When a parent can no longer manage their smartphone

Common signs the phone has become too hard

It is rarely a lack of interest. It is usually that the phone asks for more steps than can be held in mind right now.

• Incoming calls go unanswered even though the phone is on and nearby.
• Calls cut off mid-conversation, often because a cheek touches the screen.
• The phone is suddenly in aeroplane mode, silent mode, or a different language.
• Apps they have never used are open.
• The same person gets called several times in a row, or the calls stop altogether.

Try first: simplify the phone you already have

Before buying anything new, it is worth stripping down the existing phone. Sometimes that is enough.

• Increase text size and screen brightness in the settings.
• Remove every app from the home screen except phone and camera.
• Turn off notifications from everything but calls.
• Add the most important people as large speed-dial shortcuts.
• Turn on "answer with the home key" if the phone offers it.

When simplifying is not enough

If the problem is not finding the way back out of an app, or a swipe gesture that does not register, larger text will not fix it. At that point the structure itself is too complex, and the next step is a phone that only does one thing.

There are two main routes: a dedicated senior phone, or an ordinary Android locked to a single screen. The second has the advantage that the handset, the camera and the call quality are already familiar.

The conversation with your parent

This is often the hardest part, and no technology solves it. A few things tend to help.

• Start from what they want to be able to do — call the grandchildren — not from what no longer works.
• Let them choose which six people appear, and in what order.
• Keep the old phone in a drawer for a while. It makes the decision feel less final.
• Present it as one less thing to deal with, not as a step down.