Life Hacks

How to get your grandparents
to love tech

Go beyond emojis and get them up to speed this National Grandparents’ Day.

It may be 2021, but that doesn’t mean everyone loves 21st century technology — grandparents in particular. When faced with so many not-so-fun computer and phone tutorials, we can’t really blame them. To celebrate National Grandparents’ Day, it’s time to help them embrace their digital potential. Introduce them to tech that will not just make their lives better, but also help them feel confident and connected.

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SmartTags can be used on nearly any item. Attach them to your luggage and stress less about losing the things you love.

Protect what you love

Everybody misplaces stuff, but finding things can be super simple. With Galaxy SmartTag,2 you can help your grandparents protect their everyday belongings and necessities like keys, wallets and bags. Simply connect a Bluetooth-powered Galaxy SmartTag to the SmartThings app, then attach a SmartTag to whatever item your grandparents want to track. If an item gets lost, locating it can be as easy as launching the SmartThings app on a Samsung smartphone.

You can also track an item remotely for an elderly family member. Get their permission to attach a SmartTag to their belongings and you'll be able to trigger an alert sound to help them locate lost keys or a wallet. You'll worry less about your loved one losing something valuable to them.²

Help them stay safe

One of the best gifts for grandparents shows them how much you care, even when you can’t be with them. Give yourself and your loved ones some peace of mind with Samsung's trip detection feature4 on the Galaxy Watch Active2, Watch3 and the Watch4 series.2 If a hard fall is detected, an alert system will go off asking your grandparent if they need assistance.³ If there’s no response within 60 seconds, their emergency contact will be alerted.5 They can also check their ECG (electrocardiogram) with the Galaxy Watch4 series6

Keep them connected

Staying connected with the world can be overwhelming sometimes, but the Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Buds Pro make it easier for your grandparents to stay up to speed with chats, video calls and news alerts. So before you jump on the next video call with your grandparents, let them see you clearly with the 11-inch edge-to-edge display on a Galaxy Tab S7.7

Hook them up to useful apps and features

Thankfully, there's technology for the elderly that can assist with changes that may happen as we get older. For instance, the Magnifier Window feature on your grandparent’s Galaxy device, like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, can change the size of anything they’re reading for a clearer view. And with Samsung Pass, a platform that enables biometric authentication across multiple websites and apps, they won’t have to worry about remembering every single password. They can safely store all their passwords in one place for faster access to their logins.

  • 1Requires optimal 5G network connection, available in select markets. Check with your carrier for availability and details. Download and streaming speeds may vary based on content provider, server connection and other factors.
  • 2Requires initial setup on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone running Android 8.0 or higher, RAM 2.0GB above and opt-in for location tracking through SmartThings app.
  • 3The owner of a SmartTag may turn off the device at his or her own discretion.
  • 4Trip detection recognizes falls when engaged in dynamic motion, not when still. Requires network connection to notify emergency contact. GPS accuracy may be affected by obstructions to satellite signal such as buildings.
  • 5Samsung’s trip detection feature recognizes falls only when there is abrupt and high velocity movement. Requires smartphone pairing (i.e., network and Bluetooth connection) and sufficient battery charge. Requires registration of emergency contact in paired mobile device. Fall detection must be switched on and your location enabled to share with your emergency contact. GPS accuracy may be affected by obstructions to satellite signal such as buildings. The fall detection feature cannot detect all falls. Intense physical activity can trigger the fall detection feature and initiate calls to the emergency contact.
  • 6Galaxy Watch4 is not a medical/therapeutic device and is not intended for medical use.The ECG Monitor app is not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment and is for information purposes only. The ECG Monitor app is not intended for users with known arrhythmias other than atrial fibrillation or users under 22 years old. Users should not interpret or take clinical action based on the device without consultation of a qualified healthcare professional.
  • 7 Galaxy Tab S7 has a 11” TFT LCD screen while S7+ has a 12.4” sAMOLED screen. Measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners. Actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners.

They'll thank you later

Set your grandparents up for tech success.

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