, and movies you deem appropriate, ensuring that even when they browse on their own, they can’t accidentally stumble into a section of the library they aren’t ready for.
This one small habit of cleaning up the homescreen, leaving only 5-6 essential apps, will reduce confusion for a new user forever
A Clean Desk vs. a Cluttered Desk
A standard homescreen is a desk buried under piles of paper, dozens of pens, and random office supplies. It’s impossible to find what you need and stressful to even look at. Cleaning up that homescreen is like clearing the entire desk, leaving only a single pen, a clean notepad, and a lamp. By removing all the clutter and leaving only the absolute essentials—Phone, Messages, Camera, Photos, and maybe Weather—you create a calm, focused workspace where the right tool is always obvious and within reach.
Use the “magnification” gesture to let a user with poor eyesight zoom in on any part of the screen
The On-Demand Magnifying Glass
For someone with poor eyesight, parts of the phone screen can be like the fine print on a medicine bottle. Enabling the magnification gesture in the accessibility settings is like giving them a magical, built-in magnifying glass that they can use on anything. With a simple triple-tap on the screen, they can instantly zoom in on a confusing icon, a small photo, or a piece of text, read it comfortably, and then zoom back out. It empowers them to investigate and understand their digital world without constantly asking for help.
Stop letting YouTube be a babysitter. Do use the YouTube Kids app instead for curated, age-appropriate content
A Safe Playground vs. a Giant City
Letting a child browse the main YouTube app is like dropping them in the middle of a giant, chaotic city and hoping they don’t wander down any dark alleys. The YouTube Kids app is a purpose-built, fenced-in playground. The content is algorithmically filtered and human-curated to be age-appropriate, the comments are turned off, and the ads are vetted. It provides the entertainment and discovery your child loves, but within a safe, controlled environment where you don’t have to worry about what they might see next.
Stop just setting up the phone. Do sit down with the new user and walk them through the 3 most important apps they will use
The First Driving Lesson
Giving someone a fully set-up phone is like giving them a car with a full tank of gas and the keys in the ignition. It’s ready to go, but they still don’t know how to drive. You must provide the first lesson. Sit with them and walk them through the three most vital “apps” for their life: How to make and answer a phone call. How to send a text message to a family member. And how to open the camera and take a picture. Mastering these three simple tasks is the foundation for all future confidence.
The #1 secret for a beginner-friendly phone is a device with a clean, stock version of Android, like a Pixel or Nokia
A Simple Meal Kit vs. a Complicated Buffet
Buying a phone with a heavily modified version of Android is like going to a chaotic buffet with a hundred different confusing and unlabeled dishes. Buying a phone with stock Android is like getting a simple, elegant meal kit. It comes with only the high-quality, essential ingredients and a clear set of instructions. There’s no junk, no confusing extras, and no frustrating manufacturer apps you can’t remove. It’s the purest, simplest, and most user-friendly starting point for anyone new to the world of smartphones.
I’m just going to say it: The gesture navigation system is counter-intuitive for many older users who grew up with physical buttons
A Door with a Hidden Handle vs. a Door with a Big Knob
The modern gesture navigation system is like a sleek, futuristic door with no visible handle. You’re supposed to just “know” the secret way to wave your hand to make it open. For many beginners, this is confusing and frustrating. The classic 3-button navigation—Back, Home, and Recents—is a simple door with a big, obvious handle, a deadbolt, and a clear “push” sign. Each button has a single, understandable purpose. It might look less modern, but it’s infinitely more reassuring and usable for someone who wants clarity over cleverness.
The reason a senior can’t hear their phone is that the ringer volume is turned all the way down. Show them the physical volume buttons
The Radio That’s Too Quiet
When a senior says they can’t hear their phone ring, the problem is almost never the phone itself. It’s like they’re trying to listen to a radio, but they don’t realize someone has turned the volume knob all the way down. Your first job is to ignore the complex software settings and simply show them the physical volume buttons on the side of the phone. Explaining “this button makes it louder, this one makes it quieter” is the simple, physical solution that solves the problem 99% of the time.
If you’re still using a phone with a tiny screen, you’re making it harder for someone with vision or touch-coordination issues
Writing a Letter on a Postage Stamp
Asking a senior or someone with motor skill issues to use a small phone is like asking them to write a detailed letter on the back of a postage stamp. There’s no room for error. The text is impossible to read, and their fingers can’t accurately hit the tiny keyboard letters. A larger screen is a full sheet of paper. It provides a big, forgiving canvas where text is clear, and the buttons are large targets that are easy to see and tap successfully.
The biggest lie is that a “senior phone” with physical buttons is better than a well-configured smartphone
A Calculator vs. a Computer
A “senior phone” is like a simple calculator. It does one thing—make calls—and it does it well. But it can’t show you a picture of your grandkids, give you driving directions, or let you video call a loved one. A well-configured smartphone is like a simple, easy-to-use computer. It can do all of those amazing things that actually connect them to their family and the world. Don’t limit their potential with a calculator when what they really need is a properly set-up computer.
