gah-- old people and smart phones.

[Squintykid]

I've just spent two hours setting up my mothers smart phone.
she's been using them for 15 years and still doesn't know the difference between mobile internet and home wi-fi or that she only needs one browser for all applications not which ever one the app prefers to open in or asks to install

She found that her Samsung touch screen wasn't working properly.. clean it I said.
It's going slowly..close apps when you aren't using them, delete the apps you don't use and clear your internet history..oh never mind give it to me.
Then she decided that a big button flip phone was more appropriate for an out & about emergency device.
I said no..they are awful. But she bought one.
But after 9 years of touch screen phones and pads.......couldn't get on with that either. No video calling..

Today I went around for one thing and ended up restarting her smart phone..vaguely remember resetting it to factory spec
Yes it went into auto update and reinstalled ALL of the stupid apps she had collected and were saved in The Cloud'

So I uninstalled, disabled and set it up as simply as possible.
Don't remove facebook.. er use your tablet
Messenger..tablet
weather app....window!!!

All done the USB connection icon started to flash on and off and the screen repeatedly woke in lock screen.
Ahh yes the reason why she stopped using it to start with...the USB port was bad and the battery was draining with the constant on and off of the screen.

' I'll order a new one..will let you know when it arrives'

 

[Johnatcastle]

I have just this issue at the moment. My Mum (over 80 now bless her) has a flip phone with big buttons. However they are switching off 3g in our area (its not 4g enabled apparently. So looking for a simple smart phone with an app for the older generation (big buttons on screen, emergency call etc)
Any recommendations??
Oh, and good luck with the new one too....

 

[nevadacowboy]

It doesn’t only happen to old people

 

[Historyman]

I have a mother-in-law like that. I even have to book her broomstick in for its annual service.

 

[Richie#]

I've just spent two hours setting up my mothers smart phone.
she's been using them for 15 years and still doesn't know the difference between mobile internet and home wi-fi or that she only needs one browser for all applications not which ever one the app prefers to open in or asks to install

She found that her Samsung touch screen wasn't working properly.. clean it I said.
It's going slowly..close apps when you aren't using them, delete the apps you don't use and clear your internet history..oh never mind give it to me.
Then she decided that a big button flip phone was more appropriate for an out & about emergency device.
I said no..they are awful. But she bought one.
But after 9 years of touch screen phones and pads.......couldn't get on with that either. No video calling..

Today I went around for one thing and ended up restarting her smart phone..vaguely remember resetting it to factory spec
Yes it went into auto update and reinstalled ALL of the stupid apps she had collected and were saved in The Cloud'

So I uninstalled, disabled and set it up as simply as possible.
Don't remove facebook.. er use your tablet
Messenger..tablet
weather app....window!!!

All done the USB connection icon started to flash on and off and the screen repeatedly woke in lock screen.
Ahh yes the reason why she stopped using it to start with...the USB port was bad and the battery was draining with the constant on and off of the screen.

' I'll order a new one..will let you know when it arrives'

View attachment 730082

My mum is 91, she has 2 smart telly's a laptop a tablet and a mobile you dont know you are born

 

[shergar]

The arrogance of the young is amazing.
In 1970 we were designing bridges with slide rules.
. Most of the bridges are still standing and the slide rules still work.
Won't be betting on today's mobile phones working in 55 years time,

 

[Squintykid]

I have just this issue at the moment. My Mum (over 80 now bless her) has a flip phone with big buttons. However they are switching off 3g in our area (its not 4g enabled apparently. So looking for a simple smart phone with an app for the older generation (big buttons on screen, emergency call etc)
Any recommendations??
Oh, and good luck with the new one too....

um no, I don't think there is a simple smart phone
For someone who probably knows less about them than the average 12 year old I pick one that fits in my back pocket and is within budget.

Mother will be getting another low to mid spec Samsung because their versions of the OS remain familiar.
I'll put it into simple mode and uninstall whatever bloatware I can.
Fair chance it will have AI firmly embedded for more fun later.

 

[iduxbury]

@Squintykid You will be an old duffer one day not knowing how tech works, however, I do feel your pain, my Mum is in her 80’s and I go through what you do. Main problem is they are scared to click anything in case they break it.

 

[Squintykid]

My mum is 91, she has 2 smart telly's a laptop a tablet and a mobile you dont know you are born

Mum is in her 80s, the same nightmare.. smart TV, two tablets (his & hers) and the damned phone.
I keep telling her to ask the grandson to set them up but his 'simple' is advanced for the basic user.

@Squintykid You will be an old duffer one day not knowing how tech works, however, I do feel your pain, my Mum is in her 80’s and I go through what you do. Main problem is they are scared to click anything in case they break it.

I'm getting there, give me a phone with a decent talk time, a good camera ( for reading small print on labels) bloatware that you can uninstall, no AI...

 

[Bighit]

My In laws are both iPhone users and both in their 90s. My father in law has an iPad also and the huge smart tv. They don't have much trouble

My mother in law used a pc at here work years ago an taught my father in law to use it .

My dad would have loa of pages open on my mums tablet . A lot of them were the same pages . I showed him how to use book marks an the next time we were own my mum said the tablet was running slow again. He had loads of pages open again and a lot of them were the same pages multiple times again .
They both had fairly dumb phones .

 

[Squintykid]

@Squintykid You will be an old duffer one day not knowing how tech works, however, I do feel your pain, my Mum is in her 80’s and I go through what you do. Main problem is they are scared to click anything in case they break it.

12-13 years ago I was quite happy with my Nokia C1 and an Opera browser, 90% of what is on a smart phone is useless to me or unwanted.

 

[Squintykid]

My In laws are both iPhone users and both in their 90s. My father in law has an iPad also and the huge smart tv. They don't have much trouble

My mother in law used a pc at here work years ago an taught my father in law to use it .

My dad would have loa of pages open on my mums tablet . A lot of them were the same pages . I showed him how to use book marks an the next time we were own my mum said the tablet was running slow again. He had loads of pages open again and a lot of them were the same pages multiple times again .
They both had fairly dumb phones .

oh god, yes..multiple windows open in different browsers and years of internet history and emails.

 

[Squintykid]

The arrogance of the young is amazing.
In 1970 we were designing bridges with slide rules.
. Most of the bridges are still standing and the slide rules still work.
Won't be betting on today's mobile phones working in 55 years time,

Slide rule? cutting edge from Texas Instruments when I was a kid

 

[Bighit]

oh god, yes..multiple windows open in different browsers and years of internet history and emails.

Most of his was Honest John pages as he was a mechanic and like to browse it

It was my mums tablet and she rarely used it , We did offer to get him his own and he kept saying he did not need one .

He was still using my old Motorola Startac until around 2019 . It lived in the car and he would text once a month or so as it would keep to save his credit or it would disappear . He only used the phone for emergencies .

A text from my mum would need Bletchley Park to decipher it when she first started texting . If I got a text I called rather than try to work it out.

 

[Steve636]

My Dad, 87, same problem, clueless with tech.
Had to buy him a cheap flip phone which he just about gets on with.

 

[Avalon]

I've genuinely been surprised about my parents embracement of technology. From CCTV, video doorbells, smart thermostats, smart switches to replace timers, audio books, streaming, they just get on with it, if it's not of interest, they don't bother. The down side is the Alexa I got them is still in it's box, but small steps. I chose the idevice path for simplicity, besides, it makes the rolling upgrades from us to the kids and then them easy and predictable. Got a bit tasty when they decided to donate to Children in Need and I had to remind them that I pay the bill as the SIM's are on my account.

All in all, for a couple born in the 40's, that's impressive in my book.

 

[Mr Rooney]

I've just spent two hours setting up my mothers smart phone.
she's been using them for 15 years and still doesn't know the difference between mobile internet and home wi-fi or that she only needs one browser for all applications not which ever one the app prefers to open in or asks to install

She found that her Samsung touch screen wasn't working properly.. clean it I said.
It's going slowly..close apps when you aren't using them, delete the apps you don't use and clear your internet history..oh never mind give it to me.
Then she decided that a big button flip phone was more appropriate for an out & about emergency device.
I said no..they are awful. But she bought one.
But after 9 years of touch screen phones and pads.......couldn't get on with that either. No video calling..

Today I went around for one thing and ended up restarting her smart phone..vaguely remember resetting it to factory spec
Yes it went into auto update and reinstalled ALL of the stupid apps she had collected and were saved in The Cloud'

So I uninstalled, disabled and set it up as simply as possible.
Don't remove facebook.. er use your tablet
Messenger..tablet
weather app....window!!!

All done the USB connection icon started to flash on and off and the screen repeatedly woke in lock screen.
Ahh yes the reason why she stopped using it to start with...the USB port was bad and the battery was draining with the constant on and off of the screen.

' I'll order a new one..will let you know when it arrives'

View attachment 730082

I feel your pain ! My mother has just managed to master txts and phone calls on her iPhone 4 only took 12 years of coaching
All other function are not talked about as I end up like the bloke in the pic

 

[Squintykid]

Most of his was Honest John pages as he was a mechanic and like to browse it

It was my mums tablet and she rarely used it , We did offer to get him his own and he kept saying he did not need one .

He was still using my old Motorola Startac until around 2019 . It lived in the car and he would text once a month or so as it would keep to save his credit or it would disappear . He only used the phone for emergencies .

A text from my mum would need Bletchley Park to decipher it when she first started texting . If I got a text I called rather than try to work it out.

feel that one, mum's is clothes, gardens and general internet shoping junk, his- heavy plant and tractors strings of paused you-tube vids .

same, I closed my FB account years ago but she would finally give in and call to ask why I hadn't replied to messenger..I don't have the app

 

[Squintykid]

I feel your pain ! My mother has just managed to master txts and phone calls on her iPhone 4 only took 12 years of coaching
All other function are not talked about as I end up like the bloke in the pic

my mum worked in audio visual retail, back in the day she could set up and program anything on the shelf, had a smart phone before me, facebooks, shops online, video calls but can't send a simple text

 

[Cannon Fodder]

I'm in my 40's but have never had a smart phone, apparently my old Samsung flip phone will stop working when they switch off 2g so I'll have to get something vaguely modern.