Easy to use apps for a Samsung S7 cell phone?

August 19, 2023 6:11 AM

Any recommendations for easy to use apps that would be useful, fun or interesting? I'm setting up my Mom's (in her 70s, not techy) new Samsung S7 cell phone for her and I'm looking for recommendations on any useful or fun apps I could put on it.

She currently can make calls, text and take pictures so apps that are easy to figure out or easy to teach her how to use over the phone would be great! She plays match 3 and hidden item games on her laptop so game suggestions would be perfect. I'll be adding her email and a weather app. She doesn't use social media. She has a hard time figuring out the internet and search results so apps that replace a website are good, i.e weather app instead of checking weather forecast online. Free would be great but I'm happy to buy apps as well.

posted by Lay Off The Books to Technology (9 answers total)

Some paid version of bejeweled. My library, unfortunately, uses CloudReader, but many use Libby or other apps. I love having books on my phone. Also, Kindle and Play Books, because I get books there, and a .pdf reader. I like looking at the sky, so Sky View Lite. If she drives, google maps, I like Google assistant reasonably well. I use Google Keep for grocery and task lists, lots of notes. I have a heart rate monitor because I have a mild condition, there are some good health apps. A timer, much nicer than the one in the kitchen. Public radio app, if she's a listener. Music and a music app. Install any utilities you consider important, but remove the screen icon.

No shopping apps; they will all do popups and notificatons, as do most apps.
posted by theora55 at 8:17 AM on August 19, 2023

I have spent many hours playing a game called Word Mix Lite on my Galaxy S7. It's a bit like Wordle. I prefer it to more addictive, purely visual phone games.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 1:05 PM on August 19, 2023

Games that might be fun given what your mom already plays:
Topsoil
Threes

You could also ask her if she wants any podcasts/audiobooks. As my eyes begin to age, I realize why audiobooks were popular even with non-car commuters. I hate the Amazon behemoth, but Audible is the giant here.

Would she want to do video calls? Zoom is so ubiquitous these days, and pretty user friendly.

Pedometer, especially if she's getting too sedentary and wants to incorporate more movement in her day.

I don't know what built-in "Find my device" options there are and how often you'll be able to help run updates and troubleshoot in person, but something like Lookout?
posted by spamandkimchi at 3:20 PM on August 19, 2023

See if her library offers emedia like Overdrive (Libby App) or Hoopla. My library subscribes to three services - Libby, Hoopla, and Axis 360 and between those three I get 28 checkouts per month so that means I can get 28 audiobooks or ebooks. I find Hoopla to be the easiest to use out of the three but that is also the service with the fewest checkouts (3).
posted by Constance Mirabella at 6:38 PM on August 19, 2023

My wife and I are also in our seventies. We depend on a weather app. We do crosswords and play card games. We use Facebook, X, and YouTube. We use the phone and the camera. We text. We do Hoopla. I take flute lessons over Facetime. My wife has regular Zoom conversations. We order our groceries for pickup with a phone app. We do email. We order stuff from Amazon and other vendors.

A lot of this is with tablets, not phones, but it could be phones.

Actually, the subject of texting brings up an issue. We find that if doctor offices get your cell number, they will make texting the communication mode of first choice. If are not alert for texts you miss stuff.
posted by SemiSalt at 7:50 PM on August 19, 2023

Useful app: For Android phones (only) I always recommend ColorNote a simple app for taking notes and making checklists.
posted by TimHare at 10:51 PM on August 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

The Merlin Bird ID app has gone down really, really well with my normally super tech-averse mum (and me as well at the other end of the spectrum). Very well put together for finding info, and has an almost magic one click audio-id functionality where you can hold your phone up and it'll listen for birdsong and pop up matches and extra example audio clips. Really great app for anyone a little bit or more into birdwatching.
posted by protorp at 5:35 AM on August 21, 2023

I am confused. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is a really old phone. We had one and our provider - T-Mobile - told us we couldn't use it anymore; it was just too outdated. So before you do anything at all with it I'd check with your cell phone service. I will also say that these days you can get a refurbished much newer phone via Amazon (I know, I know) for about $200 or less and so far - I've had three - they have been just as good as a brand new phone and lasted for years. I just replaced my S-9 with a used S-20 for under $300 and it's great.

As a Galaxy person myself, for match 3 games I am very fond of Fishdom. It does have a lot of in app purchases though - I have no problem avoiding them but YMMV. I like the Wunderground app for weather and WillyWeather for tide tables and more specifically local info. Snapseed is a free photo editing app I love. Merlin is really great, particularly the sound ID.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:06 PM on August 21, 2023

She want access to her primary email on the phone. Today I had to check in at a blood draw by scanning a QR code.
posted by SemiSalt at 2:27 PM on August 21, 2023