Can mobile phones be simple enough for all older users?
Over 5bn people worldwide use mobiles: almost everyone of working age. But smartphone use among older people is far lower. For example, in the US only just over half of 65+ adults reported owning a smartphone in 2019 (39% used a non-smartphone mobile - a “featurephone”). It’s well understood that iOS and Android are more complicated than many older users want, and featurephones are also fiddly to use.
We wondered: could we simplify smartphones to make something better? We designed a new mobile interface based on four principles:
It should use text labels (not icons) so the user doesn’t ever have to *remember* how to use the phone
It should only show the features users actually want to use
It should be editable and maintainable by trusted family members or organisations
It should work well with other popular apps (particularly WhatsApp) so the phone can be as useful as possible
After 9 months’ development we’re delighted to announce that Chatsie is available for you to try. It’s designed specifically to help you tailor a phone experience for the older person you know. Chatsie sits on top of Android as a replacement interface, using four different apps to provide a simple menu, calls, texts, and blocking unwanted notifications. The phone user only sees features you choose, like “Call Jemma” or “Text Kirsty” - all editable by you over the internet, whenever and wherever you want.
We believe Chatsie is the first product in the world to make smartphones truly accessible and easy to use for people who have previously found mobiles too difficult. Do try it out! Chatsie is free (for 3 years) for anyone who signs up in March 2021 and completes a brief feedback survey.