I wish I knew that I could set up my parent’s phone to have the flashlight turn on by shaking it
The Magic Wand for Light
Fumbling in the dark for the right icon to turn on the flashlight is a pain for anyone. But you can often set up a simple gesture—like two quick “karate chop” motions or a shake—to instantly turn on the flashlight. This is like turning the phone into a magic wand. Instead of a complex spell, they just give it a little shake, and light appears. It’s an incredibly satisfying and practical trick that makes them feel like they have a superpower.
99% of users don’t set up the “Emergency Information” feature on the lock screen with medical details and contacts
The Digital Medical Alert Bracelet
A medical alert bracelet is a lifesaver because it gives first responders critical information when a person can’t speak for themselves. The “Emergency Information” feature is the modern, digital version of that bracelet. You can add allergies, blood type, and emergency contacts that are accessible from the lock screen without needing to unlock the phone. Taking five minutes to set this up could be the most important thing you ever do on a phone, turning it from a communication device into a genuine life-saving tool.
This one small action of turning on “Caller ID and spam protection” will prevent most scam calls from ever ringing
The Bouncer for Your Phone
Answering a phone with no caller ID is like opening your front door to every single person who knocks, day or night. You’re bound to let in some trouble. Turning on the built-in spam protection is like hiring a bouncer for your phone. The phone system checks every incoming call against a massive list of known troublemakers. Most of the scammers and robocallers are turned away at the door, and your phone never even rings. The only calls that get through are the ones that likely matter.
Use a simplified keyboard with large keys, not the default Gboard with its many settings
A Child’s Piano vs. a Concert Grand
The default phone keyboard is a concert grand piano—an amazing tool with 88 keys, pedals, and complex features for a professional. For a beginner, it’s just an intimidating sea of tiny buttons. A simplified keyboard with extra-large keys is like a child’s first piano. The keys are big, chunky, and easy to hit. It might not have all the fancy features, but it allows the user to successfully play the notes they intend to, which builds the confidence they need to start writing their own songs.
Stop letting a new user browse the web without an ad-blocker. Do set up a private DNS like AdGuard DNS for them
A Guided Tour vs. a Walk Through a Minefield
Letting a new user browse the modern internet is like sending them on a walk through a minefield of pop-up ads, fake download buttons, and confusing clutter. It’s an anxiety-inducing nightmare. Setting up a system-wide ad blocker is like giving them a personal guide who magically clears the path ahead. The ads and trackers simply vanish. The web becomes a cleaner, faster, and dramatically safer place, allowing them to read an article or browse a website without being constantly harassed.
Stop just telling them how to do something. Do write down simple, step-by-step instructions for them
The Recipe Card
When you teach someone a new recipe, you don’t just tell them the ingredients and walk away. You write it down for them on a recipe card so they can follow it again later. Do the same thing for technology. After you show them how to send a photo, write it down in a small notebook in simple steps: 1. Open Messages. 2. Tap on Mom’s name. 3. Tap the little picture icon. This notebook becomes their personal tech recipe book, empowering them to succeed even when you’re not there.
The #1 hack for a kid’s phone is a rugged, durable case with a built-in screen protector
The Helmet and Pads for Their First Bike
You would never let your child learn to ride a bike without a helmet and pads. You know they are going to fall, and you want to protect them and their bike from damage. A kid’s first phone is their first digital bike, and they are absolutely going to drop it. A rugged, military-grade case with a built-in screen protector is the non-negotiable helmet and full set of pads. It’s the one purchase that will save you hundreds of dollars in screen repairs and keep the device running for years.
I’m just going to say it: Giving a young child unrestricted access to a smartphone is a parenting failure
The Keys to the Car, the House, and the World
Giving a child a smartphone without any restrictions, monitoring, or guidance is not a gift; it’s a profound act of negligence. It’s like handing a 10-year-old the keys to your car, the keys to the house, a credit card with no limit, and a map to every dark alley in the world. The potential for danger, exposure to inappropriate content, and addiction is immense. A phone is a tool that requires teaching, trust, and strict boundaries, just like any other powerful and adult responsibility.
The reason a new user is frustrated is they don’t understand the difference between a tap, a long-press, and a swipe
The Knock, the Ring, and the Handle
Imagine a door. A quick “tap” is like knocking. A “long-press” is like holding down the doorbell to see who’s inside. A “swipe” is like turning the handle to open the door. To a beginner, these are all just “touching the screen,” but they are three completely different actions with different results. Taking a moment to explain this “secret language” of touch is a breakthrough. It’s the key that unlocks their ability to interact with their new world intentionally, rather than by frustrated, random chance.
If you’re still letting your child use your main YouTube account, your recommendations are about to be ruined forever
The Cartoonist Who Repaints Your Art Gallery
Your YouTube account is like your own personal, carefully curated art gallery. Your recommendations are filled with the documentaries, music, and tutorials that you love. Letting your child use your account is like hiring a cartoonist to come in and repaint every single one of your masterpieces with cartoon characters. For the next six months, every time you visit your gallery, it will suggest more and more cartoons, burying your own interests under an avalanche of content you have no desire to see.
