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HEPLANO SeniorSet Up a Phone for Elderly Parents: Step by Step

Set Up a Phone for Elderly Parents: Step by Step

You can set up a phone for older parents in half an hour so that they can call, see appointments and read the weather, without menus that confuse them.

Last updated 26.10.2026

Short answer

First update the phone, then increase the text size, add the most important people and remove everything unnecessary from the home screen. With a simple home screen such as HEPLANO Senior, this takes one step.

1. Prepare

  • Charge the phone, install Android updates and insert the SIM card.
  • Create a Google account or use your parent’s account. It is needed for Google Play and the calendar.
  • Save the most important contacts with one phone number per person.
  • Make the text larger in the Android settings, for example under “Display”. The names of the menus differ by maker.

2. Install a simple home screen

HEPLANO Senior is available on Google Play. It shows the time, the date, the weather and big tiles: Important people, All contacts, Call list, My apps and Today. Up to three more are free tiles, for example for the camera, the photos or a messaging app. When you open it for the first time, the app leads you through the setup in seven steps. It also asks whether HEPLANO should be the home screen.

The 14 days of testing only start when HEPLANO is the home screen and the setup is finished.

3. Choose important people

Up to six people appear under “Important people”. A tap on the name starts the call. Each person has exactly one number.

4. Fill the free tiles

What your parents really need goes on a free tile: the camera, the photos, a messaging app or SMS. Tiles you do not need stay empty and do not appear.

5. Protect the settings

The settings only open when you tap the clock five times within 6 seconds and choose “Yes, change”. This way nobody changes anything by accident. If you like, you can also protect the area “For relatives” with a four-digit PIN. When you set it, the app shows a second code with eight digits once. Write it on a piece of paper in case the PIN is forgotten.

6. Check at the end

  • Calling: tap an important person.
  • Appointments: look under “Today”. How they get there is explained under Share the calendar.
  • Back to the old home screen: possible at any time under “For relatives” and “Default home screen”.

What a home screen cannot do

Android cannot be locked completely. Through the notification bar at the top and the settings of the phone you can still reach other apps. HEPLANO cannot prevent that.

What HEPLANO Senior looks like

  • HEPLANO Senior: Big tiles instead of tiny icons
    Big tiles instead of tiny iconsThe home screen: time, date, weather and eight big tiles. Five are fixed, three can be filled freely, here with camera, photos and a messaging app.
  • HEPLANO Senior: Call important people with one tap
    Call important people with one tapUp to six people you call without searching. Below are “Enter number” and the emergency button, which opens the dial pad.
  • HEPLANO Senior: All contacts, big and clear
    All contacts, big and clearAll contacts of the phone with big names. With the letters at the top, you jump straight to the right initial.
  • HEPLANO Senior: Today: appointments and birthdays
    Today: appointments and birthdaysThe day’s appointments from the calendar, the birthday of a contact and your own reminders. A tap marks an entry as done.
  • HEPLANO Senior: The week at a glance
    The week at a glanceThe next seven days with appointments and birthdays, each day with a heading. “Next week” pages on.
  • HEPLANO Senior: The weather, simply explained
    The weather, simply explainedTemperature, wind, humidity, the high and low for today and tomorrow and a note whether it rains. Data from the German Weather Service.
  • HEPLANO Senior: Large text, dark mode
    Large text, dark modeThe text comes in four sizes, the appearance light, dark or high contrast. With large text, the tiles grow and the arrangement stays the same.
  • HEPLANO Senior: Relatives set it all up
    Relatives set it all upThe settings are protected by five taps on the clock. Here relatives choose apps, favorites, free tiles, text size and language.

More tools

Common questions about setting up

Which phone do I need?

An Android phone with Android 8 or newer and Google Play.

What does HEPLANO Senior cost?

You can test the app with all features for 14 days. Buying is one-time and optional, with no subscription. Google Play shows the current price.

Can I go back to the old home screen?

Yes, at any time. Under “For relatives”, “Default home screen” opens the Android setting. If you uninstall HEPLANO, Android uses the previous home screen again.

What happens to the contacts and photos?

They stay on the phone. HEPLANO only displays contacts and appointments and does not send them anywhere.