The number of seniors who are embracing technology is on the rise! Pew Research Center studies have shown that 67% of seniors above the age of 65 years old actually use the internet, and roughly 42% of seniors in the same age group own smartphone devices. Of course, what makes smartphones so smart are the apps they support, and there are countless options available for use.
Apps make life generally more interesting — in some cases even a little easier and sometimes offer comic relief or information. With tens of thousands to choose from, finding the best apps can be a daunting task! We’ve done all the work, though, and here are some of the best apps for the entertainment for seniors:
Castro
There’s nothing like a good story, and Castro is all about storytelling. This podcasting app is easy to navigate, downloads podcasts, and sorts them out in order of the newest episodes. Pick your favorites and get listening! Just put your feet up and close your eyes. If you have a set of earphones, it’s even better! However, Castro, in particular, is for iOS only, but if your smartphone is running on Android, and the alternative is Podcast Addict.
Kindle or iBooks
Gone are the days when lugging around your favorite, worn books to read as you wait in queues was the only option for bookworms. It has never been easier to find all the books you could want than today! The Kindle app or the iBook app is perfect for the avid reader, allowing you to enjoy a good read of thousands of books right on your device. The best part is that you can have all your devices synchronized so that every purchase is actually downloaded to all your synced devices. That’s great for a person with multiple devices like a smartphone and a tablet, for example. Hassle-free!
Netflix
If storytelling and book reading isn’t your cup of tea, then you can have a cup of tea and watch your favorite shows on Netflix! The service is a source of endless entertainment, frequently updated, and easy to stream, all for the price of a small monthly subscription. Unlimited use of the service is a very attractive feature, most especially for the kind of person who has a whole lot of free time to make maximum use of it. No matter what your taste or where your interests lie, you are guaranteed to find plenty of entertainment on Netflix to keep you glued to the screen!
Pandora
Perhaps, music is more of your kind of entertainment. No worries – there’s an app for that (in fact, many!). Pandora and its rival, Spotify, are both the most popular music apps across smartphone users. Pandora allows you to actually create a radio station of your own based on specifically your favorite artists or songs. As you can imagine, there’s no better way to enjoy good music than this. For the no-commercials version, you will need to shell out a small fee. Try it out, and you are likely not going to be disappointed in the least!
Tapestry
Like the younger generations who love Instagram and Facebook, you may find that you will fall in love with this app – Tapestry. The app is designed specifically for seniors to connect with members of their family. The app is a safe platform for seniors who worry about privacy issues, providing an easy and enjoyable way of keeping in the loop with everyone in the family who has a smartphone. Share pictures, messages, videos, and voice notes. The best part is, the app is spam free and – wait for it – ad-free, too!
WordBrain
WordBrain happens to be one of the highest-rated puzzle apps of all the apps on the market. It is basically a collection of puzzles, and you start off at an easier level and gradually work your way through increasingly challenging puzzles. This is highly entertaining and a perfect game for seniors who want to keep their brain sharp and healthy. It sure is addictive, though – but the good thing is there’s no harm in it!
There are still more entertaining and highly rated applications that serve perfectly for seniors who are looking for some entertainment to fill their quiet hours. Start with these few, and you will eventually find more like these apps as you explore!