About Senior Health
Explore senior health articlesAbout Senior Care Options
Explore senior living articlesAbout Finances & Legal
Explore finances and legal articlesAbout Products for Seniors
Explore products for seniors
Best iPad Apps for Senior Citizens
Written by OurParents Staff
about the author
5 minute readLast updated April 21, 2023
Seniors have been quick to adopt Apple’s iPad, a device that in their childhood would have seemed like a science fiction fantasy. This powerful but lightweight touchscreen computer is the size of a notepad and so intuitive that even children can use it. We conducted an informal survey of older family members and friends to learn their favorite iPad apps.
Let our care assessment guide you
Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
In this Article
Memory aids
1. Mint (free):This app helps to track and organize bills and even supports online bill pay. 2. BugMe! Stickies ($1.99): BugMe! lets you setup notes and reminders for birthdays, doctor’s appointments, and so on. 3. Find my iPad (free): Use a smart phone or a standard computer to quickly locate a lost iPad.
Socializing and staying in touch
4. MyPostcard (free): Designed for seniors, this simple apple allows your older loved one to easily view photos and videos that family members have shared. 5. Skype (free): Skype is for face-to-face video conferencing. Seniors can chat with grandchildren and other loved ones anywhere in the world. 6. Words with Friends (free): Play a clone of the popular board game, Scrabble, with friends across the world. 7. Zoom(free): Similar to Skype, Zoom allows video calls with friends and family.
Let our care assessment guide you
Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
Lifelong learning and staying mentally fit
8. Crosswords ($9.99): Seniors are known for their love of crossword puzzles. This app puts a limitless number of puzzles at your loved one’s finger tips. 9.Wikipanion (free): Wikipedia is becoming a virtually repository for all human knowledge, and Wikipanion is one of the best apps around for browsing Wikipedia. 10. Luminosity (free): Play popular brain games designed to help people exercise their mind and stay sharp. 11. TED Talks (free): Watch free lectures and talks by scientists and thinkers of the 21st century. 12. BBC News (free): The BBC has been the voice of the Free World since 1922. Read the latest world news or listen to the BBC World Service. 13. Virtuoso Piano 3 (free): Virtuoso is the perfect app for an older musician. Play piano and other instruments with the touchscreen. 14. WeatherBug (free): WeatherBug is among the most outstanding weather apps. Get forecasts, view the local radar, and get alerts from the National Weather Service. 15. iBooks (free): iBooks turns an iPad into an eBook reader. Font size and brightness can be easily adjusted for seniors with vision problems. 16. StockFish (free): Chess, known as the “game of kings” has been popular since the middle ages. Your chess-playing loved one will never have fret about finding an opponent with StockFish. Difficulty and playing style of the computer can be easily adjusted. 17. NPR (free): Public radio fans are sure to enjoy the NPR iPad app. 18. National Gallery of Art (free): Art is a virtual art museum and an art history course in one. View high resolution images of thousands of classic paintings and learn about the artists. 19. Goodreads (free): A book lovers dream. Users can read reviews of books they are considering reading, rate and write reviews of books they’ve read, keep a log of books read, and receive recommendations about books that match their interests.
Talk with a Senior Care Advisor
Our advisors help 300,000 families each year find the right senior care for their loved ones.
Health
20. WebMD (free): Get health information and news from WebMD. 21. MediSafe Medication Management (free): This app can help a parent or other old loved one keep track of their medicines. 22. Blood Pressure (free): This is a great app for seniors who want to take control of their own health.
Adaptive Aids
23. Magnifying Glass (free): This app turns an iPad into a digital magnifying glass. 24. Big Calculator (free): As its name implies, this is a pocket calculator with really big buttons. 25. Dragon Anywhere (free): This is an undemanding text recognition app that’s an excellent tool to help seniors dictate emails and other messages. 26. Penultimate(free): Use your finger as a pen on the iPhone screen. Notes that you write in Penultimate are transcribed into digital text and can be saved.
Recommended For You
The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom (of which OurParents is a trademark) and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
OurParents is a trademark of A Place for Mom. A Place for Mom is paid by our participating communities, therefore our service is offered at no charge to families. Copyright © 2023 A Place for Mom, Inc. All Rights Reserved.