Smartphones aren’t just for keeping in touch with family or checking the weather. They can be your personal assistant, travel guide, grocery list keeper, and so much more. If you’ve ever wished your day could run smoother, the tools you need are probably already in your pocket or purse.
In this article, I’ll share easy, practical tips to help you save time, stay organized, and make everyday life easier, without downloading a single new app. Whether you’re using an iPhone or Android, you’ll be surprised at what the free, built-in tools can do for you.
#1 Stay on Top of Appointments and Birthdays
Keeping track of appointments, birthdays, Senior Planet classes, and community events doesn’t need sticky notes all over the fridge. The Calendar app on your phone can do a better job, plus it can remind you about them as many times as you wish, wherever you are. To add an event with reminders, do the following:
- Open Calendar (iPhone) or Google Calendar (Android).
- Tap the “+” in the top-right corner.
- Enter the event name (e.g., “Doctor’s appointment“ or “Ellen’s Birthday”), and add a date and time.
- Set a reminder alert – try 1 day before for birthdays and 1 hour before for appointments. You can even add more reminders if you wish.
Pro Tip: When you visit any Senior Planet class webpage, you can add it to your calendar app instantly by tapping the Add to Apple Calendar or Add to Google Calendar links.
#2 Remember Your Tasks, Ideas, and Even the Milk
We all have moments when something important slips our mind – a phone call to make, a chore to do on schedule, or that grocery item you forgot last week. Your phone’s Reminders (iPhone) and Google Tasks (Android) can help. These apps offer simple, shareable checklists for groceries, chores, or any personal project you might have. Additionally, you can add alerts to any of the tasks to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
On iPhone’s Reminders app, to create a new list:
- Open the Reminders app.
- Tap Add List in the bottom-right corner.
- Choose a name, icon, and color for your list (e.g., Grocery)
- If needed, select the list type as Grocery to enable category grouping like dairy, produce, and bakery, so your shopping trip is smoother and faster.
- Tap Done.
To add a reminder (task or grocery item):
- Open the list where you want to add the reminder.
- Tap New Reminder or the “+“ button.
- Enter your task or grocery item.
- (Optional) Tap the info (“i“) icon to add a date, time, location alert, or more details.
On Android’s Google Tasks app, to create a new list:
- Open the Google Tasks app.
- Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines).
- Tap Create new list.
- Enter a name for your list (e.g., Grocery).
- Tap OK or Create.
To add a task:
- Open the list where you want to add a task.
- Tap Add a task at the bottom.
- Type your task or grocery item.
- (Optional) Tap Add date/time to set a reminder.
#3 Find Your Way Around Anywhere
Whether you’re exploring a new city or just finding your way inside a large building, your phone has tools to help you navigate with confidence. Maps apps (Apple Maps or Google Maps) can give you walking, driving, or public transit directions. They even offer voice-guided turn-by-turn help so you don’t need to keep looking at the screen. For indoors, certain locations like malls, airports, and large stores have indoor maps that can show you exactly where to find restrooms, elevators, or specific shops.
To get directions:
- Open Apple Maps or Google Maps.
- Enter your destination.
- Choose your mode of travel (walk, drive, transit).
- Tap Go to start navigation.
Pro Tip: In some places, you can use Look Around (Apple Maps) or Street View (Google Maps) to preview your route before you set out.
#4 Keep Important Documents Handy
It can be frustrating to search through piles of paper when you need important documents like medical forms, insurance cards, or receipts. Your smartphone can scan and store these safely and securely so they’re always with you. Even better, most smartphones today let you search and copy text from scanned documents.
With the Files app on iPhone and the Google Drive app on Android, you can scan and organize all your documents. Both apps also back up your files automatically to the cloud for extra peace of mind.
To scan a document on an iPhone:
- Open the Files app.
- Tap the Browse tab at the bottom.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
- Select Scan Documents.
- Hold your phone over the document until it scans.
- Tap Save and choose where to store the file.
On Android:
- Open the Google Drive app.
- Tap the “+“ button in the bottom-right corner.
- Select Scan.
- Capture the document with your camera.
- Tap Save to store it in your Drive.
#5 Use Voice Assistants to Make Life Easier
Whether it’s Siri on iPhone or Google Assistant on Android, voice assistants can simplify many everyday tasks, often faster than tapping around apps.
You can ask your assistant to send a message to a family member, set reminders for medications or appointments, create alarms to wake up or remind you to rest, check the weather before heading out, or even get answers to questions without typing a word.
On iPhone, press and hold the side button or say “Hey Siri“ to activate. On Android, say “Hey Google“ or press and hold the home button (or use the Assistant app). Once your assistant is active, try commands like:
- “Send a message to Mary.”
- “Remind me to take my medication at 8 PM.”
- “What’s the weather today?”
- “Set an alarm for 7 AM.”
Voice assistants can do so much more, and the more you use them, the easier and more natural it becomes. Give it a try today!
More Tips
- Use the Find My app on iPhone or Find My Device on Android to locate lost phones, tablets, or watches, and to share your location with trusted family members.
- Notes (iPhone) or Google Keep (Android) can help you keep track of ideas, recipes, and important information all in one place.
- Add credit or debit cards, boarding passes, and loyalty cards to the Wallet app to pay securely and keep travel details handy.
- Use your phone’s Clock app to set multiple alarms or timers for daily routines and tasks like cooking.
- Store medical information and emergency contacts in your phone’s emergency information feature so first responders can access them from your lock screen.
Pro Tip: If your smartphone’s built-in apps don’t quite cut it, check out this article to discover different apps you can download to get more done with ease.
Your Turn
What are your favorite smartphone tips or apps that help make life easier? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Techspert Jonathan is Senior Planet’s Sr. Digital Community Relations and Product Specialist and a former Senior Planet San Antonio technology trainer. He is also an iOS developer with a background in Information Systems and Cyber Security.
Have a tech question that’s got you stumped? Send your tech questions to Techspert Jonathan using THIS FORM. He’ll be tackling one question a month from readers.
The content on the Senior Planet website is intended strictly for general informational purposes and does not constitute an endorsement or warranty regarding privacy, security, app permissions, or changes in the app’s terms of service. Please scrutinize each app’s privacy policy, terms of use, data collection or other permissions before downloading or using the app.