The biggest lie is that technology is intuitive. It’s only intuitive if you’ve grown up with it
The “Intuitive” Car
No one is born knowing how to drive a car. We don’t just sit down and “intuitively” know that the left pedal is the brake or that you have to turn a key to start the engine. We learn. Technology is exactly the same. The concept of “swiping” or a “settings” icon is only intuitive because we have spent decades learning that visual language. For a true beginner, it’s a completely foreign country with new customs. They don’t need intuition; they need a friendly and patient tour guide.
I wish I knew about setting screen time limits and a “bedtime” for my kids’ devices through Family Link
The Friendly Curfew for the Digital World
As a parent, you set a curfew. You know that at a certain hour, it’s time to be home, wind down, and get ready for bed. Family Link allows you to set that exact same, sensible rule for the digital world. You can set a daily limit for how long the “playground” is open, and you can set a “bedtime” where the device automatically locks for the night. It’s not about punishment; it’s the digital equivalent of saying, “Okay, playtime is over, time to brush your teeth.”
99% of beginners don’t know how to close apps from the “recent apps” screen, leaving dozens open
The House with All the Lights On
Not closing your recent apps is like walking through your house, and every time you leave a room, you leave the lights on, the TV blaring, and the faucet running. One or two isn’t a problem, but after a while, you have dozens of things running in the background. This can slow the phone down and use up battery. Showing a new user how to swipe up from the bottom and “swipe away” the open windows is like showing them how to turn off the lights when they leave a room.
This one small habit of scheduling a weekly “tech help” call with an elderly relative will solve small problems before they become big frustrations
The Regular Oil Change for Their Car
You wouldn’t let your parent drive their car for years without ever checking the oil. That’s how small problems become catastrophic failures. A scheduled, weekly tech-help call is that regular maintenance. It’s a calm, no-pressure time to ask, “How’s the phone working? Anything weird happening?” This allows you to fix a small issue, like a notification they don’t understand, before it festers into a giant, stressful frustration that makes them want to give up on the technology entirely.
Use voice commands for everything possible, not forcing a new user to type
The Personal Scribe
For someone who struggles with a tiny keyboard, typing a simple text message can be a monumental challenge. Using voice commands is like giving them a personal scribe. Instead of painstakingly tapping out each letter, they can simply speak their message, and the phone will write it down for them. This is true for sending texts, asking for the weather, or setting an alarm. It bypasses the biggest physical barrier for many new users, turning a frustrating task into a simple conversation.
Stop using a complicated password. Do use a simple, memorable PIN for lock screen security
A Key, Not a Combination Lock
A complex password with upper-case letters, numbers, and symbols is a high-security combination lock. It’s great for a bank vault, but it’s overkill and frustrating for a front door. A simple 4 or 6-digit PIN is a good, old-fashioned key. It’s easy to remember, quick to use, and provides more than enough security to keep the average person out. For a beginner, the goal is security that they will actually use, and a simple key is far better than a complex combination they can’t remember.
Stop just installing apps. Do organize them into clearly labeled folders like “Games,” “News,” and “Family”
The Tidy Filing Cabinet
Just installing apps on a phone is like throwing all your important documents into one big, messy pile on your desk. Finding anything is a nightmare. Taking a moment to drag similar apps on top of each other creates folders, which is like setting up a tidy filing cabinet. By creating and labeling a few simple folders—like “Games,” “Shopping,” or “Health”—you turn that chaotic pile of icons into a perfectly organized system where everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be.
The #1 secret for a good first smartphone is one with a great battery life
The Car with a Full Tank of Gas
You could give a new driver the keys to a fancy sports car, but if it only has enough gas to go around the block, it’s useless and stressful. The single most important feature for a beginner’s phone is a fantastic battery. A phone that can easily last all day, and maybe even two, removes the constant, low-level anxiety of “is my phone going to die?” It gives them the confidence to actually use their new tool without fear of it failing when they need it most.
I’m just going to say it: The “setup wizard” on a new Android phone is still too complicated for a complete novice
The Exam on the First Day of School
Turning on a new Android phone for the first time is like showing up for the first day of school and immediately being handed a final exam. It asks you to connect to Wi-Fi, sign into a Google Account, restore from a backup, and configure a dozen other settings before you’ve even had a single lesson on what any of it means. For a true novice, this process is an intimidating barrier. The “wizard” should be a simple welcome, not a grueling interrogation.
The reason they can’t find their photos is they don’t know the difference between the Camera app and the Gallery/Photos app
The Paintbrush and the Art Gallery
This is a classic point of confusion. The Camera app is the paintbrush and easel. It’s the tool you use to create the picture. The Gallery or Photos app is the art gallery. It’s the building where all your finished paintings are hung on the wall for you to look at later. Explaining this simple separation of “the tool that makes” and “the place that keeps” is a huge lightbulb moment for a new user, instantly clearing up the mystery of where their pictures go after they take them.
