15+ Phone Mistakes Only People Over 50 Make

That generic ringtone has been echoing through waiting rooms for years. If your cell phone still sounds like an old-school Nokia or has that robotic default chime, it’s time for an upgrade. A unique ringtone helps you to actually recognize your calls, and prevents an entire group of people from checking their phones simultaneously.

Gripping your smartphone like it’s a 1990s cordless phone isn’t necessary. Pressing it too hard against your ear muffles the sound, and shouting into it doesn’t improve the signal. If calls seem quiet, adjust the volume, or better yet, use Bluetooth earbuds and save yourself the inevitable shoulder cramp.

If your phone is slower than a dial-up connection, those 40 open apps might be the problem. Leaving apps running in the background drains battery life and slows performance. You don’t need Facebook, Google, and the weather app open 24/7, swipe them away and give your phone some breathing room.

Yes, reading small text can be a pain, but when your phone displays only four words per line, scrolling through a text conversation becomes an upper body workout. Adjusting the font to a reasonable size keeps things readable without making every message look like a PowerPoint slide at 150% zoom.

That pop-up telling you to update isn’t just there to annoy you, it’s trying to protect your phone from hackers and glitches. Ignoring updates for months makes your phone vulnerable to security risks and weird bugs. Take five minutes to update, and you’ll likely notice better performance and fewer crashes.

If your email, banking app, and shopping accounts all share the same password, especially something like Password123, you’re basically inviting hackers to steal your data. Using a password manager (or at least creating unique passwords) keeps your accounts secure without the mental gymnastics of remembering dozens of different logins.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are convenient, but leaving them on constantly is like leaving all of your house lights on - pointless and draining. Not only does it waste battery, it also leaves you open to hackers in public spaces. Turn them off when you’re not using them and watch your battery last longer.

If your texts read like chapters from a novel, don’t be surprised if people take hours to reply. No one wants to scroll through a 10 line message just to find out you’re confirming lunch plans. Breaking texts into shorter messages makes them easier to read, and gets faster responses.

Retyping the same address, email, or long message every time you need it is like writing out the dictionary by hand. If you haven’t discovered the magic of copy and paste yet, it’s time. Hold down on the text, select copy, and save yourself minutes of unnecessary typing (and typos).

If an unknown number tells you that you've won a free cruise, or that your car warranty is expiring even though you don’t own a car, it's a scam. Answering these calls just invites more of them. Block the number and move on before you find yourself signing up for a fake vacation.

Blurry photos, accidental close-ups of your nose, and half cut off faces sound familiar? Instead of snapping 50 bad shots, take a second to focus, frame your shot, and make sure your finger isn’t covering the lens. Also, landscape mode is your friend - don’t film concerts in portrait mode.

There’s nothing worse than running out of battery at the worst moment, like when you actually need directions. A phone isn’t useful if it’s dead, so get in the habit of charging it overnight or carrying a portable charger. No more frantic searches for an outlet at the airport.

Hundreds of unread notifications staring at you? It’s time for a digital detox. Letting every app flood you with alerts clutters your screen and makes it impossible to find important messages. Take a moment to clear notifications regularly, or better yet, adjust your settings so you only get the ones that matter.

Nobody in the grocery store needs to hear your full conversation about the neighbor’s weird lawn ornaments. Speakerphone is great for private spaces, but in public, it’s just noise pollution. Use earphones or hold the phone to your ear - people around you will appreciate the peace and quiet.

Typing www.google.com into the search bar every time? That’s like taking the scenic route when there’s a highway right in front of you. Search suggestions, bookmarks, and voice search exist for a reason. Use them to your advantage and save yourself both time and laborsome typing.

If the same telemarketer calls you every day, just ignoring it won’t make them stop. Blocking the number takes five seconds and saves you from future interruptions. Your phone has a built-in spam blocker, use it and enjoy fewer urgent messages about non-existent problems that shouldn't stress you out.

Getting woken up at midnight by a Facebook notification? There’s an easy fix - Do Not Disturb mode. It silences calls and alerts at night while still allowing emergency contacts through. That way, you won’t wake up to an unnecessary email from a clothing store about their latest sale.

Your inbox isn’t a storage unit. Hoarding thousands of unread emails just makes it harder to find the important ones. Unsubscribing from junk mail and deleting old messages regularly helps to keep things manageable, because no, you don’t really need that newsletter from 2014 or to know about a flash sale that's long since past.

Struggling with tiny keyboards? There’s an easier way. Voice to text lets you dictate messages instead of typing, and modern versions are surprisingly accurate. Just don’t forget to proofread before sending, otherwise, autocorrect might turn your grocery list into something completely unrecognizable and awkward to explain.

