Technology is no longer optional. From Medicare and myGov to banking, booking a medical appointment and staying in touch with family, the systems that run daily life in Australia increasingly assume you are online and comfortable using a screen.
The good news is that around four in five adults aged 65 and older now own a smartphone, and the gap between what older Australians can do with technology and what younger generations do is closing faster than most people realise.
The even better news is that you do not need to become an expert. You need to become confident with the handful of tools that genuinely make your life easier, safer and more connected – and that is a very achievable goal.
This guide covers everything: where to learn for free, the apps worth downloading, how to stay safe online and how to build your confidence one step at a time.
If you find technology intimidating, you are not imagining the difficulty and you are not alone. The devices change constantly, the language is unfamiliar and the fear of pressing the wrong button and breaking something is real — even if, in practice, it is almost impossible to do any lasting damage to a modern phone or tablet.
Here are five approaches that consistently work:
Take a free class. Libraries, community centres and neighbourhood houses across Australia run technology workshops specifically designed for older adults. Many are free. If your local library does not currently offer one, ask – expressing interest is often what triggers a new program.
Ask someone you trust. Your children, grandchildren or a tech-comfortable friend are often the best teachers, because you are already comfortable with them. Be specific about what you want to learn – “show me how to video call” is much more productive than “teach me technology.”
Start with what matters to you. Do not try to learn everything at once. If you want to video call the grandchildren, learn that. If you want to manage your medications, learn that. One useful skill at a time builds confidence far more effectively than a broad overview of everything.
Give yourself permission to explore. Modern devices are remarkably resilient. Tapping the wrong button will not break anything. The undo function exists for a reason. The more you explore, the more comfortable you become.
Use YouTube as your teacher. Almost every technology question you will ever have has already been answered in a short, simple YouTube video. Searching “how to [whatever you want to do] on iPhone” or “how to [whatever you want to do] on Android” will almost always find you a step-by-step guide.
Be Connected – The Australian Government’s flagship digital literacy program for older Australians, run in partnership with the eSafety Commissioner and Good Things Foundation. Be Connected offers free online learning resources covering topics including device setup, scam prevention, myGov usage, and cloud-based photo and document storage. You can access it online or find a local community partner who runs face-to-face sessions.
Tech Savvy Seniors – A program offering instruction on email, smartphones, tablets, social media, online shopping, internet banking and cyber safety. Available in many states through local libraries and community partners.
Your local library — One of the most underused technology resources in Australia. Many libraries offer free one-on-one digital help sessions, group workshops and access to devices you can practise on.
You do not need dozens of apps. You need the right ones. Here are the categories that matter most, with the best option in each:
Staying connected with family
WhatsApp – The most widely used messaging app in the world. Free text messages, voice calls and video calls to anyone who also has it, which at this point is almost everyone. You can share photos, send voice messages and create family group chats. If your children and grandchildren are on WhatsApp, this is the single most useful app you can download. Free on iPhone and Android.
Zoom – For video calls with larger groups – family gatherings, book clubs, catch-ups with friends in other states. Free for calls up to 40 minutes. Available on iPhone and Android.
Medisafe – Medisafe helps you manage your medications and get reminders. Simply input your prescriptions and timings, and Medisafe will create a visual schedule complete with images of each pill and a list of potentially harmful interactions. It will then give you reminders throughout the day, let you know if a prescription is running low, and even alert a friend or family member of a missed dose. Free with optional premium features. Available on iPhone and Android.
Healthdirect – The healthdirect app can help you find a local health service and search for trusted health information. You can connect the healthdirect app to your My Health Record to see your immunisations, pathology reports and Medicare items. Free on iPhone and Android.
Emergency Plus – Created by Australia’s Triple Zero (000) services, this GPS-enabled app ensures emergency services can locate you accurately regardless of where you are. Essential for anyone who travels, bushwalks or lives in a rural area. Free on iPhone and Android.