If you’re still using a busy, animated wallpaper, you’re making the icons on top of it harder to see
Reading a Book Printed on a “Where’s Waldo?” Page
Using a busy wallpaper—like a photo of a forest or a complex pattern—is like trying to read a book that has been printed on top of a “Where’s Waldo?” illustration. The text is there, but it’s incredibly difficult to distinguish from the chaotic background. A simple, dark, solid-colored wallpaper is a clean, white page. It makes the app icons and names stand out with perfect clarity, reducing eye strain and making it effortless to find the icon you’re looking for.
The biggest lie is that “this one weird trick” will solve their problems. Consistent, simple habits will
The Magic Pill vs. a Healthy Diet
Everyone wants to believe in the magic pill that will make them instantly healthy. But we all know the truth is that a consistent, healthy diet and regular exercise are what really work. The same is true for technology. There is no “one weird trick” that will make someone a tech expert. What works is developing a few simple, consistent habits: keeping the homescreen clean, knowing how to restart the phone, and understanding how to make a call. These foundational habits are the key to long-term success.
I wish I knew that I could use an app like TeamViewer to remotely control my parent’s phone to help them with a problem
The Magical Helping Hand
Trying to troubleshoot a phone problem over a voice call is like trying to teach someone to cook while you’re in a different house. It’s a frustrating mess of “What do you see now?” An app like TeamViewer is a magical helping hand. With their permission, you can see their phone’s screen on your own phone or computer. You can even control it, tapping on buttons and changing settings as if you were right there. It turns a 30-minute guessing game into a 2-minute solution.
99% of users don’t explain that the icons in the top status bar actually mean something important
The Car’s Dashboard Lights
The little icons at the very top of the screen for Wi-Fi, battery, and cell signal are like the dashboard lights in a car. They are small, but they provide the most critical information at a glance. You would never let someone drive a car without explaining what the “low fuel” light means. You must do the same for a phone. Explaining that the little triangle means “Wi-Fi” and the battery icon means “fuel level” gives them the basic information they need to operate their device confidently.
This one small action of turning up the touch vibration (haptic feedback) will give a new user confirmation that their taps have registered
The Friendly Tap on the Shoulder
Tapping on a glass screen can feel vague and uncertain. Did my touch register? Did I press the button correctly? Turning on or increasing the strength of the haptic feedback provides a small, physical vibration with every touch. It’s like a friendly and reassuring tap on the shoulder from the phone, confirming “Yep, I felt that. We’re good.” This physical confirmation is incredibly helpful for a new user, removing the doubt and uncertainty from their interactions.
Use Google Photos’ shared albums to easily send and receive pictures from family, not complicated email attachments
The Magic Family Photo Album
Using email to send photos is like mailing physical prints back and forth. It’s slow, clumsy, and they get lost. A Google Photos shared album is a magic photo album. You create one album, invite the family, and now everyone can add their photos to it from their own phone. The album instantly updates for everyone. It’s a single, shared space where all the family memories can live together, accessible to grandma and the grandkids with a single tap.
Stop just handing over the phone. Do set up the Wi-Fi and Google account for them first
The Car with No Keys and No Gas
Handing a new user a phone that’s still in the box is like giving them a brand new car with no gas in the tank and no keys. It’s a beautiful machine, but it’s completely useless. Taking 15 minutes to connect it to their home Wi-Fi and set up their Google account is like filling the tank and putting the key in the ignition. You are removing the most intimidating technical barriers and presenting them with a tool that is actually ready to use from the moment they hold it.
Stop using a phone with a poor quality speaker. Do get one with loud, clear audio for calls
The Mumbling Friend
Trying to have a phone conversation on a device with a weak, tinny speaker is like trying to talk to a friend who is constantly mumbling. You have to strain to hear, you only catch every third word, and the entire experience is frustrating. For a user who might be hard of hearing, a phone with a loud, clear speaker is non-negotiable. It ensures that the primary function of a phone—clear communication with loved ones—is a pleasant experience, not a stressful chore.
The #1 hack for reducing scams is teaching this one rule: “If it seems too good to be true, it is. Never give money or personal info”
The Digital “Stranger Danger”
We teach children about “stranger danger” for the real world. The digital world requires one, even simpler rule: If a message, email, or pop-up seems too good to be true, it is a lie. You have not won a lottery you didn’t enter. The IRS will not contact you for payment via a gift card. No Nigerian prince needs your help. This single, skeptical mindset is the most powerful shield you can give a new user. It teaches them to question everything, protecting them from 99% of scams.
I’m just going to say it: A tablet is often a better first device for a senior than a phone due to its larger screen and text
The Large-Print Hardcover vs. the Pocket Paperback
A smartphone is a pocket-sized paperback book. It’s portable, but the text is small and it can be fiddly to handle. A tablet is a beautiful, large-print hardcover edition. The screen is a huge, inviting canvas. Photos of grandkids are big and immersive, text is effortless to read, and the on-screen keyboard keys are massive, forgiving targets. For use primarily around the house, the sheer comfort and accessibility of a large tablet screen makes it a far superior and less intimidating first step into the digital world.
