Tech Buddy Setup
Pair one senior with one trusted family member. Help is one tap away — including the kind of help no app gives you.
Which phones do you each have?
Most steps work for any pair. We will note the differences.
Pick the buddy and invite them
Who does this: Both — the senior and the helper sit down together with both phones once.
- 1
Pick one tech buddy
The family member or friend the senior trusts most. Ideally someone they call once or twice a week anyway. The buddy is the FIRST person called for tech questions — not the cousin who happens to be a software engineer.
- 2
Add each other as Favorites
In the Phone app: Contacts → tap the buddy → "Add to Favorites". Now they are one tap away on the lock screen.
- 3
Pin the buddy in Messages
iMessage or whatever app you both use. Long-press the conversation → "Pin". Always at the top.
Share location two ways
Who does this: Both — if either falls or gets lost, the other can find them.
- 1
iPhone-to-iPhone: Find My
Open Find My → People tab → "Share My Location" → pick the buddy → "Share Indefinitely". Have them do the same on their iPhone.
- 2
Mixed iPhone / Android: Google Maps
Both download Google Maps. Open Google Maps → tap your photo → "Location sharing" → "Share location" → pick a duration → pick the buddy. Works on both phones.
- 3
Make sure phones are not muted at night
iPhone: Settings → Focus → Sleep → "Allow Calls From" → "Favorites". The buddy can still ring through. Android similar under Settings → Sound → Do Not Disturb → Exceptions.
Help find a lost phone
Who does this: Buddy needs to know how to find the senior's phone if they lose it.
- 1
iPhone: write down iCloud login
On a card kept somewhere safe, write the senior's Apple ID email and password. The buddy can sign into icloud.com/find on any computer to ring or locate the phone.
- 2
Android: write down Google login
Same thing — Google email + password on a card. Buddy goes to google.com/android/find.
- 3
Or use Family Sharing
Apple Family Sharing or Google Family Group makes finding family devices easier without sharing passwords. Set up once.
When the buddy needs to help by phone
Who does this: The buddy will be on the phone walking the senior through fixes.
- 1
iPhone: enable SharePlay screen share
During a FaceTime call, tap the screen-share icon (rectangle with person). The senior can show their screen so the buddy sees what they see.
- 2
Android: use Google Meet screen share
On Google Meet, tap the three-dot menu → "Share screen". Same idea — buddy sees what the senior is looking at.
- 3
Save 1-800-MY-APPLE and Google Help in contacts
When the buddy cannot fix it, falling back to Apple Support (1-800-275-2273) or Google Help (online chat at support.google.com) is fine. Both are free for basic issues.
Emergency settings
Who does this: Both — but especially the senior.
- 1
Add the buddy as an emergency contact
iPhone: Health → Medical ID → Emergency Contacts → Add. Android: Settings → Safety & emergency → Emergency contacts. They get a text with location during SOS.
- 2
Set up Fall Detection if there is a watch
See our Fall Detection Setup tool. Apple Watch, Pixel Watch, or Galaxy Watch all do this — texts both 911 and the emergency contact.
- 3
Add medical info to lock screen
Conditions, medications, allergies. iPhone: Health → Medical ID → "Show When Locked". First responders look there first.
A weekly call works better than ad-hoc
Pick a day. "Sunday 5pm tech check-in" for 15 minutes. The senior writes down questions during the week; the buddy answers them in one short call. Both feel less burdened than scattered texts.
Related
Quick Tip: a single buddy beats a "tech committee". Knowing who to call first removes 80% of the stress.