How do you choose a simple voice assistant for seniors who are new to smartphones?

Look for a helper you can talk to in ordinary sentences, with no menus to learn, and try it on your own phone before you decide. Also check that it works on the phone you have and what happens to your data. Elsy is an AI companion you talk with, and if you need a hand, a family member can help set her up.

If you're new to smartphones, a few things are worth thinking about before you pick a voice assistant. What matters most is that it's simple and easy to use, because a tool only helps if you're comfortable with it. There's more advice on what to consider when choosing a help app.

Why choose a voice assistant?

If you're not used to smartphones, something you can talk to, like Elsy, can make technology less complicated. With Elsy there are no menus to find your way through: you open the app, tap Talk to Elsy and say what you want, for example that you'd like a reminder or want to tell her about your life. Researchers who studied how older people use voice assistants note that these assistants take very little technical experience, so older adults can use them however familiar they are with digital tools.

Why talking can be easier than tapping

With a voice assistant, you ask a question out loud and get an answer, without working your way through complicated menus. The same researchers note that many older adults prefer speaking to typing or tapping. Talking with one every day can also give your day some structure. See also why getting started with AI can be easier than you might think.

Elsy, an AI companion

Elsy is an AI companion made for older adults. She helps with your day, and she writes down the stories of your life. You can keep track of medicines and appointments by voice, and when you tell her about your life, Elsy writes the story up afterward with your own words as quotes. You can send a story to your family whenever you like. Elsy is available for iPhone, iPad and Android.

What Elsy can do

With Elsy you can set reminders, keep track of your medicines, teach her words (like a word in your local dialect or how to pronounce a name) and have her look things up online. If you've turned on Sync with calendar, she can also read the appointments in your calendar. After a conversation about your life she can write a life story, and when you send it, your family gets a glimpse of your experiences and memories. See how life stories with Elsy work. All of this can make it easier to manage more of your day yourself.

How do you get started with Elsy?

Getting started with Elsy is simple, but you do need a smartphone or a tablet. You download the app, and once you've tapped Talk to Elsy, she starts by asking things like what she should call you. If installing an app feels hard, you're far from alone: in a Pew Research Center survey, about three in four Americans 65 and older said that when they get a new device, they usually need someone else to set it up or show them how to use it. A family member can help set Elsy up for you.

Installing and setting up

Installing Elsy works like installing any other app: you get it from the App Store on an iPhone or iPad, or from Google Play on an Android phone. The first time you open the app, it shows a few short pages with examples of what Elsy can do, and it tells you which AI services help her before you give your permission. You can try Elsy free for 3 days on your own phone. Here's how Elsy works, step by step.

How private is Elsy?

Your conversations with Elsy are recorded and stored securely so she can remember what you tell her, and your stored data is hosted in the EU. What you say is processed by AI services in the United States so Elsy can hear you, answer and remember. What your family can see depends on their level in Your circle: from the life stories you send, to how you're doing and your reminders, up to what Elsy remembers about you at Full trust. If a family member set Elsy up and gave consent on your behalf, everyone in your circle is at Full trust.

Protecting your personal information

We never sell your information, and we don't use it to train general 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 can include short excerpts of your voice. Read more about how your conversations and reminders are kept private.

What can Elsy add to your day?

Elsy can give your day some structure and keep you company. She reminds you about appointments and medicines, and you can talk with her about anything, from the weather to the story of your life. A daily conversation can help keep your mind active.

More to talk about

If you talk with Elsy regularly, the daily question can give you a new reason to chat: each day a question from Elsy arrives as a notification on your phone, and if you feel like it, you answer by talking with her. The life stories you send can also help you stay in touch with your family. Elsy doesn't replace time with other people, but she can be good company when no one else is around.

Frequently asked questions

How is Elsy different from other voice assistants?

Elsy is made for older adults, with a focus on simplicity. You talk with her in ordinary sentences rather than set commands, she remembers what you tell her, and she writes down your life stories. But she can't play music or the radio, and she can't make phone calls.

Does Elsy need an internet connection?

Yes. Elsy needs to be connected to the internet to hear you, answer and look things up, so your phone needs to be on Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Can my family see or hear all my conversations with Elsy?

No. Your family can't see transcripts or hear recordings of your conversations, apart from the life stories you send them, which contain your own words and can include short excerpts of your voice. What else they see depends on their level in Your circle, and at Full trust they also see what Elsy remembers about you.

How does Elsy help with medicines and appointments?

You say something like "Remind me about the dentist on Thursday at 10" or "I take my blood pressure pill every morning at 8." The reminder then arrives as a notification on your phone when it's time, so you don't have to write it down.

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