Best Apps for Elderly Parents: What to Install (and What to Skip)

The first instinct when setting up a parent's device is often to load it with every useful-looking app you can find. Medication reminders. News. Video calls. Weather. A fall detector. A pill identifier. Before long there are twenty icons on the screen and your parent has no idea which one to press to call you.

Less is more. The apps that succeed with elderly parents are the ones that do one clear thing and require minimal setup on the user's end. This guide covers the categories that genuinely matter, specific apps worth installing, and — just as importantly — what to leave off the device entirely.

The Core Four: What Every Elderly Parent's Device Needs

1. A Video Calling App (for Telehealth and Family)

Video calling is the single most important app category for elderly parents, because it powers both telehealth appointments and family connection.

What to install: In the United States, most telehealth platforms use either their own proprietary app, Zoom, or a browser-based link. Before installing anything, check which platform your parent's doctor uses. Many health systems (particularly those using Epic MyChart) send a video visit link directly to the patient — no separate app required.

For family calls, FaceTime is the default on iPhones and iPads and requires nothing extra. If your parent uses Android, Google Meet is preinstalled on most devices and works well. Both are simpler than Zoom for everyday family calls, because they launch with a single tap from the contacts screen rather than requiring a meeting code.

Setup tip: Create a large-button shortcut on the home screen for whichever app you choose. On an iPad, you can use the Accessibility shortcut feature or simply place the app icon front and center with nothing else nearby. Practice the call with your parent at least twice before their first telehealth appointment so the interface is familiar.

What to avoid: Don't install multiple video apps unless there's a specific reason for each. Zoom, FaceTime, Google Meet, Skype, and WhatsApp all have slightly different tap flows, and having several installed guarantees confusion about which one to open.

2. A Health Portal App

If your parent's doctor uses MyChart, the MyChart app should be installed and configured with proxy access so you can check notes, test results, and upcoming appointments from your own phone while also giving your parent access on theirs.

The portal app is where telehealth appointments often launch from — many health systems send a "begin visit" button directly inside the app's messaging section. Without the app installed and logged in, your parent may not be able to start the visit when the time comes.

Other common portal apps include Healow (used by many independent practices), FollowMyHealth, and system-specific apps like the VA Health and Benefits app for veterans. The right one depends entirely on your parent's healthcare provider.

Setup tip: Log in, test the video visit feature before an actual appointment, and save your own email address as the notification contact so you receive appointment reminders too.

3. A Medication Reminder App

For parents taking multiple medications on different schedules, a dedicated reminder app reduces missed doses and double-dosing. The best options for seniors are those with large text, loud alarms, and minimal setup overhead.

Medisafe is consistently the top recommendation in this category. It shows a visual of each pill, can send alerts to a caregiver's phone if a dose is missed (the "Medfriend" feature), and has a clear, accessible interface. It also flags potential drug interactions when new medications are added.

Round Health is a simpler alternative with a clean design and reliable reminders, better suited for parents who take fewer medications.

If your parent uses an iPhone and resists new apps, the native Reminders app set up as recurring alerts for each medication works reasonably well — it won't track adherence, but the reminder function is reliable.

What to skip: Apps that require syncing with a pharmacy or scanning barcodes tend to be too complex for initial setup. Start simple; you can always upgrade later.

4. A Video Call Shortcut to You Specifically

Beyond the app itself, consider setting up a contact shortcut that places a call directly to you or another family member without navigating through a contact list. On iPhone, you can add a "Call [Name]" shortcut to the home screen via the Shortcuts app. On Android, you can create a direct call widget.

For parents with early cognitive decline or who panic in unfamiliar interfaces, having a single button that calls a specific person is more useful than any sophisticated app.

Health and Safety Apps

Fall detection

If your parent has an Apple Watch, fall detection is built in and requires no additional app — just enable it in the Watch app under Emergency SOS. The watch detects a hard fall and can automatically call emergency services if the person is unresponsive. This is one of the most practical safety technologies available for elderly adults.

