Smart phone...Smart user!

Hello there,

A very happy New Year to you – I hope that you had a relaxing and enjoyable time over the last few weeks and stayed cool! I went down to Hobart to visit my Mum and brother and the Canberra heatwave when I returned was somewhat of a shock!

I’m back in Our Nation’s Capital now though, and today’s newsletter is all about getting to know your smartphone (or “how to make the most of the tiny computer we all carry around in our pockets”).

The first tip is to take your time – there’s no right or wrong way to learn, and it’s about what works for you. It’s like that joke: Q: how do you eat an elephant? Answer: one bite at a time.

You don’t have to know everything all at once and it’s ok to decide to eat the elephant one bite at a time…

First up: a practical tip.

Have a fiddle in the Settings to match your needs

You can go into Settings and make changes to suit you. For example, make the screen easier to see by increasing the text size, activate bold text for clearer letters, and turning up the screen brightness.

You can also change the sounds so that they are clearer for you to hear notifications. If you wear hearing aids, you may also wish to pair your phone so you receive notifications to straight to your ears.

Most of these settings are under Accessibility, but if you can’t find them, use the search bar in the settings app and enter in terms like “text size”.

Within apps themselves, you can also make changes. For example, you can set up your most frequent destinations in Google Maps – your GP, local shops or family’s house – so they’re one tap away.

There are lots of other ways to use your phone which can make life easier including:

-       Using voice assistants (like Siri or Google assistant)

-       Having folders on your home screen

-       Installing “widgets” to see useful parts of apps

-       Using the Emergency Contacts feature (which means an emergency worker can access pre-determined contacts in the event you are unconscious)

-       Upload your payment cards to your digital wallet (safer than using a regular card!)

Happy to chat more about these topics if you’re keen, otherwise have fun getting to know your phone!

Ruth