Caregiver Help & Guides

For the caregiver. This article shows you how to see where your loved one is, in real time, on your own phone — without buying a tracker or installing a separate app. It uses two free Google features that work together:

• Google Family Group — a list of up to 6 family members with a shared “family manager.” Free, already part of every Google account.
• Google Maps Location Sharing — lets one Google account share its location with another. Free, already in every Google Maps install.

You only need to set this up once. After that you can open Google Maps on your phone any time, tap your profile picture, and see them on the map.

Part 1 — Create or join a Family Group (do this on your phone)

You can skip this part if your loved one is already in your Family Group. (If you’re not sure, open the Google Home app on your phone and tap the people icon at the top — if you see their name listed, they’re in.)

1. On your Android phone, open Settings.
2. Scroll to Google and tap it.
3. Tap Manage your Google Account.
4. Swipe across the tabs at the top until you find People & sharing (or just look for the “People” tab).
5. Tap Family Group. If you don’t have one yet, tap Get started and follow the prompts. You’ll become the family manager.
6. Once the group exists, tap Invite family member.
7. Type your loved one’s Google email address (the one signed into their Senior Assistant phone). Tap Send.

Google sends them an email + a notification to accept the invitation.

Part 2 — Accept the invitation (do this on the senior’s phone)

Because the senior’s phone is running Senior Assistant, you’ll need to either:

• Easiest: Have the senior with you and ask them to tap “Accept” when the notification appears on their phone — OR —
• More common: Borrow their phone for two minutes and do this yourself.

To accept on the senior’s phone:

1. Press and hold the small menu (≡) icon in the top-left corner of the Senior Assistant home screen — OR use the bottom-right All apps button — to find Gmail (or whichever email app they use).
2. Open the email from Google titled “You’re invited to join a Google family group“.
3. Tap Accept invitation inside the email.
4. Sign in if Google asks (use the senior’s Google account credentials).

After accepting, the senior’s account is now in your family group. Family Group itself doesn’t share location — that’s the next part.

Part 3 — Turn on Location Sharing (do this on the senior’s phone)

This is the step that actually lets you see them on your map.

1. On the senior’s phone, open Google Maps. In Senior Assistant, that means: tap the All apps button in the bottom-right of the home screen, then tap Maps.
2. Tap the senior’s profile picture (top-right corner of Maps).
3. Tap Location sharing.
4. Tap Share location (you may need to grant Maps the location permission first — tap Allow all the time when asked).
5. Pick a duration:
   • Until you turn this off — what you want for ongoing caregiver visibility. It stays on permanently until the senior (or you) flips it off.
   • “1 hour” / “Until tomorrow” are short bursts — not useful here.
6. Pick the person to share with — your name should appear because you’re now in the family group.
7. Tap Share.

Maps confirms with a message at the top: “Sharing your location with [your name] until you turn this off.”

A persistent notification stays in the senior’s notification shade that says “Sharing your location with [your name].” That notification is normally hidden by Senior Assistant’s notification filter — see Heads up below if you want it visible.

Part 4 — See their location on your phone

You’re done with their phone now. Do this back on your own phone:

1. Open Google Maps.
2. Tap your profile picture (top-right).
3. Tap Location sharing.
4. You’ll see your loved one’s avatar with a “live” indicator. Tap it to zoom to their location on the map.

A nice trick: drag the Google Maps shortcut icon to your home screen so you don’t have to dig for it. Long-press the Maps app in your launcher and pick “Add to Home screen.”

Heads up — common gotchas

Privacy considerations

Sharing location with a family member is private to the two Google accounts involved — Google does not advertise off it, and other family-group members don’t see the shared location unless you specifically include them. The senior can revoke sharing at any time from Maps → profile → Location sharing → tap your name → Stop.

If you’re setting this up for a parent or spouse who doesn’t fully understand it (cognitive change is real), the ethical bar is to explain in plain language what you’re doing — “I’d like to be able to see on my phone where you are, so I can help if something happens” — and ask. Even if they don’t fully retain the conversation, having had it is the difference between a care decision and an invasive one.

What this replaces

You may have seen advertisements for products that do this same thing for $25-$50/month: GPS pendants, “senior trackers,” dedicated SOS watches. Family Group + Maps sharing is the same idea, free, on the phone they already carry. It’s not a fall detector, and it doesn’t auto-call 911, but it answers the question “where are they right now?” — which is usually the question.

For more direct emergency response, see Emergency contact + SOS — the red SOS button on the home screen places a one-tap call to whoever you designated. Pair the two and you’ve covered both “they need me now” and “where did they go?”

For the caregiver. Senior Assistant hides every setting and configuration behind a PIN-protected area called caregiver mode. The senior using the device day-to-day never sees these settings — they only see the home screen with the big tiles.

This article covers how to get into caregiver mode, what’s behind the PIN, and how to get back out without confusing the senior.

How to enter caregiver mode

1. From the home screen, tap the small menu (≡) icon in the top-left corner.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Type your caregiver PIN when asked. You set this PIN during the initial onboarding — if you forgot it, see Master PIN recovery.