The reason their battery is always dead is because the screen brightness is at 100% all day
The House with All the Lights on Full Blast
The screen is the single biggest battery drain on any phone. Leaving the brightness at 100% is like going through your house and turning every single light on to its maximum, blinding setting, and then leaving them on 24/7. Your electric bill would be insane. Teaching a new user how to find the brightness slider and turn it down to a comfortable level (or turn on auto-brightness) is like showing them the dimmer switch. It’s the easiest and most effective way to conserve power and make the battery last all day.
If you’re still trying to teach them every feature, you’re overwhelming them. Focus on the 3-5 things they will actually use
Teaching Gourmet Cooking vs. How to Make Toast
Trying to teach a beginner every feature on their phone is like trying to teach them to be a five-star gourmet chef on their first day in a kitchen. You’re overwhelming them with techniques they’ll never use. Instead, just teach them how to make perfect toast. Focus only on the 3-5 things they actually need: Making a call, sending a text, taking a photo, checking the weather. Mastery of these few simple “recipes” will empower them far more than a confusing overview of a hundred complex dishes.
The biggest lie is that any single phone is the “best” for a beginner. The best one is the one they can use comfortably
The “Best” Car
What is the “best” car? A sports car is terrible for a farmer, and a giant pickup truck is awful for someone who lives in a tiny city. The “best” car depends entirely on the driver’s needs. The same is true for phones. The best phone for a beginner isn’t the one with the best camera or fastest processor. It’s the one that feels good in their hand, has a screen that’s big and bright enough for their eyes, and an interface that makes them feel capable and confident.
I wish I knew how to disable gesture navigation and bring back the classic 3-button navigation for my parents
The Door with a Handle, a Lock, and a Deadbolt
Modern gesture navigation is a sleek, invisible system. The classic 3-button navigation is a big, obvious, physical system. It’s the difference between a secret, magic door and a regular front door with a handle (Home), a way to peek outside (Recents), and a clear path to go back inside (Back). For a user who values clarity over style, going into the settings and restoring these three trusty buttons provides an immense sense of control and removes the “I don’t know what swiping will do” anxiety.
99% of beginners don’t understand that they need to be connected to Wi-Fi to avoid using their mobile data
Free Tap Water vs. Expensive Bottled Water
Your home Wi-Fi is like the tap in your kitchen. You have an almost unlimited supply of free, fast water to use whenever you want. Your phone’s mobile data plan is like a pack of expensive bottled water. It’s great when you’re out and about, but it’s limited, and it costs you money. Explaining this simple analogy—that being at home means you should be using the “free tap water” (Wi-Fi)—is the key to preventing surprise bills and data overage charges.
This one small action of showing them how to use Google Lens to identify things will open up a new world for them
The Magic Magnifying Glass That Knows Everything
Google Lens is a superpower. It’s like giving someone a magic magnifying glass. They can point it at a flower in their garden, and it will tell them its name. They can point it at a menu in a foreign language, and it will translate it instantly. They can even point it at a landmark and learn its history. Showing them how to open the camera and tap the Lens icon doesn’t just teach them a feature; it hands them a tool for boundless curiosity and discovery.
Use the “read it aloud” feature in Google Assistant to help users with reading difficulties
The Personal Narrator for Your Phone
For someone who struggles with reading small text or has vision problems, a news article or a long text message can be an insurmountable wall. The “read it aloud” or “read this page” feature in Google Assistant is like having a personal narrator on call. With a simple voice command, the phone will read the contents of the screen out loud in a clear, natural voice. It breaks down the wall of text and turns the entire internet into an accessible, listenable audiobook.
Stop letting apps update automatically over mobile data. Do set it to “Wi–Fi only” in the Play Store settings
The Pool That Refills with Bottled Water
Your apps need to be updated, which is like topping off the water in your swimming pool. By default, the phone might do this using your expensive mobile data. This is like hiring a crew to refill your pool using thousands of tiny, expensive bottles of Evian water. It’s a massive waste. By going into the Play Store settings and switching updates to “Wi-Fi only,” you are telling the phone to use the free, unlimited garden hose instead.
Stop using a complex camera app. Do show them how to just open the camera and press the big white button
The Point-and-Shoot Camera
A modern smartphone camera has dozens of modes, filters, and settings. It’s a professional DSLR. But a beginner doesn’t need that. They need a simple, point-and-shoot camera from the 90s. Your job is to teach them that simple operation. Show them how to open the camera app, point it at what they want a picture of, and press the single, big, obvious white button. That’s it. Mastering this one action is the key to unlocking their ability to capture precious memories.