Phones buzzing in meetings, movie theaters, or during important events - sound familiar? Knowing how to quickly switch to silent mode can save you from embarrassment and distraction. If your phone goes off at the worst possible moment, fumbling to mute it only makes things worse and makes you lose your train of thought.

If a random text claims that you’ve won a $500 gift card, don’t reply, even if it says "text STOP to unsubscribe". Engaging with spam messages just confirms that your number is active, leading to even more junk texts. Instead, block the sender and report it as spam to your carrier.

Screenshots are lifesavers when you need to save a receipt, capture a conversation, or remember an important piece of information. If you’re still reaching for a pen and paper to jot things down from your phone, it’s time to learn the magic of the screenshot - it’s faster, cleaner, and way more convenient.

If your phone browser looks like a messy filing cabinet with 50 tabs open, half of which are duplicates, you’re due for a clean up. Having too many tabs open slows down your phone and drains battery life. Close what you don’t need and bookmark important pages instead.

Your phone is basically your personal vault, so why protect it with a code that a toddler could guess? Using an easy-to-crack passcode puts your private information at risk. Opt for a stronger passcode, or better yet, use biometric authentication like a fingerprint or facial recognition.

Ever meant to send a text but ended up video calling someone instead? It happens more than you’d think. Unintended FaceTime calls can be awkward, especially if the other person answers while you’re looking confused. Double check before tapping that video icon unless you actually want to show your face.

If your phone is two inches from your face, you might as well be trying to absorb information through osmosis. Holding the screen too close strains your eyes and makes reading harder. Adjust the font size if needed, and remember, your phone isn’t a magnifying glass.

Your phone isn’t a junk drawer, but if you have dozens of apps you’ve only opened once, it sure looks like one. Unused apps take up space, slow your phone down, and make finding the ones you actually use harder. If you haven’t touched an app in months, delete it.

Airplane mode isn’t just for flights, it’s a hack for saving battery, boosting signal, and blocking distractions. Need a quick charge? Switch it on. Struggling with weak reception? Turn it off and back on to refresh your signal. Want some peace and quiet? It silences everything without shutting your phone down.

Unless you want every app tracking your every move, it’s best to limit location permissions. Allowing apps like social media or shopping platforms to access your location 24/7 drains your battery and compromises your privacy. Adjust settings to only while using the app instead of always.

Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa aren’t just for tech nerds, they can actually make life easier. Instead of fumbling through menus, you can ask your phone to set reminders, send texts, or look up information. It’s like having a personal assistant in your pocket just waiting for you to use it.

Phishing scams aren’t always obvious. If an email claims that your account is locked and demands you click here to fix it, pause. Scammers create fake login pages to steal passwords. Instead of clicking, go directly to the company’s official website and check for alerts there.

If your phone has been running nonstop for months, don’t be surprised if it starts acting up. Regularly restarting your phone clears out temporary glitches, refreshes memory, and improves performance. Think of it like giving your phone a good night’s sleep - it runs better when it’s well rested.

Unless you’re shouting at someone (which you shouldn’t be), typing in all capital letters makes your messages look aggressive and outdated. It’s the digital equivalent of yelling in someone’s face. If you want to emphasize something, try using bold or italics instead. Your friends will appreciate the softer approach.

Your phone screen is dirtier than a toilet seat, literally. If you never clean it, you’re just pressing bacteria and oil against your face every time you take a call. A quick wipe with a microfiber cloth or disinfectant can keep your phone (and your skin) a lot cleaner.

If something happens to you, can someone easily access your emergency contact information? Most smartphones allow you to set up medical info and emergency numbers that can be accessed even when your phone is locked. Taking two minutes to set it up could make a huge difference in an emergency.

Some people think that browsing in incognito mode makes them invisible online. It doesn’t. While it hides your history from others using your phone, your internet provider, employer, or hackers can still see what you’re doing. It’s useful, but it’s not a cloak of digital invisibility.

If your screen suddenly flips sideways, there’s no need to frantically shake your phone. Accidental screen rotations are annoying, but they can be easily prevented. Just lock your screen rotation in settings so it stays in portrait mode, unless you actually want to switch it.

Autocorrect can be both a blessing and a curse. If you’re firing off texts without checking them first, you might be sending some pretty bizarre messages. Before you tell someone you "ducking love them" or invite them to "grab a bite of wood", give your text a quick proofread.

Sometimes a quick text is all that’s needed, yet some people insist on calling for everything, like confirming dinner plans or asking a yes/no question. While phone calls have their place, forcing long conversations when a simple text would do can feel like a time-consuming chore for the other person.

If your phone crashes tomorrow, would you lose years of photos, contacts, and important notes? Regularly backing up your data ensures that you’re not left scrambling if your phone gets lost, damaged, or hacked. Cloud storage and external drives exist for a reason - use them before it’s too late.