For parents who won't wear a smartwatch, standalone medical alert apps exist but have significant limitations — they require the person to press a button during a fall, which defeats the purpose when falls often cause immediate disorientation. A dedicated wearable medical alert device (from services like Life Alert or Bay Alarm Medical) is more reliable for this use case than an app.

Blood pressure and health tracking

If your parent uses a connected health device — a Bluetooth blood pressure cuff, glucose monitor, or pulse oximeter — there's usually a companion app required for that specific device. Omron Connect is common for Omron blood pressure monitors. One Drop or Glucose Buddy for diabetes management.

The Apple Health app (iPhone) or Google Fit (Android) can aggregate readings from multiple devices in one place, and some telehealth platforms can pull data from these apps with the patient's permission. Worth setting up if your parent's care team uses remote monitoring.

Emergency contacts and ICE

Both iOS and Android have built-in emergency contact and medical ID features that don't require a separate app. On iPhone: Settings > Health > Medical ID. On Android: Settings > Safety & Emergency. Fill in your parent's:

• Primary diagnosis or conditions
• Current medications and allergies
• Emergency contacts (including you)
• Blood type

This information is accessible from the lock screen by first responders without unlocking the device.

Communication Apps Worth Installing

Large-button phone and messaging

For parents who struggle with small text in standard messaging apps, Big Launcher (Android) replaces the entire home screen with oversized buttons and simplified navigation. On iPhone, the built-in Accessibility settings (larger text, bold text, zoom mode) accomplish most of this without a third-party app.

WhatsApp is worth installing if you have family members abroad or if your parent's social circle already uses it — it handles international calls over Wi-Fi with no additional cost, which matters for families spread across countries.

Photo sharing

Google Photos or Apple's shared albums allow you to share family photos directly to your parent's device without them needing to navigate anything. You post photos; they appear automatically in an album or as a slideshow screensaver. For parents who find social media confusing, this is a way to stay visually connected without an app they have to actively use.

What Not to Install

Social media apps (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) — unless your parent already uses them and wants them. Social media exposes elderly parents to a disproportionate volume of scam links, impersonation accounts, and emotionally manipulative content. The legitimate benefit (staying connected with family and friends) can be achieved through video calls and photo sharing instead.

Games with in-app purchases — Brain training and puzzle apps can be genuinely beneficial for cognitive engagement. But free games with in-app purchase prompts are a common source of unintended charges. If you install games, either pay for an ad-free version upfront or enable purchase restrictions via the device's parental controls.

Browser apps beyond the default — Chrome, Safari, Firefox all work, but having multiple browsers on the device creates confusion about which links open where. Stick to one, set it as default, and configure it to block pop-ups aggressively.

Antivirus apps — On iPhones and iPads, these are security theater — iOS's app sandboxing makes traditional antivirus unnecessary, and many "antivirus" apps in the App Store are scams themselves. On Android, Google Play Protect (built in) is sufficient for most users.

Any app you can't explain in one sentence — If you're unsure what it does or how it helps your parent specifically, don't install it. Clutter on a device is genuinely confusing for older users, and each unnecessary app is one more icon to accidentally tap.

Setting Up the Device Properly Before Installing Apps

The apps are only part of the equation. A parent with poor eyesight, dry fingertips that don't register on touchscreens, or hearing aids that cause audio feedback during video calls will struggle regardless of which apps you install.

Before loading anything:

• Increase font size to the largest comfortable setting
• Enable bold text
• Turn on touch accommodations (or increase touch sensitivity for older skin)
• Set up Face ID with "Require Attention" disabled if your parent has cataracts
• Pair hearing aids via Bluetooth to route audio directly from the tablet
• Configure notifications so only the most important alerts come through

These hardware and OS-level configurations have a bigger impact on usability than app choice.

Getting a parent's device configured for telehealth involves more than finding the right apps — it requires understanding how aging affects touchscreens, audio, and video quality, plus navigating proxy access to patient portals and knowing which telehealth platform their doctor actually uses. The Telehealth Parent Guide covers all of this in one place, with step-by-step instructions built for adult children who are coordinating care from a distance.

Get the Telehealth Parent Guide