What’s behind the PIN

Once you’re in, you’ll see a hub of six sub-screens:

• Caregiver — your PIN. Toggle whether the PIN is required at all, and the Set/Change PIN action.
• Applications — Default Apps (which Email or Calendar app the tiles open), Calendar Source, Notifications allowlist, Weather Location, Reminders & medications.
• App Navigation — App Folders, bottom-bar visibility toggles (Show All Apps, Show Search, Show Assistant, Enable Dialer).
• Phone — Favorite People, Recent calls, Emergency Contact, Answer calls on speakerphone, Show Recent Calls on home, Prevent accidental mute (Volume Guard).
• Senior Assistant — system role configuration: Make Senior Assistant the Home, Make it the Phone, Set Screen Saver, Set Lock Screen, System Status (a 7-row health panel), Replay Onboarding.
• About & Subscription — version, trial status, manage subscription via Google Play.

Leaving caregiver mode

There are three ways out, and they’re all OK:

1. Tap the back arrow in the top-left corner repeatedly until you’re back on the Settings hub, then tap back once more to land on the home screen.
2. Press the Home button on the navigation bar at the bottom of the device. This jumps you straight back to the home screen regardless of how deep in the menus you are.
3. Let the device sleep (power button off). The next time it wakes up, you’ll be on the home screen and caregiver mode will re-PIN-gate.

The PIN is re-required every time you tap Settings again, no matter how recently you were last in. There’s no “stay unlocked for 5 minutes” timeout — by design.

Why the PIN matters (and why we don’t oversell it)

The PIN’s job is to prevent accidental changes — your loved one gently tapping around, hitting wrong buttons, ending up in the wrong place. It is not security. It will not stop:

• Someone who finds the device, factory-resets it, and starts fresh.
• A determined teenager.
• You forgetting it (see Master PIN recovery).

If your loved one is in early cognitive change, the PIN does exactly what you need it to: it keeps the home screen calm. As their condition progresses, you may want to leave the PIN in place and lean on the System Status panel to catch when anything has drifted.

If you’re caring for someone whose device security needs are higher (e.g., they have someone in their life intentionally messing with their setup), Android’s full device PIN/biometric is the right tool — the caregiver PIN is in addition to that, not a replacement.

Sharing the PIN with another caregiver

A common situation: you’re the primary caregiver, and your sibling wants to be able to help too. You can simply tell them the PIN.

But: once shared, treat it as shared. If you change the PIN later because you no longer want them to have access, they’ll be locked out — and so will you, if you ever forget the new one. The Master PIN recovery is there for that case.

If you and another caregiver want separate access, today there’s no way to do that — Senior Assistant has one caregiver PIN per device. (Coming in a future update: per-caregiver access via your Google account.)

For the caregiver. This explains the eight tiles in the middle of the home screen, what they’re for, how to choose which apps live inside them, how to rearrange them, and how to hide the ones the person you care for doesn’t need.

The eight tiles

The home screen has eight large tiles in a 2-column grid. Each tile either opens a specific feature or a small folder of apps you’ve chosen.

The four folder tiles (Health, Social, Shopping, Entertain) open into a big-icon picker so the senior can choose an app without seeing the rest of the phone’s app drawer.

How to put apps into a folder

1. Long-press the gear icon to enter caregiver mode (enter your PIN if set).
2. Tap App Folders.
3. Choose Health, Social, Shopping, or Entertain.
4. Tap Add app, pick from the list of installed apps, tap Done.
5. Drag the rows to set the order — the senior sees them in this order.

Rearrange tiles on the home screen

The eight tiles can be rearranged by drag-and-drop, but the screen goes into edit mode first so a stray long-press doesn’t accidentally move things.

1. Long-press any tile on the home screen.
2. The screen enters edit mode — tiles get a slight outline and an X appears in the top-right corner of each one.
3. Drag any tile to a new position. The other tiles slide out of the way.
4. Tap Done in the bottom-left corner when finished.

If you have not set a PIN, edit mode is available directly from the home screen. Either pattern is fine — most caregivers set a PIN.

Hide a tile

Some seniors don’t use every tile. You can hide any tile and let the remaining tiles fill the empty space.

Quick way (edit mode):

1. Enter edit mode (see above).
2. Tap the small red X in the corner of any tile you want to hide.
3. The first time you do this, a dialog explains it’s a toggle, not a delete — the tile can be brought back from the caregiver menu. Tap Got it.
4. The tile disappears and the others reflow to fill the gap.
5. Tap Done.

Bring a hidden tile back:

1. Enter caregiver mode.
2. Tap App Navigation → Show / Hide Tiles.
3. Toggle the switch for the tile you want back. Tap the back button.

Rearrange and hide the bottom row

The bottom row (Phone, Assistant, Search, All Apps) can also be rearranged in edit mode. SOS stays pinned on the right — it’s the safety anchor and you can’t move or hide it.