The #1 secret for a child’s safety is enabling “SafeSearch” in the Google app settings
The Filter on the Firehose
The internet is a firehose of information, containing both wonderful knowledge and horrible, dangerous content. A standard Google search gives a child full access to that unfiltered blast. Enabling “SafeSearch” is like screwing a powerful filter onto the end of that firehose. It automatically blocks out the most explicit and graphic content from their search results. It’s not a perfect shield, but it’s the single most important and effective setting you can enable to protect a curious child’s innocence online.
I’m just going to say it: Tech support for family members is a job that should be compensated with patience and love (and maybe dinner)
The Most Important Job
Being the designated tech support for a loved one is a real job. It requires the patience of a teacher, the knowledge of a technician, and the kindness of a caregiver. It can be frustrating, but the payment for this job isn’t money. The reward is the look of pure joy on their face when they successfully video call a grandchild for the first time. It’s the text message with a photo of their garden that they were proud to have sent all by themselves.
The reason they keep closing tabs by mistake is they don’t know how to see all their open tabs in the browser
The Desk with Only One Sheet of Paper
Imagine trying to work at a desk where you could only look at one single sheet of paper at a time. Every time you picked up a new sheet, the old one vanished. That’s how a beginner feels when using a web browser. They don’t know about the little square button with a number in it that shows all their pages laid out like files on a desk. Showing them this one button transforms the browser from a confusing, one-page-at-a-time experience into a powerful multi-tasking tool.
If you’re still using a phone without a headphone jack, you’re making it harder for a senior who is comfortable with their old wired headphones
Removing All the Standard Power Outlets
A senior often has a favorite pair of simple, wired headphones that they’ve used for years. They are comfortable and they just work. Giving them a phone with no headphone jack is like renovating their house and removing all the standard, familiar power outlets, replacing them with weird new ones that require special, easy-to-lose adapters. It’s a needless complication that takes away a tool they are perfectly comfortable with, for no perceivable benefit to them.
The biggest lie is that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You can, with patience
It’s All About the Teacher
This old saying is a lazy excuse. Of course you can teach an old dog new tricks. You just can’t do it with frustration and impatience. The dog won’t learn, and you’ll both have a terrible time. But if you approach the lesson with patience, positive reinforcement, and a clear understanding of their perspective, they can learn almost anything. The success of the lesson depends less on the age of the student and almost entirely on the kindness of the teacher.
I wish I knew about setting up voice-activated “find my phone” for my mom, who is always misplacing it
Playing “Marco Polo” with Your Phone
Losing your phone somewhere in the house is a universal frustration. For someone who is forgetful, it’s a daily source of panic. Setting up “Hey Google, find my phone” is like teaching your phone how to play the game Marco Polo. When your mom can’t find her phone, she can just call out “Marco!” from the other room (by saying “Hey Google”), and the phone will call back “Polo!” (by ringing at full volume), leading her right to it.
99% of users setting up a phone for someone else forget to adjust the screen timeout duration
The Door That Slams Shut Too Quickly
The default screen timeout on a phone is often just 30 seconds. For a beginner who is a bit slower at reading or figuring out where to tap next, this is like trying to go through a heavy door that automatically slams shut every 30 seconds. It’s incredibly frustrating. Going into the display settings and changing this to 2 minutes or even 5 minutes is like putting a gentle door-stopper in place. It gives them the time they need to think and act without the screen constantly going dark.
This one small action of disabling notification badges (the red dots) will reduce a new user’s anxiety forever
Erasing All the “URGENT!” Sticky Notes
Those little red dots on every app icon are designed to create a sense of urgency. They are the digital equivalent of someone plastering your desk with dozens of red “URGENT!” sticky notes. For a new user, this creates a constant, low-level anxiety that they are “behind” or have done something wrong. Disabling these badges in the settings instantly erases all that visual noise. It gives them permission to open apps on their own time, transforming their phone from a source of stress into a calm and orderly tool.
Use a contact’s photo for their icon, not just their name
A Face, Not Just a Name Tag
A list of names in a contact book is functional, but it’s impersonal. It’s a wall of text. By adding a photo for each of the most important contacts, you transform that list. It’s the difference between a plain name tag and a smiling, friendly face. When a call comes in from a daughter or a best friend, seeing their picture pop up is a moment of instant recognition and joy. It makes the technology feel warmer, more human, and more connected to the people they love.
Stop assuming they know the universal icon for “Share” or “Settings.” Do explain what they mean
Explaining What a Floppy Disk Means
For many of us, the gear icon for “Settings” or the three-pronged icon for “Share” is as obvious as a stop sign. But these are learned symbols. It’s like the old floppy disk icon for “Save”—a symbol that has no meaning to someone who has never seen one. You must take a moment and be their tour guide. Say, “Whenever you see this little gear, that’s where you go to change things. When you see this little triangle, that’s how you send something to someone.”
Stop trying to fix everything over the phone. Do use video calls so you can see what’s on their screen
Cooking Together in the Same Kitchen
Trying to fix a tech problem over a voice call is like trying to teach someone to cook while blindfolded. It’s a painful game of “what do you see now?” A video call is the solution. You can ask them to point their phone’s camera at the tablet screen, or vice-versa. Suddenly, you’re in the same kitchen, looking at the same ingredients. You can see exactly what they see, guiding their hand to the right button and turning a 30-minute ordeal into a 30-second fix.
