How To Teach Seniors To Use Smartphone Applications for Mobile Banking - Android

Making the switch to mobile banking has proven to be a smart choice for many working professionals and homemakers in 2020. Sending and receiving money without handling cold, hard cash or making contact with other people became the norm last year, and there are no signs that we’ll let go of these new-found conveniences now that community and travel restrictions are loosening up. If anything, the pandemic has only shown us that, as a society, we’re slowly getting used to the idea of transacting without depending entirely on physical currency.

Younger people - digital natives, in particular - didn’t have a hard time switching from physical banks to banking apps on their devices. After all, most of the younger generation are using digital devices as an extension of their bodies. 

It’s not too late to ease your senior family members into the idea of mobile banking, though. The process of convincing them to use a more modern approach to handling their finances can be difficult at first, but it’s not impossible. Below, we’ve compiled a few practical tips that can help you introduce the concept of mobile banking to the older members of your family.

Storing your money in a system that has not earned your trust is a no-no, and many seniors feel this way about mobile banking apps. They can’t trust the app because they’re not familiar with how it works, and they don’t trust themselves with navigating these apps. To make them more comfortable with online and digital banking, you need to make them more familiar with using digital devices as a whole. When introducing a new app or phone feature, let your senior student carry out instructions on the device and explore its functions so they can get used to the feel of it. When they make a mistake, don’t get mad or panic. Instead, assure them that an act is reversible or, if it’s not, it’s a good learning experience.

Sometimes, it’s not the person but the app that’s the problem. As much as society has made strides in improving user interfaces in general, there are still banking apps that are just difficult to use and navigate, even if the user is a young digital native. Steer clear of these apps. Instead, go for banking apps that are easy to understand and can be customized to be senior-friendly. Whenever possible, choose apps with minimalist design and those that can be customized to accommodate the needs of people with different levels of physical and cognitive abilities.

Avoid applications that make use of a lot of unnecessary images and texts, as these can sometimes confuse users. Make an effort to find apps that present all the options that your senior family member will need right in front of them. Also, use shortcut tools that are available on the device that your senior family member is using. This way, they can access their most-utilized features in just a few clicks. Check out the tutorials provided by your preferred banks as well and save a copy that you can show to your elderly family members.

Banking apps by trusted institutions are quite convenient to use, so some seniors fear that they might easily lose their hard-earned money while on their mobile devices. Let them know that there are means to get their money back in case they make a mistake. This would also be another good opportunity to educate your older family members on how to keep their passwords safe and how to avoid scams and hoaxes. At the end of the day, if they’re not sure about something, assure them that they can always come to you for assistance.