Is there an app to help seniors stay connected with family?

Yes. Elsy is an AI companion you talk with, and she can help you stay connected with your family. Tell her about your life, and afterward she writes it down as stories you can send to your children and grandchildren. You can also ask her to pass on a short message to someone in your family.

Several apps aim to bring older adults and their families closer. Elsy is one of them, and she does it through conversation and the stories you tell.

How Elsy helps you stay connected

Elsy is an AI companion made for older adults. Talking with her gives you an easy way to share your stories and memories with your family, and that can bring the generations closer.

Sharing your memories

Tell Elsy about something you've lived through, and afterward she writes it down as a story, with your own words as quotes and a picture she has painted. With Send to family, your children and grandchildren get the story and can read it or listen to it, told by Elsy with short excerpts of your own voice. That way your family can keep up with your life, even when they live far away. See how life stories with Elsy work.

Keeping in touch from day to day

A daily conversation with Elsy can help keep your mind active, and it gives you a friendly voice to talk to. If someone in your family has the Wellbeing level or higher in Your circle, they can see how you're doing. You can also ask Elsy to pass on a short message, like "Tell my daughter I'm doing well today." The message only goes one way, so your daughter can't reply to you through Elsy.

What else an app like Elsy can do for you

Elsy also helps with the practical side of the day, like remembering appointments and medicines. Say "Remind me about the dentist on Thursday at 10," and the reminder arrives as a notification on your phone. Your family can be part of your routine too. If one of them has the Care partner level, they can see your reminders and medicines and help you with them. See more about reminders and daily routines.

Closer relationships

Regular news from you and the memories you share can bring you and your family closer. Elsy can make it easier to keep the conversation going.

Feeling part of each other's lives

Elsy is not an alarm. But regular contact can be good for both you and your family, and it can help you feel part of each other's lives.

How does Elsy work in practice?

You can download Elsy for iPhone, iPad or Android from the App Store or Google Play. Then you talk with her about your day, your plans and your memories. She remembers what you tell her for the next time you talk, though not word for word and not everything. That's what makes her helpful in everyday life.

Just talk

Talk with Elsy the way you'd talk with a friend. She understands whole sentences, she can answer questions about your day, and she can set up reminders for the dates that matter. For example: "Remind me every year on March 12, it's my granddaughter's birthday."

Works with your calendar

Turn on Sync with calendar in the app's settings, and Elsy puts her reminders straight into your phone's calendar, so all your appointments are in one place. She can also see the appointments that are already there.

How does Elsy protect your data?

Your conversations are recorded and stored securely so Elsy can remember what you tell her, and your stored data is hosted in the EU. So that Elsy can hear you, answer and remember, what you say is processed by AI services in the United States. We never sell your personal data, and we don't use it to train general-purpose AI models.

What your family never sees

Your family never sees transcripts or recordings of your conversations, apart from the life stories you send them, which contain your own words and may include short excerpts of your voice. Read more in our privacy policy.

What your family can see

What your family sees depends on their level in Your circle:

• Stories only: the stories you send them, your name and your photo.
• Safety net: also an alert if a conversation suggests something might be wrong.
• Wellbeing: also how you're doing over time.
• Care partner: also your reminders and medicines, which they can help you with.
• Full trust: also what Elsy remembers about you.

If you set Elsy up yourself, you choose the level for each person in Your circle. If a family member set Elsy up and gave consent on your behalf, everyone in your circle is at Full trust. See more about what your family can see.

In Helge's words

Helge, 72, talks with Elsy. Here he describes what it's like to be able to ask about the things he doesn't know:

How to get started

Download Elsy from the App Store or Google Play, open the app and tap Talk to Elsy. Tell her about a day you remember well, and she'll write the story down afterward. When you want your family to join, tap Invite your family in Your circle under Profile. You can try Elsy free for 3 days on your own phone. See how Elsy works step by step.

Frequently asked questions

How does Elsy help me stay connected with my family?

You talk, Elsy writes your stories down, and you can send them to your family. You can also ask her to pass on a short message to someone in Your circle.

What does Elsy remember?

Elsy can remember details from your conversations, like who came to visit, what you've planned and which memories you've shared with her. She doesn't remember things word for word, and she doesn't remember everything. If someone in your circle has the Full trust level, they can also see what Elsy remembers about you.

Who can see what I tell Elsy?

Your conversations are recorded and stored securely so Elsy can remember, and your stored data is hosted in the EU. So that Elsy can hear you, answer and remember, what you say is processed by AI services in the United States. We never sell your personal data, and we don't use it to train general-purpose AI models. Your family never sees transcripts or recordings of your conversations, apart from the life stories you send them, which contain your own words and may include short excerpts of your voice. What else they see depends on their level in Your circle.

Can Elsy book appointments or play music?

No. But if you ask her to set a reminder, she can remind you about events you've already planned, and she can talk with you about your day.

This is general information, not medical advice. Every situation is different, so talk to a doctor about yours.