Setting Up a New Phone or Tablet for an Older Relative

Giving an older parent or grandparent a phone or tablet is a lovely thing to do — it keeps them connected to family, photos, and the wider world. But a brand-new device straight out of the box can be overwhelming, with tiny text, confusing menus, and endless prompts. A little thoughtful setting-up makes all the difference between a gadget that gets used every day and one that ends up in a drawer.

Here's how to set one up so it's genuinely easy and enjoyable to use.

Before you start

A few things make the whole process smoother:

• Have their email address and password to hand (or be ready to create one).
• Be near the home Wi-Fi, with the password ready.
• Set aside an unhurried hour — it's much nicer done calmly than rushed.

Setting it up to be easy to use

Once the device is switched on and connected to Wi-Fi, these settings make the biggest difference for an older user:

1. Make the text bigger. In the device's Settings, look for "Display" or "Accessibility" and increase the text size. This one change helps enormously.
2. Turn up the brightness and contrast so the screen is clear and easy to read.
3. Increase the ringer and notification volume, so they don't miss calls or messages.
4. Put the apps they'll actually use on the first screen — phone, messages, photos, and a video-call app — and tidy away the rest.
5. Set up a simple way to unlock it, such as a fingerprint or a memorable number, rather than a fiddly password.
6. Add family members as contacts, with photos if you can, so calling someone is as easy as tapping their face.
7. Switch on automatic photo backup, so precious pictures are never lost (see our guide on backing up photos).

Keeping them safe

A few minutes spent on safety saves a lot of worry later. Turn on automatic updates so the device stays protected, and have a gentle chat about not sharing passwords or bank details with anyone who phones or messages out of the blue. Our guide on spotting tech-support scam calls is a friendly thing to read together.

Help them feel confident

The setup is only half the job — the other half is helping them feel at ease using it. Sit with them, show them the few things they want to do most, and reassure them they can't break it. Patience and encouragement go a long way.

We can take care of the whole thing

If you'd rather not spend your visit wrestling with settings — or you live too far away to do it in person — we're happy to help. Our device setup service gets a new phone or tablet ready to use, with the text, sound, contacts, and apps all sorted, and your data moved across from any old device.

And if your relative would like to learn at their own pace afterwards, our friendly one-to-one lessons are perfect. We help families across Boston and Lincolnshire with exactly this.

Book a setup visit or call us on 01205 625001 — we'll make sure their new device is a joy to use, not a source of frustration.