1. Enter edit mode (long-press any tile).
2. Drag the bottom-row buttons left and right.
3. Tap the small red X on any non-SOS button to hide it.
4. Tap Done.

To bring a hidden bottom-row button back, go to Caregiver → App Navigation → Show / Hide Tiles — the bottom-row buttons appear in the same list as the home tiles.

Default order on a fresh install: Phone, Assistant, Search, All Apps, SOS. Phone is leftmost because it’s the most-used action.

What this replaces

The eight tiles replace the standard Android home screen for the senior — no swipe pages, no widgets that move on their own, no Google search bar, no “you have 23 unread emails” pile-ups. Everything they need is visible without scrolling.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t delete apps. Hiding a tile or skipping a folder leaves the apps installed and reachable from All Apps.
• Doesn’t override the system’s default apps for every interaction — see Default apps for that.
• Doesn’t lock you out of caregiver mode if you forget your PIN — see Master PIN recovery.

For the caregiver. Fake “your phone has a virus” pop-ups, scam ads, and tracker domains can be blocked at the network level by switching the device’s DNS server to a filtering one. Senior Assistant has a one-tap setup for this in the Caregiver menu.

Why bother with DNS

DNS is the phone book of the internet — every website lookup goes through it. A filtering DNS server returns “not found” for domains known to host scams, malware, and aggressive ads. The senior never sees the page that tries to scare them into “calling Microsoft support.”

It’s not a guarantee against every scam, but it cuts the volume of junk that even gets a chance to appear.

Set it up

1. Long-press the gear → enter caregiver mode.
2. Tap Safety → Private DNS.
3. Senior Assistant shows the system’s Private DNS screen with the recommended provider hostname pre-filled.
4. Tap Save in that screen.

The recommended provider is a family-friendly filtering DNS — it blocks adult sites, scam ads, and known malware domains. You can substitute another one if your family uses a different policy (Cloudflare 1.1.1.3 family, OpenDNS Family Shield, NextDNS with a custom profile, etc.).

Verify it’s working

1. After saving, open a browser and visit any normal site (google.com, the local newspaper). Loads normally → DNS is working.
2. From a desktop, look up a known ad-domain blocklist (e.g. doubleclick.net). The senior’s device should refuse to load it.

If sites you want to allow are blocked, switch to a less-strict provider in the Private DNS screen.

Heads up — apps that use their own DNS

Heads up — VPN conflicts

Turn it off

1. Caregiver mode → Safety → Private DNS.
2. In the system screen, choose Off or Automatic and tap Save.

What this replaces

Manually installing ad-blocker apps, browser-specific blocklists, or nothing — and just hoping the senior doesn’t tap “Yes, scan my phone now” on a fake pop-up.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t stop scam phone calls or text messages. See Blocking unknown callers and senders for those.
• Doesn’t protect against scams the senior types into the browser (typing a misspelled bank URL, clicking a phishing link in Outlook).
• Doesn’t replace antivirus — the on-device protection from Google Play Protect still applies.

For the caregiver. The system default browser is often Chrome, which is fine for most people but shows ads, signs the senior in to a Google account they didn’t ask for, and has fewer built-in safeguards. A “safer browser” is one with stricter defaults — ad-blocking, no account sign-in nag, scam-site warnings on by default.

Senior Assistant doesn’t pick the browser for you. Install one of the options below, then set it as the default in Default Apps.

Recommended browsers

We don’t recommend Chrome by default because it nags for Google sign-in, surfaces “personalized” ads, and resists URL inspection. It works, but it isn’t the safer option.

Install and set as default

1. Open Play Store → search for the chosen browser → Install.
2. Open Senior Assistant. Long-press the gear → caregiver mode.
3. Applications → Default Apps → Browser.
4. Pick the browser you installed.

Browser-level safeguards to turn on

Inside the browser itself (a one-time setup):

• Brave: Settings → Shields → “Aggressive” tracker blocking. Settings → Search engine → DuckDuckGo. Settings → Privacy → “Block all cookies” if the senior never logs into anything.
• DuckDuckGo: Tap the icon in the corner → Settings → Application Lock (optional PIN), Cookie Pop-up Manager → On.
• Firefox: Settings → Enhanced Tracking Protection → Strict. Settings → Search → DuckDuckGo. Install the uBlock Origin add-on from Firefox add-ons.
• Edge: Settings → Privacy → Tracking prevention → Strict. Settings → Safety → SmartScreen → On.

Combine with Private DNS

A safer browser handles in-page ad and tracker blocking. Private DNS (see Private DNS) blocks scam domains at the network level — even if the senior pastes a URL into a system text field or follows a link from email. The two together cover more ground than either alone.

Heads up — accidental “default browser” prompts

What this replaces

Chrome with all-defaults, plus a vague hope that the senior won’t tap on something concerning.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t filter the open web — a safer browser still loads any URL the senior types or pastes. Combine with Private DNS for domain-level protection.
• Doesn’t replace good in-person conversations about what to do when a pop-up appears (“close the tab, don’t tap anything in it, come ask me”).
• Doesn’t catch SMS phishing links — those open in whatever browser is set as default, but a safer browser at least makes the landing page less successful at its trick.

