Senio: an easy phone home screen for elderly parents and seniors

A free Android home screen with a few big, clear buttons. No tiny icons, no swiping between pages, nothing that moves around.

Senio Launcher turns an ordinary Android phone into one your parent can actually use. You set it up once, in a few minutes and the screen looks the same every day.

If you are a senior, you can set up Senio yourself, exactly the way you like it. 

Or you can ask a caregiver, family member or tech support person to help — it only takes a few minutes. 

When a smartphone is just too much

Your mother gets a new phone, and a week later she calls to ask where the phone button went. 

Your father opens something by accident and can’t find his way back. The screen is full of little pictures and they all look alike.

Even phones sold as “senior phones” usually start with rows of small icons and several pages to swipe through. That’s hard when eyesight has faded, fingers are less steady, or you simply can’t remember what each icon does.

One list of big buttons. That’s the whole idea.

Senio replaces the normal home screen with a single list of large buttons. Without the confusing icons that would require remembering what they mean.

Each button does one thing: call Anna, message Tom, check the weather, open the TV schedule, set the morning alarm. 

You choose the buttons, the wording and the order. You can even include emojis or person's photo (in call button).

The buttons are numbered, which is handy. If your parent calls you for help, you can just say “press number 3".

Large text, strong colors, words instead of symbols

Text size can be set as large as needed. Pick high-contrast colors for the background, buttons and text, name every button in plain words, and put the person’s own name at the top. 

Emojis like 📞 ❤️ 🚌 📺 make buttons easier to recognize. If a call comes in while the phone is out of reach, a button can show a symbol of your choice, so it doesn’t go unnoticed.

The beginning of the page helps to orientate. It shows users name, what day is it, what time is it and info when the phone needs to be recharged.

Settings that can’t be changed by accident

Few things are more confusing than a phone that looks different from yesterday. 

With Senio, icons can’t be dragged around or deleted by accident. 

The settings page is behind a 5-second press and a PIN code, so the home screen stays exactly as you left it.

 Works on any Android phone

You don’t need to buy a special senior phone. Senio runs on any Android phone with Android 9 or newer, including the one your parent already has. It uses the phone’s language by default, and you can change it in settings. 

Available languages: English, Finnish, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch.

If yours is missing, write to seniolauncher@gmail.com. Senio is for Android only and doesn’t work on iPhone.

Available languages (uses the language automatically, also in settings page)

Questions people ask

What is a good phone app for elderly people who struggle with smartphones?

It depends on what the difficulty is. If the trouble is a crowded home screen, small icons and things that move around, Senio is made for exactly that. It replaces the home screen with a short list of large buttons.

Can I make my parent’s current phone easier to use instead of buying a new one?

Yes. Install Senio on the phone they already have. It works on any Android phone from Android 9 onwards.

Does Senio work for someone with dementia?

Senio keeps the home screen simple and unchanging, which can help with memory problems. Every person is different, so it’s best to try it together and adjust the buttons to what they actually use.

Can my parent change settings by mistake?

The settings page is protected by a 5-second press and a PIN code, so accidental changes are very unlikely. Tested with real seniors!

Do I need to be good with technology to set it up?

No. Setup takes a few minutes, and the default settings already work from the start.

Is Senio really free?

Yes. It’s free, has no ads and doesn’t collect any data.

Make the senior's phone easier today.