15 Smartphone Tips Every Adult Over 50 Should Know

15 Smartphone Tips Every Adult Over 50 Should Know

Simple Settings, Hidden Features, and Everyday Tricks That Make Your Phone Easier to Use

Whether you're new to smartphones or simply want to get more from the one you already own, these easy tips will help you use your phone with greater confidence every day.

Published by Getting Old Is For The Birds®

Your smartphone is one of the most powerful tools you own—but chances are you're only using a small fraction of what it can do.

Whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone, a few simple settings and built-in features can make your phone easier to read, safer to use, and more helpful in everyday life. From increasing text size to finding a misplaced phone or preparing for an emergency, these tips can help you get more value from the device already in your pocket.

At Getting Old Is For The Birds®, we believe technology should make life simpler, not more confusing. You don't need to be a technology expert to enjoy the benefits of today's smartphones.

This guide walks you through fifteen practical smartphone tips that can save time, reduce frustration, improve safety, and help you stay connected with family and friends.

📱 This Guide Is Perfect For

✔ Adults over 50

✔ New smartphone users

✔ Parents and grandparents

✔ Anyone who wants to make their phone easier to use

✔ Travelers looking for helpful smartphone features

🦉 Did You Know?

Many smartphone users rely on only a handful of their phone's built-in features. Learning just a few additional tools can make everyday tasks easier, improve accessibility, and help you stay organized and connected.

✅ Quick Smartphone Checklist

✔ Increase Text Size

✔ Use Voice Typing

✔ Set Up Emergency SOS

✔ Add Your Medical ID

✔ Turn On Find My Phone

✔ Organize Your Home Screen

✔ Use Live Captions

✔ Learn QR Code Scanning

✔ Use the Magnifier

✔ Master Camera Shortcuts

✔ Optimize Battery Life

✔ Block Spam Calls

✔ Back Up Your Photos

✔ Use a Password Manager

✔ Try an AI Assistant

 

📥 Free Download: Smartphone Cheat Sheet for Adults Over 50 (coming Soon)

🦉 Why You Can Trust Our Recommendations

At Getting Old Is For The Birds®, we focus on practical solutions that make everyday life easier for adults over 50. We recommend features, apps, and products because they're useful—not because they're trendy. When we include affiliate links, they're for products we believe genuinely add value.

1. Increase Your Text Size

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Choice

If you're squinting at your screen, don't struggle with tiny text. Both iPhone and Android devices let you increase font size in just a few taps.

🦉 Why We Recommend It

  • Easier to read emails and text messages
  • Reduces eye strain
  • Makes everyday phone use more comfortable
  • Takes less than a minute to change

🦉 Wise Tip

Increase the font one step at a time until it feels comfortable. Going too large can make some apps harder to navigate.

2. Use Voice Typing

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Choice

Instead of typing long messages, tap the microphone on your keyboard and simply speak.

🦉 Why We Recommend It

  • Faster than typing
  • Helpful for arthritis or hand fatigue
  • Great for emails, texts, and notes

🦉 Wise Tip

Speak naturally and add punctuation by saying "period" or "comma."

3. Set Up Emergency SOS

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Choice

Most smartphones can quickly call emergency services and notify chosen contacts if you need help.

🦉 Why We Recommend It

  • Provides peace of mind
  • Helpful when traveling alone
  • Easy to configure

🦉 Wise Tip

Test the settings (without placing an emergency call) so you know how they work before you ever need them.

4. Add Your Medical ID

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Choice

Store emergency contacts, allergies, medications, and medical conditions so first responders can access important information from your lock screen if needed.

5. Turn On "Find My Phone"

Misplacing your phone doesn't have to be a crisis. Enable your phone's built-in location feature so you can locate it if it's lost.

🦉 Wise Choice

Tile Pro or Apple AirTag

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Rating: Wise Choice

While "Find My Phone" helps you locate your phone, many readers also appreciate keeping track of their keys, purse, or luggage. A Bluetooth tracker can make finding everyday items much easier.

6. Organize Your Home Screen

Remove apps you rarely use from your first screen and group similar apps into folders like Travel, Health, Banking, Shopping, and Photos. A cleaner home screen makes it easier to find what you need without scrolling through pages of icons.  You can use folders on most phones to help consolidate similar apps.

7. Turn On Live Captions

If you watch videos or participate in video calls, live captions can make conversations easier to follow in noisy environments.