Life360 – A family location-sharing app that lets you and your family see each other’s locations in real time. Particularly useful for families who want peace of mind without feeling intrusive. Includes crash detection and emergency alerts. Free with optional premium features. Available on iPhone and Android.
Libby – Access your local library’s entire collection of ebooks and audiobooks from your phone or tablet, completely free. All you need is a library card. Brilliant for anyone who reads regularly or who finds audiobooks easier than holding a physical book. Free on iPhone and Android.
Lumosity – A randomised controlled study showed older adults using Lumosity demonstrated significant improvements in processing speed and visual memory. The brain training games are engaging without being patronising, and the app adjusts difficulty to your level. Free with optional premium subscription. Available on iPhone and Android.
Spotify — Access to virtually every song ever recorded, plus podcasts and curated playlists based on your taste. The free version includes advertisements; the premium version removes them. Available on iPhone and Android.
National Public Toilet Finder – Shows nearly 20,000 public restrooms across Australia. Extremely useful when you are out and about. Free on iPhone and Android.
Google Maps – Navigation, public transport directions, traffic updates and the ability to save where you parked the car. Already installed on most Android phones; available free for iPhone.
Snapfish – Creating photo books no longer requires a tech-savvy or artistic flair. You can simply choose your favourite shots and the app will do the rest. Snapfish makes it easy to order photo books and prints straight from your phone and have them delivered. A lovely way to turn digital photos into physical gifts for family.
Online scams targeting older Australians are more sophisticated than ever. The following rules are non-negotiable:
Never click on unexpected pop-ups. If a box appears on your screen that you did not expect, do not click on it. Press the X to close it. If you cannot find the X, close the entire browser window.
Delete suspicious emails immediately. If you receive an email from someone you do not know, or from a bank or government agency asking you to click a link or provide personal information, delete it. The Australian Taxation Office, Medicare and Australian banks do not send emails asking for passwords, credit card details or personal information.
Only enter credit card details on secure websites. Look for “https://” at the beginning of the web address (the “s” means secure) and a small padlock icon in the address bar. If either is missing, do not enter payment details.
Never send financial or personal information by email. No bank account numbers, no credit card details, no dates of birth, no passwords. Ever.
If someone pressures you to act quickly, stop. Urgency is the single most reliable indicator of a scam. Legitimate organisations do not pressure you to make immediate decisions. If someone says you must act now or something terrible will happen, it is almost certainly a scam.
Talk to someone before you act. If you receive an unexpected call, email or message asking for money or personal information, tell a family member or friend before you do anything. If the opportunity is real, it will still be there after you have spoken to someone you trust.
Report suspicious activity. You can report scams to the Australian Government’s Scamwatch program at scamwatch.gov.au. Reporting helps shut down scammers and protects others.
Beyond phones and tablets, smart home devices have become genuinely useful for older Australians living independently.
Voice assistants – devices like Amazon Echo (Alexa) and Google Nest Hub allow you to set medication reminders, make phone calls, play music, check the weather and control lights entirely by voice. Video calling apps, fall detection wearables, medication reminder apps and smart home devices such as voice-activated assistants are among the most commonly beneficial for older people living independently.
Fall detection wearables – Apple Watch and several dedicated medical alert devices now include automatic fall detection that can call emergency services if a fall is detected and you do not respond within a set time.
Smart lighting – voice-controlled or motion-sensor lights that turn on automatically when you get up at night, reducing the risk of falls in dark hallways and bathrooms.
Start with one simple, personally meaningful use – like video calling family. Offer patient, regular support rather than a one-off set-up.
You do not need to learn everything at once. You do not need to understand how the technology works underneath. You simply need to be able to do the things that matter to you – call the grandchildren, manage your medications, check your bank balance, read a book, find a public toilet – and every one of those things is achievable with a little patience and the right guidance.
Technology is a tool. Like any tool, its value depends entirely on whether it helps you do something you actually want to do. Start there, and the rest will follow.
This guide was originally published in 2023 and has been fully updated for 2026 with current apps, programs and safety advice.
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