The #1 hack is repetition. Show them how to do something three times, then have them show you
Learning to Ride a Bike
You can’t learn to ride a bike by reading a book about it. You have to get on and practice. The same is true for learning a new tech skill. The best method is simple: Show them how to do it. Then show them again. Then, a third time. Finally, hand them the phone and say, “Okay, now you show me.” This final step, where they have to recall the process and perform it themselves, is the moment the knowledge transfers from your brain to theirs and truly sticks.
I’m just going to say it: The best “parental control” is being an engaged and present parent
The Security System vs. the Watchful Parent
Parental control apps are like a high-tech security system for your house. They can lock doors, set alarms, and monitor for threats, and they are an essential tool. But a security system is not a substitute for a parent. The best security is still a watchful, engaged parent who is present in their child’s digital life. Talking to them about what they’re doing online, who their friends are, and teaching them good judgment is the human element that no piece of software can ever replace.
The reason their phone is making random noises is they have notifications turned on for every app
The House Full of Ringing Alarms
Imagine if every single appliance in your house—the toaster, the coffee maker, the lamp—had its own unique and loud alarm that went off randomly all day. Your home would be an unbearable cacophony of noise. This is what a phone is like with default notification settings. Every game, news app, and social network is “ringing its alarm.” The solution is to go through and silence all the unimportant appliances, so the only alarms they hear are the truly important ones, like the smoke detector (a phone call).
If you’re still letting them use a generic password, you’re not teaching them the basics of online security
The Safe Combination “1234”
Letting a loved one use a password like “password” or “1234” is like setting the combination on their house safe to “1234” and then being surprised when it gets broken into. It’s not just a bad password; it’s a failure to teach a fundamental life skill. Helping them create a password that is simple for them to remember but hard for others to guess—like a phrase or a combination of meaningful words and numbers—is the digital equivalent of teaching them how to properly lock their front door.
The biggest lie is that a flip phone is simpler. Trying to text on a number pad is not simple
The Typewriter vs. the Word Processor
A flip phone is like a typewriter. In theory, it’s simpler than a computer. But try sending an email or even typing a long sentence on a typewriter. It’s a slow, clumsy, and unforgiving process. A well-configured smartphone is a modern word processor with a big screen and a full keyboard. The act of typing a message, seeing a photo, or looking up a phone number is an infinitely simpler and more pleasant experience than the frustrating, multi-tap ordeal of T9 texting.
I wish I knew to get a phone case in a bright, obnoxious color for my dad so he wouldn’t lose his black phone
The Easiest Car to Find in a Parking Lot
A black phone is like a black car. It looks sleek, but it vanishes into the shadows of a purse, gets lost in the couch cushions, and is impossible to find in a crowded parking lot. A phone case in a bright, obnoxious color—lime green, safety orange, hot pink—is like painting that car bright yellow. It might not be as “cool,” but it is incredibly easy to spot from a hundred feet away. It’s a simple, cheap trick that solves the endless “have you seen my phone?” problem.
99% of beginners don’t know how to take a screenshot
The Camera for Your Screen
Explaining a screenshot is simple. Say, “You know how the camera takes a picture of what’s in front of you? Well, a screenshot is a special kind of camera that takes a picture of what’s on your screen.” This is a magical concept for a new user. Suddenly, they have a way to save a strange error message, a recipe they saw online, or a picture from a video call. Showing them the simple button combination (usually power + volume down) gives them a powerful new tool for saving and sharing information.
This one small habit of cleaning the screen with a microfiber cloth will solve a lot of “the screen isn’t working” problems
The Dirty Window
Over time, a phone screen accumulates a layer of dirt, grease, and fingerprints. This can cause all sorts of phantom problems, where touches don’t register correctly. The user will think the phone is broken. In reality, they are just trying to look and touch through a very dirty window. Gently wiping the screen with a soft, clean microfiber cloth is like washing that window. It instantly solves a huge number of frustrating “touch” issues and makes the whole experience clearer.
Use Google Calendar with shared events and reminders to help a relative remember appointments
The Family Bulletin Board in the Kitchen
A physical calendar on the wall is great, but you can’t add to it when you’re not there. A shared Google Calendar is like a magical family bulletin board that everyone can see and write on from anywhere in the world. You can add a doctor’s appointment to your mom’s calendar from your own phone, and it will appear on hers instantly, with a helpful reminder an hour beforehand. It’s a powerful tool for coordinating care and ensuring important events are never missed.
Stop just setting a ringtone. Do set a custom ringtone for the most important contacts
The Special Doorbell for Family
A single, generic ringtone for all calls is like a doorbell that sounds the same for a pizza delivery as it does for your daughter. Setting a custom ringtone for key contacts is like installing a special, musical doorbell that only rings when a close family member is at the door. That unique sound instantly cuts through the noise, letting them know without even looking at the phone that this is an important call they should answer.