For the caregiver. The System Status panel is a single screen that shows whether the device is correctly configured for everyday Senior Assistant use. It catches “configuration drift” — when something gets turned off after a system update, an Android restart, or a stray tap.

Where to find it

1. Long-press the gear → enter caregiver mode.
2. Tap System Status.

Each row either looks normal (configured) or shows a “!” badge next to it (needs setup). Tap any row to jump straight to the screen that fixes it. Items with a “!” need your attention.

What each row means

How the lock-screen detection works

This row is the trickiest because Android doesn’t always expose what the user picked. Senior Assistant checks two things:

1. The actual lock-screen wallpaper provider, if the OS reports one.
2. A fallback flag set when you completed the “Set as lock screen wallpaper” step in onboarding (in case the OS doesn’t expose the provider after a reboot).

If you set the lock-screen wallpaper through onboarding and the row still shows “!”, it’s likely the device’s lock-screen settings reset after a system update. Tap the row and re-apply.

When to check System Status

• After a system update.
• After a forced restart or a battery-drain shutdown.
• After installing a new app that asks for similar permissions (especially other launchers, dialers, or notification managers).
• When something in the app stops behaving the way you remember.

A quick scan of this screen is faster than chasing down individual settings.

What this replaces

Memory plus a “things to check after every Android update” sticky note. Plus a hard-to-find drawer of system settings spread across Apps, Notifications, Sound, Display, Network, and Battery.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t auto-fix anything. The row is a status, not a switch — to change the setting, you tap into the screen behind it.
• Doesn’t catch every misconfiguration. Some things (a specific app being installed, the right Wi-Fi network) aren’t on this panel.
• Doesn’t show subscription status — that’s in Billing.

For the caregiver. Robo-calls and scam texts are the single biggest nuisance — and risk — for older adults. Senior Assistant can block calls and SMS from numbers that aren’t in the device’s contact list so the senior simply doesn’t see them.

What gets blocked

When this is turned on:

• Phone calls from numbers not in Contacts go directly to voicemail with no ringing and no entry in the senior’s recent-calls view. (They’re still logged in the system call log so you can audit them if needed.)
• SMS messages from numbers not in Contacts are still received by the system, but Senior Assistant’s notification filter suppresses the notification, so the senior doesn’t see a banner.

The phone-call block also kicks in during an active call — so a robo-caller can’t ringtone-interrupt a real conversation.

Turn it on

1. Long-press the gear → enter caregiver mode.
2. Tap Safety → Notification Allowlist.
3. Toggle Block calls & SMS from non-contacts on.

That’s the whole switch — there are no per-number entries to manage.

Heads up — your contact list is the allow list

How to handle a legitimate missed call

If a real caller gets blocked because they weren’t in contacts:

1. The call is logged in the system call log (open the stock phone app from the All Apps drawer if needed).
2. The caller usually leaves voicemail. Most carriers can deliver voicemail as a notification or transcription.
3. Add them to Contacts, and they’ll be unblocked from then on.

What this doesn’t replace

The carrier’s own spam filtering (most US carriers offer one — turn it on as well, it doesn’t conflict). And the system’s “Silence unknown callers” toggle in the stock phone app — leave that one off, otherwise it competes with Senior Assistant’s filter and results aren’t predictable.

Turn it off

1. Caregiver mode → Safety → Notification Allowlist.
2. Toggle Block calls & SMS from non-contacts off.

Calls and SMS from any number go through normally.

What this replaces

A “do not answer” sticky note on the fridge. Plus the constant low-grade anxiety of every phone call possibly being a scam.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t block calls from spoofed numbers that happen to match a contact. Caller-ID spoofing is real and works against any contact-based filter.
• Doesn’t filter emails or in-app messages (WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook). For those, use the app’s own block lists or the Notification filter to silence the apps entirely.
• Doesn’t prevent the senior from initiating a call to an unknown number themselves.

For the caregiver. Senior Assistant uses Google Play’s billing system — your account, your payment method, your cancel-anytime rights. This article explains the plans and how to subscribe.

Plans

All three plans unlock the same features. The difference is the billing cadence:

• Monthly — easiest entry point, cancel any time, no commitment.
• Annual — best price if you’ll use Senior Assistant past about 9 months.
• Lifetime — one payment, no renewals. Pays off around year 3 vs annual. Good for “set it up and forget the bills.”

All prices are pulled from Google Play live — what you see in the app is what Google will charge.

Free trial

Both subscription plans have a 14-day free trial. You enter your payment method at signup, but you’re not charged until day 15. If you cancel before day 14, no charge.

The Lifetime plan does not have a trial — it’s pay-once.

How to subscribe

1. Open Senior Assistant.
2. After the onboarding wizard, the subscription screen appears.
3. Tap a plan card to see the Google Play checkout sheet.
4. Confirm with your fingerprint, face unlock, or Google Play PIN.

