WhatsApp is an application that is already used by everyone, including the elderly. An easy, fast and, above all, free mobile messaging tool. This makes both young people and adults use it for our communications. To use it you must be connected to the internet, and the application allows custom settings which will make it easier to use. And there, for a better use of our elders, we can count on WhatsApp to make it easier for them.
Our elders can also use easy WhatsApp
Although the most common application of our days is available on other simple mobiles, the advantage of the Android and iOS systems is that this WhatsApp can be modified to adapt it to the needs of the elderly. Because if; technologies and smartphones are not just something for the youngest, but obviously the ease of each one to understand and handle them is not the same.
And it is that the digital transformation of society has skyrocketed considerably in recent years. Digital technology, which was already part of our lives, has become essential. Hardly anyone can imagine a life without an internet connection, and being online is now more important than ever.
Something that our elders also know, be they our parents or grandparents. For this reason, and so that they are Always connected but in the simplest way, it is possible to calibrate our tools in a good way. Whether they do it from a state-of-the-art smartphone or an older one (which has WhatsApp), our adults will also be able to enjoy the app and make the most of it.
How can we do it
Because, according to studies, the sector of the population older than 55 years, especially if you live in the rural environment or in unpopulated areas, you are still the one who has been left out in this post-covid era. And it is, consequently, the main recipient of training in digital training.
Many of these seniors discovered during the lockdown, and in the weeks that followed, that you can do anything on the internet without fearing for security. And in those, too, through the use of WhatsApp that will be much more comfortable without having to make great sacrifices.
Add a shortcut for contacts
To prevent the elderly from having to enter the WhatsApp application and search for the contact with whom they want to communicate, it is advisable to create a direct access to their favorite contacts on the home screen of the mobile. In this way, and in a simple way, they will be able to message directly with whoever they want.
The application itself has this function natively, which allows us to create a direct access to any chat we have, whether it is a private one or a group one. So if there is a chat that they are especially interested in having immediately available, they will do it directly:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone.
- Enter the desired chat.
- Click on the three vertical dots, in the upper right corner.
- Press in More.
- choose the option Create Shortcut.
- To accept.
- Look at the shortcut on the home screen.
larger letters
On the other hand, and also as something important to highlight, is that our elders can also increase font size of the letters in WhatsApp to see better without forcing too much, all a quick and simple explanation, and thus increasing the size of the messages.
The first of all will be to open the application where, once on the main screen, we will access the general menu by pressing the icon of the three points located in the upper right corner, and we will select the option of Settings from the dropdown.
- From here, we will select the configuration option of chatin whose second section chat settingswe will find an option called Font size.
- Clicking on the latter, a small pop-up window will open in which we can choose the size of the letter (or font) that we want to use, under the three options Small, Medium and Large.
Pin essential chats
To make it easier for you to find the essential contacts, we can also choose to pin the most essential conversations, those that you must always have accessible. It can be with you, with your parents, other family members, with lifelong friends…
- On the front page of the app, all you have to do is press and hold on any of the chats you want to pin.
- The pushpin icon will appear at the top.
- We click on it in each of the conversations that we want and that’s it.
Automatically download (or not) videos and photos
Another important action, and one that will be put to good use, is to opt for the automatic download of content, both videos, images, GIFs, stickers… Thus, WhatsApp automatically downloads the images through the mobile data network of the device to You have quick access to your most recent photos.
To set up automatic downloading of photos, videos, or audio files, simply follow these steps:
- On the main screen of the app, tap on the three dots icon More options
- Go to storage and data.
- The automatic download will open to choose it as activated (it is already default) or deactivate it. The advice is that for them it is activated.
Send voice notes and photos
As we know, and very useful for adults, in addition to writing messages, WhatsApp allows you to send free voice messages. for this you have to press the microphone that appears in the messages to be sent. Record the message and then press the send line.
Likewise, photos can be sent by clicking on the camera that appears in the text box. The application saves the photos at an ideal resolution for sending quickly, and so that the recipient can open them without problems. It also allows you to easily make video calls with your contacts, as we will see below.
To make video calls
One of the WhatsApp functions that has improved the most in recent years is that related to video calls, calls in which it is possible to listen and see the other contact as well. Something that can be very useful for our parents and grandparents in order to make things easier for them.
This is the procedure you can follow to make a video call on WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Enter the conversation of the contact with whom you want to make the video call.
- Click on the camera button that appears in the upper right area and confirm that you want to start the video call by tapping on To call.
- As in audio calls, you can add more participants to the video call by clicking on a figure button with a + sign located in the upper right corner.
- During the video call, you can switch between the rear and front cameras by tapping the camera icon at the bottom left. To end the video call, click the red button on the phone.
