Course description

If you've got a new phone or tablet, or you've had one for a while but only use it for calls, this course is for you. It takes you from switching on and learning the gestures to doing everyday things with confidence: messages and video calls with family, photos, maps, handy apps and staying safe from scams.

Everything is explained in plain English, one small step at a time, and every new word is explained the first time it appears. Every lesson covers iPhone and iPad and Android side by side, so it works whichever device you have. Rather than long lists of menus that change with every update, the lessons show you what to look for and how to find a setting that has moved. You learn to set up your device and make it comfortable to see, hear and type on, to install apps safely, and to use calls, texts, WhatsApp and email. Then you move on to FaceTime and WhatsApp video calls, the camera and photos, the web and maps, staying safe from scams, accessibility settings and backups. You finish with a confident-user checklist: 25 everyday tasks, done on your own phone or tablet.

There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons, each with a worked example, common slips, questions people often ask and a short exercise to try, and each section ends with a short quiz. You follow Enid, a retired school cook in Hornsea with a new iPhone and her late husband's older iPad, and Batbayar, a retired lorry mechanic with a new Android phone who wants to video call his brother in Mongolia. They learn alongside you at a weekly club at the community centre, from their first session in July to the checklist morning in September. Every section has a practice pack with a worksheet, example answers and a large-print cheat sheet, plus step cards, checklists, a device sheet to fill in, a scam warning signs card and a lost phone card.

What you'll learn

• Getting to know your device: what smartphones and tablets are, the buttons, switching on, charging and the lock screen, touchscreen gestures, and iPhone, iPad and Android side by side.
• Setting up and making it yours: first set-up and your Apple Account or Google Account, the home screen and quick settings, bigger text and louder sounds, typing and voice typing, Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth.
• Apps and app stores: what apps are, installing apps safely from the App Store or Google Play, arranging and updating apps, notifications and permissions.
• Calls, contacts and messages: contacts and favourites, making and taking calls, voicemail and blocking, text messages, WhatsApp and email on your phone or tablet.
• Video calls: getting ready for a video call, FaceTime, WhatsApp video calls, joining a call from a link and fixing common problems.
• The camera, photos and sharing: taking photos and videos, finding and tidying photos, sharing them with family, screenshots, scanning, QR codes and photo backups.
• The internet, maps and handy apps: the web browser, maps and directions, the calendar, alarms, reminders and a notes app, talking to your device, and official apps for everyday tasks.
• Staying safe on your phone or tablet: screen locks, updates and account security, scam texts, calls and messages, what to do if your device is lost or stolen, and where to get help in the UK if something goes wrong.
• Accessibility, help and looking after your device: making the screen easier to see and hear, captions, reading aloud and voice control, getting help safely, and cleaning, charging and battery care.
• Routines, backups and your final checklist: a calmer phone, screen time and healthy habits, backups and moving to a new device, and a confident-user checklist of 25 everyday tasks.

Who it's for

Older adults and anyone new to a smartphone or tablet, or who's only used one a little and would like to stop asking others for help. You'll need an iPhone, an iPad, or an Android phone or tablet, and Wi-Fi or mobile data. You don't need to know anything else to begin.

What this course is, and isn't

This course teaches everyday phone and tablet skills for iPhone, iPad and Android. Phones and tablets change, so the names, menus and pictures on your screen may be a little different from the ones described, and the lessons show you what to look for if a setting has moved. The course doesn't recommend any make of device, network, app or company. It covers using your device rather than photography; for that, see Smartphone Photography for Beginners: Take Better Photos with the Phone You Already Have. The safety lessons give general guidance based on advice from the National Cyber Security Centre and GOV.UK; if you've lost money to a scam, contact your bank straight away. Enid, Batbayar and every other person in the course are fictional.

What will I learn?

• Switch your phone or tablet on and off, charge it, unlock it and use every touchscreen gesture with confidence
• Set up your device with your own account and make the text, sounds and keyboard comfortable for you
• Install apps safely from the App Store or Google Play, arrange and update them, and choose notifications and permissions
• Manage contacts, make and take calls, and send texts, WhatsApp messages and emails
• Make and answer FaceTime and WhatsApp video calls, join a call from a link and fix common problems
• Take, find, share and back up photos, take screenshots, scan documents and use QR codes with care
• Use the web browser, maps, calendar, alarms, reminders, a voice assistant and official apps for everyday tasks
• Lock your device, keep it updated, spot scam texts and calls, and know what to do if your device is lost or you’re scammed
• Use accessibility settings for sight and hearing, get help safely and look after your device
• Set up a calmer phone, keep a backup, move to a new device and complete a checklist of 25 everyday tasks

Frequently asked questions