Ever wonder what your kids and grandkids are talking about? Technology is changing so fast and it’s hard for seniors to keep up. Still, technology can serve you in ways that you wouldn’t have even thought of. Online banking, the news, games, the weather – apps can be a life changing discovery and make your life so much easier. And bring some fun in your retirement years as well. All you need is a smart phone or iPad and you’re set to go!

Many apps are free and easy to download. Some come with the possibility of using fingerprints instead of a password to log in. If you know how to use your app store on your device, you’re set to go. If not, try finding App Store if you have an Apple device or Google Play if you have an Android. If none of these terms sound familiar, just have a friend or younger person help you navigate. Once you are able to download apps, you’re set to explore a new world of possibilities! Here are some new ways to navigate the world with just the touch of a screen from your retirement home.

Banking apps. You don’t need to wait for your bank statement to arrive to figure out how finances stand or check to see if Amazon charged your card. Or what about that check you need to deposit? It can all be done with just an app. Most banks have their own app that you can download onto your phone or iPad. Open your app store and type in your bank’s name. Or go to your bank’s website and click on the link that will take you to their app. Once you’ve downloaded it, you can set up a username and password and even fingerprint access. Online banking is very convenient. You’ll have access to transactions in real time. You won’t need to run to the bank to deposit a check. Banking apps come with a convenient feature that allows you to take a picture of the check and deposit it onto your account from home. If you need help setting up your app, call your bank and have someone help walk you through the process. It will make your life so much easier. You can download multiple bank apps. Just remember to log out as soon as you are finished with your online banking. Retirement streamlined!

The weather. You can download a weather app and monitor all your locations of interest. The trip to Mexico that’s coming up, the locations of other family members or just your local area are all places you can monitor by just opening the app. You won’t have to wait for the weather announcement on TV. Just open the app and you’re set!

Zoom. If you love video-chatting with family abroad, you can use an app like Zoom, FaceTime, Skype or WhatsApp. If your phone is too small, you can download an app onto your iPad. If you are abroad, an app such as WhatsApp can be accessed when using WiFi even if you keep your phone in airplane mode. You can send text messages, pictures and videos using this app as well as voice calling or video-chatting. Apps like Zoom are great for business meetings.

Social media. If you love Facebook, Instagram or other websites, you’ll be excited to find that you can download an app to access the latest and post your news and pictures with ease. Many apps have an alert system, so they’ll send you a notification that you have a new message or activity on your page. You can also turn these alerts off if you prefer. Many seniors enjoy staying connected with family members or other friends in their retirement community this way. All the pictures of the grandchildren!

There are so many other apps out there. If you like games, you can download an app and play by yourself or choose to play with others long distance. Say a chess app. You can start some games with a family member or neighbor in your retirement community. If you like to stay active, you can find apps which track how far you’ve walked and log daily activity. You can also download apps to help with photo editing if you are into photography, for example. Find your favorites and start exploring! Think about which websites you use regularly or the newspapers you read and check to see if you can download a simple app instead. If you need some initial help to set things up, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance!