Choosing a phone for an elderly parent means thinking about two things most people overlook: how easy is it to actually use day-to-day, and what happens when they call you in a panic because something stopped working.
We’ve covered the main options — from setting up a standard iPhone so it doesn’t overwhelm them, to purpose-built senior phones, to finding a plan that won’t gouge them on a fixed income.
Phones and Setup Guides
- How to Set Up an iPhone for Your Elderly Parent — A step-by-step family guide covering everything from text size to emergency SOS. Do this once and save yourself months of support calls.
- Jitterbug Smart4 Review — The most popular purpose-built senior phone. We cover what it does well and where it falls short compared to a standard smartphone.
Phone Plans
- Consumer Cellular Review — The plan most senior advocacy groups recommend. We dig into whether the coverage and customer service actually hold up.
Quick Rule of Thumb
If your parent is already comfortable with a smartphone, set up an iPhone with the accessibility features we cover in our guide — it’ll serve them far better than a dumbed-down device. If they’ve never used a smartphone and don’t want to learn, the Jitterbug is worth a look. Just don’t buy it assuming it solves everything.