🦉 Wise Tip

Live Captions are especially helpful in airports, restaurants, and other noisy places where it's difficult to hear.

8. Learn to Scan QR Codes

Many restaurants, museums, airports, and cruise lines use QR codes for menus, tickets, and information. Knowing how to scan one makes travel much easier.

During travel you'll often scan QR codes for restaurant menus, cruise documents, museum tickets, airline boarding passes, and hotel information.

9. Use Your Phone as a Magnifier

Most modern smartphones include a built-in magnifier that helps you read restaurant menus, medication labels, receipts, and other small print.

🦉 Wise Choice

EVEO Screen Cleaner Spray

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Rating: Wise Choice

A clean screen makes small print easier to read and keeps your display looking sharp. It's surprising how much easier a clean screen is to read in bright sunlight.

10. Learn Camera Shortcuts

Practice using portrait mode, zoom, burst mode, and the timer. You'll take better family photos without needing extra equipment.

A small smartphone tripod often comes in handy

🦉 Wise Choice

Neewer Flexible Phone Tripod

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Rating: Wise Choice

Whether you're taking family photos, recording videos, or joining a video call, a compact smartphone tripod helps keep your phone steady and your pictures sharper.

11. Improve Battery Life

Reduce screen brightness, close unused apps, and enable battery-saving mode when traveling or spending long days away from a charger.

🦉 Wise Choice

Charmast Portable Power Bank

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Rating: Wise Choice

Why We Like It

Long travel days, sightseeing, and emergencies can quickly drain your battery. This compact charger keeps your phone powered wherever you go.

12. Block Spam Calls

Both iPhone and Android offer tools to reduce unwanted calls. Activating these features can save time and frustration.

13. Back Up Your Photos

Turn on automatic cloud backup so precious family memories aren't lost if your phone is damaged or replaced.

14. Use a Password Manager

Remembering dozens of passwords is difficult. A trusted password manager can securely store your login information and generate strong passwords.

🦉 Wise Choice

Dashlane (Affiliate link coming soon.)

🦉🦉🦉🦉🦉 Wise Rating: Wise Choice

Remembering dozens of passwords is difficult. Dashlane securely stores your passwords, creates strong new ones, and fills them in automatically.

15. Try an AI Assistant

Modern AI assistants can help you summarize emails, answer questions, plan trips, create shopping lists, draft messages, and even explain unfamiliar topics. AI can also help explain medical terms, summarize long articles, create grocery lists, draft emails, and even help plan your next vacation. The more you experiment with it, the more uses you'll discover.

🦉 Wise Tip

Start with one simple question each day. The more you use AI, the more comfortable and useful it becomes.

📋 Frequently Asked Questions

Do these tips work on both iPhones and Android phones?

Most do. While menus and names may differ slightly, both platforms include similar accessibility, safety, and productivity features.

What if I'm not very good with technology?

You don't have to learn everything at once. Start with one new tip each week. Small improvements quickly add up, and before long you'll feel much more comfortable using your smartphone.

How often should I update my smartphone?

Install updates when they're available. Updates often include important security improvements, bug fixes, and new features that help keep your phone running smoothly.

Will changing my settings slow down my phone?

No. Features like larger text or live captions generally won't affect your phone's performance in any noticeable way.

Which tip should I try first?

Start with larger text, Emergency SOS, Medical ID, and Find My Phone. These are easy to set up and can make an immediate difference.

Is it safe to store passwords in a password manager?

Using a reputable password manager is generally safer than reusing weak passwords or writing them down, provided you protect your master password.

Ready to Try One?

Don't feel like you need to master every feature today.

Pick one tip from this guide, try it this week, and then come back next week to learn another.

Small improvements lead to big confidence.

📱 Technology Should Work for You

Technology should reduce stress—not create it.

You don't need to master every feature your phone offers. Learning just a few practical tools can make everyday life easier, whether you're staying in touch with family, planning a vacation, or simply reading a text message more comfortably.

🦉 One Last Thought

Your smartphone isn't just a phone—it's a camera, flashlight, map, emergency contact tool, travel assistant, and connection to the people who matter most.

The more comfortable you become using it, the more useful it becomes in everyday life.

🦉 📱 Technology Made Easy Series

Affiliate Disclosure

Some links in our articles may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Getting Old Is For The Birds® earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products and services we believe provide genuine value to our readers.

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