Stop using the default browser. Do install one with a built-in ad blocker to reduce confusion and scams
The Mailman Who Throws Away the Junk Mail
The default web browser lets every single ad, pop-up, and tracker get delivered to the user’s screen. It’s a confusing and hostile environment. Installing a browser with a built-in ad blocker is like hiring a new mailman who has been specifically instructed to throw away all the junk mail before it ever reaches the house. The result is a cleaner, faster, and dramatically safer experience, where the only things that get delivered are the actual letters (the content) they wanted to read.
The #1 secret is to empower them to solve simple problems themselves, like how to restart the phone
Teaching Them How to Fish
When a problem arises, it’s tempting to just grab the phone and fix it for them. This is like giving them a fish. They eat for a day, but they’ve learned nothing. The real secret is to teach them how to fish. Show them the one, universal fix for most weird problems: “Hold the power button down and restart the phone.” Teaching them this one simple, self-reliant skill is incredibly empowering. It gives them a tool to solve problems on their own, building the confidence they need to explore further.
I’m just going to say it: Android needs a built-in, user-friendly “easy mode” like Samsung used to have
The Car with a “Beginner Mode”
Modern cars are incredibly complex, but they have a simple interface for the driver. Android phones are the opposite. They are complex, and they have a complex interface. There should be a single, simple switch in the main settings called “Easy Mode.” Flipping it would instantly enlarge all text and icons, hide all advanced settings, and simplify the homescreen to a few large buttons. A car shouldn’t require you to be a mechanic to drive it, and a phone shouldn’t require you to be a technician to use it.
The reason they’re afraid to use their phone is they think they are going to “break” it
The Fear of Cracking the Egg
To a new user, a smartphone is a fragile, mysterious, and expensive egg. They are terrified that if they tap in the wrong place or change the wrong setting, they will “break” it permanently and crack the egg. The most important thing you can do is reassure them: “You cannot break this by tapping on things. Almost anything you do can be easily undone.” This reassurance gives them the permission they need to be curious, to explore, and to learn without fear.
If you’re still letting them use their carrier’s email address, you’re making it harder for them to switch carriers in the future
Building Your House on Rented Land
Setting up an email address provided by the phone company is like building your beautiful house on land that you are only renting. It’s fine for now, but the moment you decide to move to a new carrier (a new plot of land), you are forced to abandon your house and your address completely. Setting them up with a free, independent address from Gmail or Outlook is like owning your own land. You can change your phone, your carrier, and your internet provider, but your address stays with you forever.
The biggest lie is that more features equals a better phone. For a beginner, fewer features is better
The Swiss Army Knife with 100 Tools
A Swiss Army knife with a hundred different blades, saws, and gadgets is an amazing piece of engineering. But if all you need to do is cut a piece of string, it’s a confusing and frustrating tool to use. For a beginner, a simple knife with one sharp blade is infinitely better. More features create more complexity, more menus, and more ways to get lost. The best phone for a new user isn’t the one that can do the most; it’s the one that makes it easiest to do the basics.
I wish I knew that I could use “Live Caption” to help my hard-of-hearing grandfather understand videos my family sent him
Instant Subtitles for Your Entire Phone
Imagine if you could press a button and have instant, accurate subtitles appear for everything—a movie, a news report, a home video of a grandchild laughing. That is what Live Caption does. With one tap, the phone starts “listening” to any audio being played and transcribes it into text on the screen in real-time. For someone who is hard of hearing, this feature is nothing short of a miracle. It opens up a world of video content that was previously inaccessible, connecting them more deeply to their family and the world.
99% of users don’t show a beginner how to check their voicemail
The Mailbox They Don’t Know How to Open
Not showing a new user how to check their voicemail is like giving them a locked mailbox with no key. People are leaving them important messages, but they have no way to retrieve them. It’s a source of missed connections and frustration. Taking 60 seconds to show them how to long-press the “1” key on the dialer or tap the voicemail notification is handing them that missing key. It’s a fundamental skill that ensures they are receiving all of their messages.
This one small action of setting up a good photo backup system will ensure their precious memories are never lost
The Magical, Fireproof Safe for Photos
A phone can be lost, stolen, or broken. When that happens, all the photos stored on it are gone forever. Setting up an automatic backup with an app like Google Photos is like creating a magical, fireproof safe that instantly makes a copy of every single picture they take. Even if the phone is destroyed, their precious memories of birthdays, holidays, and grandchildren are perfectly safe and accessible from any other device. It’s the ultimate digital insurance policy for their life’s moments.
Use patience and kindness when providing tech support, not frustration
The Calm Driving Instructor
When you teach a teenager how to drive, yelling and showing frustration will only make them a nervous, terrified driver. A calm, patient instructor who provides gentle corrections and positive reinforcement will create a confident and capable one. When you are providing tech support, you are that driving instructor. Your frustration will only make them afraid of the technology. Your patience and kindness will empower them to learn and eventually drive on their own.