Setting up an iPhone for a mom or dad? Six settings, all from Apple's own support pages, make it easier to use and get help to them faster in an emergency. Do it together, in person, with their OK, and write down what you changed. PJ, a local in Solana Beach, can sit down and do it with them in Solana Beach, Del Mar, Cardiff and Encinitas.
The six settings
| Setting | How, in Apple's words | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A simpler home screen | Assistive Access: big buttons and only the apps they use (calls, messages, camera, photos). Apple says a trusted supporter, like a family member, can set it up and personalize it. | Best for a parent who gets lost in menus. |
| 2. Medical ID on the Lock Screen | Health app, tap their picture, then Medical ID. Tap Edit, then turn on Show When Locked and Emergency Call. Add allergies, medications, conditions and emergency contacts. | Paramedics can read it without the passcode. On a 911 call in the U.S. and Canada it can be shared automatically. |
| 3. Emergency SOS | Emergency SOS: press and hold the side button and either volume button until the countdown ends. iPhone calls for help and alerts their emergency contacts. | Practice the button press together (without letting it count down). |
| 4. Crash Detection | Crash Detection is on iPhone 14 or later with iOS 16 or later. After a severe crash, if they can't respond, it calls emergency services after a 30-second countdown and texts their emergency contacts with the location. | Nothing to turn on, but the emergency contacts have to be in the Medical ID. |
| 5. Fall Detection (Apple Watch) | Fall Detection turns on automatically for people 55 and over, if the age is set in the Health app. If they don't move for about a minute after a hard fall, the watch calls emergency services, then messages their emergency contacts. | It's a watch feature, not a phone feature. |
| 6. Check In | Check In in Messages lets you know they got home. If the trip stalls, you get their location and battery. It needs iOS 17 or later on both phones. | Good for the drive back from the doctor or the store. |
Each link goes to Apple Support. Read October 11, 2026. Menus move between iOS versions; Apple's pages have a version picker.
Before you start
- Ask first. It's their phone. Change what they want changed, and show them where each setting lives.
- Put two emergency contacts in the Medical ID. Emergency SOS, Crash Detection and Fall Detection all message those contacts.
- Write the passcode and the Apple Account email on paper and keep it somewhere safe at home. A fridge sheet of the numbers that matter helps too.
- Check that the phone still gets updates. An old iPhone that no longer gets security updates is a risk: how to check.
Add yourself as their recovery contact
If your parent forgets the Apple Account password or the phone's passcode, an account recovery contact can help them back in. Apple says the contact can get a recovery code for them during account recovery, but gets no access to their account, and Apple doesn't know who the contacts are, so write it down. (Apple: set up a recovery contact)
Already locked out with no recovery contact? Start at iforgot.apple.com. Apple says account recovery could take a while, several days or more. (Apple: account recovery)
Sign-in codes not showing up?
If Screen Unknown Senders is on, Apple says texts from numbers not in Contacts go to a separate folder and you don't get notified, and that includes the codes Medicare.gov, Login.gov or the bank send. Apple's fix: in Messages, tap the filter button, then Manage Filtering, then Allow Notifications and turn on the time-sensitive category for verification codes. To find a code that already landed there, tap the filter button, then Unknown Senders. (Apple: screen and filter text messages)
Calls and texts from strangers
Scam calls and texts target older people: fake Medicare, fake bank, fake grandkid in trouble. The rule of thumb: hang up and call back on a number you already know. Who to call about each kind of scam is here.
Free help first
The San Diego County Library runs free one-on-one tech help sessions at the Solana Beach and Encinitas branches: this week's sessions. Apple's own how-to pages are linked above.
Want someone to sit down with them? PJ comes to the house, sets up the six settings with your parent, shows them how each one works, and leaves a one-page cheat sheet. Family Assist, $30 an hour, usually under an hour. He never asks for passwords to keep.
More: tech help at home · robot vacuum setup · getting around as you age · lost a phone at the beach.
Need a human?
This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.
Local help, free to read: make your fix plan · senior benefits checkup · lower your SDG&E bill · Medicare Extra Help · every 2027 Medicare plan · is my medication recalled? · the next 90 days. Plans start as low as $25. Your parent lives here and you don't? The Parent Check-In Plan, $25 a month.
Questions people ask
How do I set up an iPhone for an elderly parent?
Start with Apple's Assistive Access for a simpler home screen, then fill in the Medical ID with Show When Locked and Emergency Call on, add two emergency contacts, and practice Emergency SOS together. Do it in person, with their OK.
What is Assistive Access on iPhone?
Apple describes it as a simplified iPhone experience with more focused features, which a trusted supporter such as a family member can set up and personalize.
Can paramedics see my parent's Medical ID without the passcode?
Yes, if Show When Locked is on. A first responder can open it from the Lock Screen. In the U.S. and Canada, iPhone can also share it automatically during an emergency call.
Does the iPhone have fall detection?
Fall Detection is an Apple Watch feature. It turns on automatically for people 55 and over when the age is set. iPhone 14 and later have Crash Detection for severe car crashes.
Who can set up an iPhone for my parent in Solana Beach, Del Mar or Encinitas?
PJ, a local in Solana Beach, comes to the house and does it with your parent. Family Assist, $30 an hour. The County library also runs free tech help sessions.
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