After purchase, you’re back to the home screen. The subscription is active immediately — no app restart needed.

What the subscription unlocks

Everything in Senior Assistant works with an active subscription or Lifetime:

• Big-tile home screen and folders.
• Big-button custom dialer + InCall screens.
• Reminders, calendar, weather.
• Notification filter + unknown-caller blocking.
• Custom lock-screen wallpaper.
• Themes + photo wallpaper.
• All future updates.

There’s no “free tier” — the subscription is the product. The 14-day trial is the free tier.

Where to see your subscription

Inside the app:

1. Long-press gear → caregiver mode.
2. Tap Subscription.

You’ll see the active plan, the next renewal date, and links to manage or cancel through Google Play.

On Google Play (browser or app): Play Store → profile icon → Payments and subscriptions → Subscriptions.

Find Senior Assistant on Google Play

The Settings hub has a row that opens the Senior Assistant page on the Play Store — handy for rating the app, leaving a review, or sharing it with another family member.

1. Long-press gear → caregiver mode.
2. Tap Senior Assistant on Google Play.

The Play Store opens to the app’s page.

Heads up — restoring after a reinstall

What this replaces

A monthly fee for some kind of senior-care service that costs $20+ per month, or installing a dozen separate apps that each have their own subscription.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t share access across multiple devices on different Google accounts. The subscription is per-Google-account, like all Play Store purchases.
• Doesn’t bundle a SIM, a phone, or carrier service. It’s just the software.
• Doesn’t bill outside Google Play — if a website asks for your credit card “for Senior Assistant,” it’s a scam.

For the caregiver. Senior Assistant subscriptions are managed through Google Play, the same way any Play Store subscription is. This article walks through cancel, pause, switch plans, and refund options.

Cancel before the trial ends

If you started the 14-day free trial and don’t want to keep the subscription, you have until day 14 to cancel without being charged.

1. Open the Play Store app.
2. Tap your profile icon (top-right corner).
3. Tap Payments and subscriptions → Subscriptions.
4. Tap Senior Assistant.
5. Tap Cancel subscription.
6. Follow the prompts.

You’ll still have full access to Senior Assistant until day 14, then the app drops into “subscription expired” mode.

You can also reach this from inside the app:

1. Long-press gear → caregiver mode.
2. Tap Subscription → Manage on Google Play.

Cancel after you’ve been charged

The process is identical:

1. Play Store → profile → Payments and subscriptions → Subscriptions.
2. Tap Senior Assistant → Cancel subscription.

After canceling:

• You keep access for the remainder of the period you’ve paid for (e.g., 22 days left in the month — you still have 22 days).
• The subscription does not auto-renew.

Switch between Monthly and Annual

1. Play Store → profile → Payments and subscriptions → Subscriptions → Senior Assistant.
2. Tap Change plan.
3. Pick the other plan.
4. Confirm.

Google Play prorates the change:

• Monthly → Annual: the unused part of the current month credits toward the annual plan, and the annual term starts immediately.
• Annual → Monthly: the change usually takes effect at the next renewal (not immediately) — Google handles the proration.

Upgrade to Lifetime

Lifetime isn’t a subscription — it’s a one-time purchase. The path is:

1. Cancel the current monthly or annual subscription so it doesn’t keep billing.
2. Open Senior Assistant.
3. Long-press gear → caregiver mode.
4. Tap Subscription.
5. Tap Buy Lifetime.

Once Lifetime is purchased, the app considers you a Lifetime user regardless of subscription state, so even if a monthly renewal slipped through, you’re covered.

Pause a subscription

Google Play allows pausing some subscriptions for up to 3 months.

1. Play Store → profile → Payments and subscriptions → Subscriptions → Senior Assistant.
2. Tap Pause if available.
3. Pick the resume date.

If Pause isn’t offered for Senior Assistant in your region, the only options are cancel and re-subscribe later.

Request a refund

Google Play’s refund policy applies:

• Within 48 hours of purchase: request through Play Store → profile → Payments and subscriptions → Budget and order history → tap the order → Request a refund.
• After 48 hours: you can still request directly with us (support email is in the Play Store listing). We’ll work with Google to honor reasonable refund requests, especially for trial charges that slipped through.

Heads up — accidental Lifetime purchase

Heads up — uninstalling doesn’t cancel

What this replaces

Calling a support line, navigating a phone tree, or hoping a self-service web form actually exists. Google Play is the support line.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t let us cancel for you. Cancellation has to happen on the Google account that bought the subscription — that’s a Google policy.
• Doesn’t transfer the subscription to a different Google account. See Restoring a purchase on a new device.

For the caregiver. If you’re moving Senior Assistant from one device to another — replacing a broken phone, upgrading hardware, or moving to a tablet — this article covers what carries over and what to do.

What carries over automatically

If the new device signs in with the same Google account that bought the subscription or Lifetime:

• The active subscription is automatically detected on first launch of Senior Assistant. No “restore purchases” button is needed.
• Lifetime is detected the same way — first launch sees it active.

You’ll be back to “unlocked” within a few seconds of opening the app and signing in to Google Play.

What does not carry over

These are device-local — they don’t sync between devices:

• Favorite people (you re-pick them from the new device’s contacts).
• App folder contents (Health, Social, Shopping, Entertain).
• Reminders & medication schedule.
• Caregiver PIN, theme, photo wallpaper, weather location.
• Notification allowlist.
• Calendar source selections.

This is intentional — Senior Assistant doesn’t ship a sync server. Your data stays on the device.

Migrate to a new device — the manual way

1. Set up the new device with the same Google account that bought the subscription.
2. Install Senior Assistant from the Play Store.
3. Open the app. First launch detects the active subscription automatically. The onboarding wizard starts.
4. Walk through onboarding the same way you did the first time, but knowing what to put in each step:
   • Pick the same theme.
   • Add the same favorite people.
   • Build the same folders.
   • Recreate the reminders.
   • Pick the same calendar sources.
   • Set the same weather location.
   • Re-set the caregiver PIN.
5. Set Senior Assistant as the default launcher and (if you want) the default phone app.

Plan on 15–20 minutes for a thorough migration if you’re recreating everything by hand. Most caregivers find it goes faster than the first time because they know exactly what they want.

Moving to a different Google account

This case is trickier — Google Play subscriptions don’t transfer between accounts. Options:

1. Keep the original Google account on the new device. Even just for Senior Assistant. The senior’s other apps (Email, Calendar, Photos) can stay on the new account; only Play Store needs the original.
2. Cancel the old subscription and start a new one. If you have the option, time the cancel so it doesn’t double-bill.
3. Email support. We can sometimes work with Google to transfer a subscription between accounts on a case-by-case basis. Use the support email from the Play Store listing.

For Lifetime, the same applies — Lifetime is a Play Store purchase under the original account.

Restore manually inside the app

If for any reason the auto-detect didn’t kick in:

1. Open Senior Assistant.
2. Long-press gear → caregiver mode.
3. Tap Subscription → Restore purchase.

Senior Assistant re-queries Google Play for any active subscription or Lifetime on the signed-in account. If found, it activates immediately.

Heads up — install both devices for a few days

What this replaces

Calling support and reading account numbers off the back of a card. Google Play is the system of record.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t migrate your data automatically. Senior Assistant settings are local to each device.
• Doesn’t keep a backup of folder contents, favorites, or reminders in the cloud — write them down before you wipe the old device.
• Doesn’t unlock the app without an active subscription or Lifetime, even if you previously had one — Google Play is the authority on what’s active right now.

For the caregiver. If pressing the Home button (the bottom-middle gesture or button) opens the stock Android launcher instead of Senior Assistant, here’s how to fix it.

Diagnose

1. Press the Home button or swipe up from the bottom.
2. If you see Google’s search bar, multiple swipeable home pages, an “At a glance” widget, or anything other than the Senior Assistant home screen with the 8 tiles — Senior Assistant isn’t the default launcher.

Fix from inside Senior Assistant

1. Open the All Apps drawer (bottom-right button) and tap Senior Assistant to enter the app directly.
2. Long-press the gear → caregiver mode.
3. Tap System Status.
4. Tap the Default launcher row (which shows a “!”).
5. Senior Assistant offers a one-tap switch — confirm in the system dialog that pops up.
6. Press Home. You should land on Senior Assistant.

Fix from Android Settings

If for any reason the in-app switch isn’t working:

1. Open Android Settings.
2. Search for Default apps (the exact path varies by manufacturer — Settings → Apps → Default apps on Pixel, Settings → Apps → Choose default apps on Samsung).
3. Tap Home app.
4. Pick Senior Assistant.

What might have caused this

• A system update. Some Android OEM updates reset launcher defaults. Check System Status after every system update.
• Installing another launcher. If a family member installed Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher, or similar, Android may have prompted the senior to switch, and they tapped yes.
• Factory reset of launcher data. If the senior cleared Senior Assistant’s data through Android Settings → Apps → Senior Assistant → Storage → Clear data, the launcher default reverts.
• Default Home app set to “Always ask”. Some devices have this option — every Home press shows a picker. Switch from “Always ask” to Senior Assistant explicitly.

Heads up — multi-button systems on certain Samsung devices

Verify

After the fix:

• Press Home from any other app — you should land on Senior Assistant’s home screen.
• Check the System Status panel — the Default launcher row should no longer show a “!”.

What this replaces

Hunting through Android settings, possibly in a different place on every phone manufacturer.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t prevent it from happening again after a future system update — Android resets these things sometimes. Check System Status periodically.
• Doesn’t make Senior Assistant work on a device where another launcher is actively blocking it. If a different launcher is set to “Always launch” and the OS won’t let you change it, see Reset and start over.

For the caregiver. If the senior taps the Phone tile and the stock Android dialer opens instead of Senior Assistant’s big-button dialer (or vice versa) — this is usually a default-phone-app issue. Here’s how to fix it.

Diagnose

Open the Phone tile or Dialer bottom-row button. You should see Senior Assistant’s big-button dialpad with the contact’s photo showing if you tap a favorite. If instead you see:

• The stock Android phone app (small dialpad, tabs at the top for Recents / Contacts / Voicemail) — Senior Assistant isn’t the default phone app.
• Skype / WhatsApp / FaceTime — something else has been set as the default phone app, or a system update reset things.

Fix

1. Long-press the gear → caregiver mode.
2. Tap Phone → Set as default phone app.
3. The system dialog appears. Pick Senior Assistant.

If you don’t see Senior Assistant in the dialog, the device may have restricted phone-app changes — see “Heads up” below.

You can also fix this from System Status:

1. System Status → Default phone app row.
2. Tap the row.
3. Confirm in the system dialog.

Switch back to the stock phone app

If the senior needs the stock app for visual voicemail, conference calls, or anything Senior Assistant doesn’t replicate:

1. Phone → Set as default phone app.
2. Pick Google Phone (or Samsung Phone, or whatever the device ships with).

The Phone tile still works — it just hands the call to the stock app instead of showing Senior Assistant’s screens.

Heads up — carrier or work-profile restrictions

Heads up — system Phone app re-prompting

Verify

After the fix:

• Tap Phone, dial a number — Senior Assistant’s big-button dialer should show.
• Have someone call the device — the big-button incoming-call screen should show, with their photo and name.
• During the call, you should see the big Speaker, Mute, and Hang up buttons.

If a call still routes through the stock app, double-check System Status → Default phone app no longer shows a “!”.

What this replaces

A confused senior who tapped Phone and got a totally different UI than they’re used to.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t change the default for outgoing carrier voicemail. To check voicemail, dial *86 (Verizon), *98 (AT&T), 1 (T-Mobile), or use the carrier’s app — Senior Assistant doesn’t try to replace visual voicemail.
• Doesn’t intercept emergency calls (911). Those always use the system dialer regardless of the default.

For the caregiver. You turned on the notification filter, but some notifications still appear on the lock screen or as banners. This is the troubleshooting guide.

First — is Notification Access actually on?

The filter is a NotificationListenerService — it can only filter notifications if Android has explicitly granted it access.

1. Long-press gear → caregiver mode.
2. System Status → Notification access.
3. If the row shows a “!”, tap it. Android shows the system list of notification listener apps. Find Senior Assistant and toggle it on. Confirm the warning Android shows.

After granting access, give it a minute — Android sometimes takes a few seconds to start the service.

Second — is the app actually allowlisted?

If Notification Access is on but you’re still seeing notifications from a specific app:

1. Caregiver → Safety → Notification Allowlist.
2. Check whether the noisy app is on (allowed) in the list.
3. If it’s on and you want it silent, toggle it off.
4. Make sure the Filter notifications master switch at the top is on.

Third — Android’s own “Do Not Disturb” priorities

Some notifications bypass third-party filters by design:

• Calls and SMS from numbers explicitly marked Important / Priority in Android’s Do Not Disturb settings can still get through.
• Alarms from the stock clock app always show.
• Foreground service notifications (the ongoing “GPS is in use” banner, Maps navigation, music player notifications) cannot be blocked — Android requires them.
• Important Conversations marked as such by the senior in any messaging app sometimes get a higher tier and bypass filters.

If a specific notification refuses to be filtered, check Android Settings → Notifications → “Important conversations” and remove any the app shouldn’t have.

Fourth — battery optimization killed the service

If the System Status panel shows Battery optimization with a “!”, the notification listener service may be getting killed by the device’s aggressive battery management. Tap the row to exempt Senior Assistant.

This is especially common on Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Huawei devices, which all have additional layers of battery management on top of Android’s stock behavior.

Heads up — some manufacturers re-revoke notification access

Heads up — some apps push notifications outside the framework

Verify

1. Have someone send the senior a text message from an app you’ve set to blocked. No banner, no sound. The message is still in the app — only the notification was filtered.
2. Have someone send a text from an app you’ve set to allowed. Banner appears normally.

If allowed apps show but blocked apps still leak through, follow the steps above in order — Notification Access first, allowlist second, battery optimization third.

What this replaces

Going through every app’s individual notification settings hunting down which one is making sound at 3am.

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t silence calls — that’s separate (see Blocking unknown callers and senders).
• Doesn’t hide notifications that were already showing when the filter was turned on. Existing notifications stay until dismissed.
• Doesn’t replace Android’s Do Not Disturb. They work together — DND silences everything by default; the allowlist adds back the apps you want.

For the caregiver. If you’ve forgotten your caregiver PIN, this is how to recover access without wiping the device.

The master PIN

Senior Assistant has a built-in master PIN.

It works on any device, in any installation, for any caregiver who forgot the PIN they set. It exists specifically so a caregiver in a panic — “I can’t get back in to fix anything” — has a way out.

