Every day more Baby Boomers become senior citizens, and their numbers are increasing. Two major differences in the senior population resulting directly from the boomer generation are their overall health and activity, and their comfort level with technology and available mobile devices. Today’s seniors have iPhones, iPads and other mobile devices, and they use them routinely. Here are 10 of the most popular mobile apps for seniors (and the best thing about them all is, they’re FREE!)
Health-related Apps:
The WebMD App accesses the leading online medical resource most trusted by physicians, medical students, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Seniors can check symptoms (built-in symptom checker), read about drug efficacy and effects, bone up on treatment methods, and check warning signs and symptoms on the go.
Game Apps:
Scrabble has been a family classic game for generations. It’s now available on your mobile device (in 6 different languages). You can play against the computer at different levels, sync devices with friends, or find new opponents with a simple search feature. A built-in word list and dictionary helps solve scrabble squabbles, too.
Crosswords Classic gives you access to the daily crosswords from many daily newspapers online. You can download and solve them on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch with one tap. The app won’t work them for you, but will give you hints, clues, and track and report your progress and improvement.
Words With Friends is the most popular mobile word game by all generations, not just seniors. It’s easy to sync your device to others, and play word games similar to but just different enough from Scrabble with family, friends, or anyone, even strangers. Use it to play a Scrabble-like game with friends, family, or anonymous people across the world.
Entertainment:
The Netflix app is free, but you will need to subscribe to Netflix to access its extensive library of movies and TV shows. A great feature is that the more you watch, the better Netflix gets at recognizing what you like, and recommending TV shows and movies for you. You can create up to five individual profiles with your Netflix account.
iBooks is included with all Apple devices – seniors can use it to download e-books from the iTunes store. Like most e-readers, this app lets you adjust the lighting and type size while reading – helpful for those times when reading glasses are a bother, or when lighting is not sufficient. The selection of books is somewhat limited, but there are enough to stay busy for a long, long time.
Communication:
The Skype app brings the convenience of instant messaging, online chatting and even video into your mobile device. has revolutionized online video chatting and instant messaging, and their free app brings all of this convenience to your mobile devices. You can locate all your friends and family, talk with your fingers, even call anywhere in the world, all from the palm of your hand.
WhatsApp messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages with other iPhones, BlackBerries, Androids, Windows Phones and Nokias. The app uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, so there is no extra cost to message and stay in touch with everyone on your list. You can also create groups, send images, video and audio media messages.
The Find My iPhone app is a must-have. It happens to all of us, not just to seniors. Sooner or later we all have to go looking for our phones. This app helps you locate your phone and lock your data using any other iOS device. This keeps your personal information secure and prevents thieves from making off with your iPhone.
Utility:
The Magnifying Glass with Light app turns your phone into a magnifying glass with an accompanying light. No matter how good your vision, you may have a difficult time reading text in very small fonts or in dark rooms. This app works well for magnification purposes: This app has an easy to use interface and works well in low-light conditions. It’s perfect for reading in dark rooms or deciphering small text.