Staying in Touch: Video Calling Made Easy for Grandparents

There's a particular kind of parenting-in-reverse that happens once your own parents get older: you find yourself wanting them to see the grandchildren grow up, wishing they'd just answer a video call instead of a text, and slowly realising the phone they've got isn't really built for it. Here's how to actually get there, without a frustrating afternoon of "no, tap the other button."

Start with the right phone

Not every phone makes video calling easy, even ones that technically support it. What actually matters:

• A simplified home screen — a handful of large, labelled icons rather than a full grid of apps to search through
• A screen big enough to comfortably see faces on a video call — 5 inches or more
• A front camera that's easy to find and use without digging through settings
• Reliable WhatsApp support, since that's what most families already use

A phone built specifically for older users — like the Emporia Smart 6 Lite — tends to get this right by default: a clear 5.45-inch screen, a simplified launcher, and WhatsApp and video calling that "just work" once it's set up, without the clutter of a standard smartphone underneath. If budget is the main concern, the more compact Emporia E5 Mini covers the same essentials — calls, texts, camera, WhatsApp — in a smaller, simpler package.

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Set it up together, once, properly

The single biggest factor in whether an older relative actually uses video calling isn't the phone — it's whether the first call goes smoothly. A few things that make a real difference:

1. Do the first setup in person, not over the phone. Install WhatsApp, add the family group, and make one test call together before you leave.
2. Add a photo to each contact. Recognising a face beats reading a name, especially at a glance.
3. Pin or shortcut the people they'll call most — a parent, a favourite grandchild — so there's no searching involved.
4. Agree a regular time, even loosely — "Sunday evening" removes the awkwardness of "is now a good time?" and turns it into a habit rather than an event.
5. Write down the two or three steps on a card by the phone, in the exact order, in their own words if possible. Not a manual — three lines, done.

If they're nervous about the phone itself

It's worth naming this directly: a lot of resistance to "getting a new phone" isn't really about video calling, it's about the fear of breaking something, or looking silly asking for help. A phone built around a genuinely simple interface — rather than a mainstream smartphone with the text made bigger — removes a lot of that anxiety, because there's less to accidentally get wrong in the first place. It's also worth saying, plainly, that there's no such thing as a silly question about it, and that it usually takes far less time to feel confident than everyone expects going in.

What about hearing?

If hearing is part of the picture, look for a phone with an M4/T4 hearing-aid compatibility rating and loud, clear speaker output — it makes a bigger difference to how enjoyable a video call actually is than most people expect. Our team can talk through which model suits — call 01225 588101.

Frequently asked questions

What's the easiest way to set up video calling for an elderly parent? Do the first setup together in person rather than talking them through it remotely — install WhatsApp, add family contacts with photos, and make one test call before you go. A phone with a genuinely simplified interface, like the Emporia Smart 6 Lite, makes everything after that much easier.

Do I need WhatsApp specifically, or does the phone have its own video calling? WhatsApp is the most common choice since most families already use it and it works the same way on both ends. Some senior-friendly smartphones also include their own simplified video-calling app — worth checking what the rest of the family already uses before deciding.

What phone is best for an older relative who mainly wants video calls and photos? A simplified smartphone rather than a big-button feature phone — look for a clear 5-inch-plus screen, a streamlined home screen, and reliable WhatsApp support. The Emporia Smart 6 Lite and the more compact Emporia E5 Mini are both built specifically for this.