How to use it

1. Press the gear icon to start entering caregiver mode.
2. After 5 incorrect PIN entries.
3. Tap Forgot PIN? at the bottom.
4. Senior Assistant shows a small math problem (“What is 49 + 51?”).
5. Answer correctly. Master PIN is displayed.
6. Tap OK and enter Master PIN.
7. You’re in caregiver mode.

The math captcha is there to stop a curious senior from accidentally discovering and using the master PIN — it requires intent, not luck.

Reset your own PIN once you’re in

Once in caregiver mode via the master PIN:

1. Tap Set caregiver PIN (or Change PIN if one was set).
2. Pick a new PIN.
3. Confirm.

Write the new one down somewhere you’ll actually look — a sticky note inside a desk drawer at home, a note in your password manager, a text to yourself.

Heads up — the master PIN is not a security boundary

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t recover any data. PIN recovery only gets you back into caregiver mode — settings, favorites, folders, and reminders are unaffected by the recovery process.
• Doesn’t change the device’s main Android lock-screen PIN. That’s a separate Android feature. If you forgot the device’s lock-screen PIN, you’ll need to go through Google’s account recovery or do a factory reset.
• Doesn’t bypass subscription status. PIN recovery doesn’t unlock the app if the subscription has lapsed.

What this replaces

A factory reset. Without the master PIN, a caregiver who forgot their own PIN would have to wipe and reconfigure the senior’s device.

A note for future-you

Take 30 seconds right now to write down the caregiver PIN you set for the senior’s device. The most common moment to need it is also the most stressful moment — when something is wrong and you can’t get in to fix it.

For the caregiver. Sometimes the cleanest fix is to wipe Senior Assistant’s settings and start the setup over. This article walks through three levels of reset, from least to most destructive.

Level 1: Re-run onboarding

If you want to walk through the setup wizard again — useful after a major update or when handing the device to a different caregiver:

1. Long-press gear → caregiver mode.
2. Tap Re-run setup wizard (in the bottom section of the menu).
3. Confirm.

The onboarding flow restarts. Your existing favorites, folders, reminders, and theme are preserved — you’re just re-walking the configuration screens.

This is not a reset. Use it when you want guidance, not when something is actually broken.

Level 2: Clear Senior Assistant data

This wipes Senior Assistant’s settings but leaves the app installed and leaves the device’s contacts, calendar, and other apps alone.

What gets wiped:

• Caregiver PIN.
• Favorites list.
• App folder contents (Health, Social, Shopping, Entertain).
• Reminders.
• Theme + photo wallpaper.
• Weather location.
• Notification allowlist.
• Calendar source selections.
• All other Senior Assistant settings.

What survives:

• The Senior Assistant app itself stays installed.
• Your Play Store subscription / Lifetime stays valid.
• Device contacts, calendar accounts, photos, other apps untouched.

To do it:

1. Open Android Settings.
2. Tap Apps → Senior Assistant.
3. Tap Storage → Clear data.
4. Confirm.

Re-open Senior Assistant. The onboarding wizard starts as if first install — but the subscription is still active.

Level 3: Uninstall and reinstall

This wipes the same data as Level 2 plus the app’s installed binary.

1. Long-press the Senior Assistant icon → Uninstall, or Android Settings → Apps → Senior Assistant → Uninstall.
2. Reboot the device (optional but clean).
3. Open Play Store → search Senior Assistant → Install.
4. Open the app.

Same outcome as Level 2 in practice — first-launch detects the subscription automatically.

Heads up — the launcher and phone-app defaults

Heads up — bring back hidden tiles

Level 4 (not recommended): Factory reset the device

A whole-device factory reset wipes everything — Senior Assistant, all other apps, contacts, calendar, photos that aren’t backed up.

You only need this if:

• The device is unstable across many apps, not just Senior Assistant.
• You’re handing the device to a new owner.
• Sale or trade-in.

To do it: Android Settings → System → Reset options → Erase all data.

After reset, you’re starting from scratch — pair the device with the Google account, restore from backup (if any), install Senior Assistant.

When to skip the reset

A reset is the right move when:

• You can’t find the right combination of settings to fix something.
• You’re handing the device to a different caregiver.
• The app got into a weird state across a major version update.

A reset is the wrong move when:

• You forgot the caregiver PIN — use the master PIN (Master PIN recovery) instead.
• Notifications come through unwanted — that’s a settings issue, not a corrupt-state issue.
• The Home button doesn’t open Senior Assistant — that’s a default-launcher issue (Home button doesn’t open).

What this replaces

The frustration of “I don’t know what I changed, but something’s broken and I just want to start over.”

What this doesn’t do

• Doesn’t cancel the subscription. Play Store keeps billing until you cancel through Play. See How to cancel.
• Doesn’t sync settings from another device — you reconfigure manually.
• Doesn’t fix a device-level hardware problem. If the device itself is misbehaving (battery drain, calls drop, screen unresponsive), a Senior Assistant reset won’t help.