6 minUpdated 2026-08-04
Describe the actual problem first
Before buying anything, write down what goes wrong. The answers point in completely different directions.
If the person can tap but cannot remember who to call, they need faces instead of names. If they tap the wrong thing and end up in settings, they need a locked screen. If they cannot hear the phone, they need volume and a clear ringtone. If the phone is no longer recognised as a phone, more than an app is needed.
The four common approaches
Broadly there are four routes, each with real trade-offs.
- Landline with photo buttons. Simple and reliable, but tied to one room and useless outside the home.
- Senior mobile with physical speed dials. Rugged, but the speed dials are numbers rather than faces, and the menus behind them remain.
- An ordinary smartphone configured by hand. Free, but someone has to maintain it, and one unexpected update can undo everything.
- A locked screen on an ordinary Android phone. The phone becomes nothing but a calling screen with faces. That is what CallByFace does.
Why faces work better than names
Recognising a face is a different task from reading and interpreting a name. Many people who struggle to find words or recall names still recognise their grandchild instantly in a photo.
That is also why the photo should be large, bright and cropped to the face. A full-body shot at a party works far worse than a close portrait.
What a locked screen means in practice
Locked mode, sometimes called kiosk mode, means the phone boots straight into a single app and cannot leave it. No home screen, no notifications, no settings, no browser. An ordinary downloaded app can always be switched out of or uninstalled — that is the difference.
It sounds drastic, but that is usually exactly what makes the phone usable again. The chance of getting it wrong disappears, and with it the fear of touching the phone at all.
A checklist before you decide
Go through these points with the person who will use the phone, not only about them.
- Is the button large and clear enough to hit reliably?
- Are there four to six people who genuinely need to be reachable? More gets difficult.
- Who charges the phone every evening?
- Who adds a new contact when something changes?
- Is there coverage and an active plan where the phone will be used?
Common questions
- Do I have to buy a new phone?
- No. An ordinary Android phone already in the house is often enough, as long as it still receives updates and has a reasonably large screen. See the page on phones that work.
- Can the person call emergency services?
- CallByFace is not a personal alarm and does not replace an emergency service. Emergency numbers should be handled through the arrangement already in place locally.
- What happens if they tap the wrong thing?
- There is no wrong thing to tap once the screen is locked. The only available actions are calling one of the people you added, and answering an incoming call.