Making an App for Elderly People

The Five Most Important Features

Developing apps for older adults in today's dynamic digital world calls for a sophisticated comprehension of their unique habits, requirements, and obstacles. The use of digital solutions to improve the lives of seniors, usually between the ages of 50 and 75, is on the rise. Read on to learn about the most popular app categories among seniors, the five main reasons they use them, and the problems they encounter on a daily basis.

The Five Most Important Reasons Older People Should Use Apps

1. Health Management

‍Apps help seniors keep track of their meds, appointments, and vital signs, among other health management tasks.
Example: “MyChart” is a centralized platform that enables seniors to manage their medical appointments, get test results, and communicate with their healthcare providers.

2. Communication

‍For seniors, particularly those who are unable to leave their homes owing to illness or disability, the main reason to utilize applications is to maintain social connections.
Example: “WhatsApp” is well-liked by the elderly because of its user-friendly design, which facilitates the sending and receiving of messages, calls, and photo sharing.

3. Recreation and Amusement

A lot of elderly people nowadays like reading, listening to music, and playing games using apps.
The Kindle, for instance, provides a user-friendly environment for reading electronic books; this includes the ability for older adults to customize the font size and brightness to their liking.

4. Financial Management ‍

Financial management apps help seniors with banking, budgeting, and investment tracking, among other things. “Chase Mobile” is a great example of a service that makes it easy for seniors to do things like view account balances, pay bills, and track transactions.

5. Learning and Cognitive Engagement

The usage of software that teach new languages, skills, or cognitive games is a great way for seniors to maintain mental acuity. As an example, many seniors love “Lumosity” since it provides brain-training activities that are fun and suitable for players of all ability levels.‍

The Five Most Common Problems Faced by Senior Users of Applications

1. Complex User Interfaces

Due to factors such as small icons, an excess of functions, and cluttered layouts, program interfaces can be overwhelming for seniors. Make the interface easier to use by making the icons bigger, reducing the number of options, and keeping the layout simple.

2. Having Trouble in Reading

Text on mobile devices might be difficult for the elderly to read due to small font sizes and low contrast. Make sure there is a lot of contrast between the text and background and use big, readable fonts.

3. Difficulties with Navigation

Especially with multi-step processes or hidden menus, elderly users may find it difficult to navigate complex navigation systems. Use simple, linear navigation with big, obvious buttons and few steps.

4. Insufficient Direction and Assistance

Many programs do not have sufficient tutorials or help tools, which can be frustrating for seniors who often want extra instruction while using new applications. Offer user-friendly onboarding procedures and easily available support resources like tutorials and frequently asked questions.

5. Issues with Security and Privacy

For reasons of both privacy and security, seniors may be hesitant to divulge sensitive information online. Provide transparent information about the measures used to safeguard their data and make sure that privacy settings are robust.

Comparison of Age and Application Usage Time

‍Users' average application usage across five age groups (50, 55, 60, 65, 70,and 75) is depicted in the graph below.

List of the Five Most Popular Apps Among Seniors these Days.

1. Applications for Health and Wellness

With the help of these applications, seniors may keep track of their health and wellness activities, such as taking their medications and working out. For instance, “Fitbit” caters to seniors by offering simple fitness tracking along with personalized insights, reminders, and instructions.

2. Social Networking Applications

They help the elderly maintain relationships with friends and family. For instance, many seniors use “Facebook(Meta)” to stay in touch with loved ones, exchange memories, and find local clubs and organizations.

‍
3. Educational and Brain Training Applications

Apps that facilitate cognitive exercises and lifetime learning for seniors are known as Educational and Brain Training Applications. As an example, consider “Duolingo”, which provides a fun and easy approach to learn a new language with courses that are both brief and reasonable.

4. Finance and Budgeting Applications

Applications for Financial Management and Budgeting Apps that help seniors with all aspects of their financial lives, from day-to-day spending to saving for the future. As an example, “Mint” is a great tool for seniors to use all in one location for budgeting, expenditure tracking, and general financial management.

5. Entertainment Applications

Entertainment Applications Apps that supply older adults with media such as books, games, and music. “Spotify” is a great example of a service that caters to seniors' musical tastes by providing them with effortless navigation and the ability to create personalized playlists.

The Vacuum of Opportunities in Application Development for Senior Users

‍There are an increasing number of apps for seniors, but few that cater to their unique need, such as helping lonely seniors connect with others, providing tailored mental health services, or assisting those with deteriorating cognitive capacities using adaptive technology. There is a great opportunity for innovation in application design that targets these underserved locations, as there are currently no comprehensive solutions in the market.