![\"Windows](\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-24-151402-1.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
<\/a><\/p>\nYou can set your Windows computer to automatically get the latest updates. Image: Microsoft<\/p>\n
Most system updates will occur automatically \u2014 but not always. To check to see if the system has updated on a Pixel (or many other Android phones), go to Settings > System > Software updates. You can also check for App updates here.If you want your parents\u2019 apps to update automatically, open the Play Store app, select the personal icon in the upper right corner, then go to Settings > Network preferences > Auto-update apps. You may want to stick with Update over Wi-Fi only.The process is similar for Samsung phones. If you\u2019re using the Galaxy Store, go to Settings > Auto update apps and select Using Wi-Fi only.<\/p>\n
One of the most frightening things for many adult children is the thought that their elderly relatives may be vulnerable to the many scams circulating. Calls from \u201cMicrosoft\u201d about a virus that was \u201cdetected,\u201d or from the \u201cIRS\u201d about a tax debt that is about to trigger an arrest, or from a bank that needs their help foiling a con game \u2014 they are still out there. (Just the other day, a friend told me that her mother got a call that she believed was from her bank and that instructed her to withdraw her entire account and put it on a gift card. Luckily, an alert bank teller prevented a disaster.)<\/p>\n
There are a variety of resources available to educate yourself and your parents about avoiding becoming a victim of fraud \u2014 and what to do if it happens. One resource for older adults is the AARP Scams & Fraud<\/a> page, which has a number of resources for older adults and their children, such as a weekday phone helpline<\/a>, an article about holiday-related scams, and specific examples of people who were hit by various types of cons.<\/p>\n One resource for older adults is the AARP Scams & Fraud helpline. Image: AARP<\/p>\n You should be prepared to act if your parents have already become victims (or if you have!). Tasks include putting a fraud alert or security freeze on credit reports, contacting banks and credit card companies, and changing passwords.<\/p>\n It helps to have on hand the contact information for the three main credit bureaus (Equifax<\/a>, Experian<\/a>, and TransUnion<\/a>), and a list of all your parents\u2019 bank and credit card accounts. If your parents are okay with it, you can contact those companies and have them grant you access to your parents\u2019 accounts (some let you do it online; most require you to do it on the phone with your parent present). That way, you won\u2019t have to talk your panicked parents through the process; you can do it yourself.<\/p>\n Finally, install a password manager and make sure that your parents aren\u2019t using a single password for all of their accounts. That\u2019s just asking for trouble.<\/p>\n Teach them how to reboot and\/or disconnect<\/p>\n When I was helping my 90-something-year-old mother with her tech, I found that one of the easiest ways to fix many problems was to simply teach her how to disconnect and reconnect her computer, her router, and other devices. While there may be other ways to fix, say, a misbehaving app or hardware, a soft reset like this can fix many bugs. I can\u2019t tell you how often I got a proud call from my mom saying she had fixed her computer that way.<\/p>\n Set them up for remote control<\/p>\n Sometimes, especially if things get really complex, it\u2019s better to fix things yourself. While you\u2019re home, set up your parents for remote control so you can take over when necessary. That includes installing the apps and ensuring your parents understand how they work.<\/p>\n Remote control on Windows 11<\/p>\n Windows comes with a Quick Assist app that lets you take over somebody else\u2019s screen.<\/p>\n On your computer, hold down Windows key + Ctrl + Q. Over the phone, instruct your parents to do the same.On both ends, you\u2019ll see a pop-out window with Get help and Help someone on it. On your end, select Help someone.You\u2019ll get a security code. Have your parents type in the code where it says Get help. and select Submit.<\/p>\n The simplest way to help your parents remotely is to use Apple\u2019s Screen Sharing app.<\/p>\n On your parents\u2019 Mac, go to Settings > General > Screen Sharing. (If you have trouble enabling Screen Sharing, make sure Remote Management is disabled.) Under Allow access for select Only these users, and make sure your ID (and anyone else\u2019s you want them to be able to call on) is selected.On your end, make sure you have your parents\u2019 Apple ID (you can find it when you turn their Screen Sharing on, listed just under the Screen Sharing On heading).If your parents need help, open your Screen Sharing app, select the plus button, and add your parents\u2019 ID. Note that they must grant permission before you can access their screen.<\/p>\n If you need more sophisticated access, you can use Remote Management instead. You can find instructions here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Remote control via Chrome Remote Desktop<\/p>\n If you and your parents use the Chrome browser, you can use Google\u2019s Chrome Remote Desktop app to help troubleshoot their computer. You can either install the app on both computers or you can run it directly from the browsers.<\/p>\n Both Macs and Windows PCs can use the Google Chrome Remote Desktop. Image: Google<\/p>\n Go to https:\/\/remotedesktop.google.com\/support\/<\/a>. You\u2019ll see two boxes: Share this screen and Connect to another computer. Have your parents select the button in the top box that says Generate Code.They\u2019ll get a 12-digit code that they should read to you. Enter it in the Connect to another computer field. <\/p>\n Set them up for emergency contact<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t live near your parents \u2014 or even if you do \u2014 at some point, you may want to set them up so that you\u2019ll be automatically contacted in an emergency.<\/p>\n You can set up your parents\u2019 iPhones so that if they need to call 911 or other emergency services, you will automatically be notified.<\/p>\n Open the Health app and select Medical ID. (You can put in any necessary medical information here.)Look for Emergency Contacts and select Add (or Edit). Put in your contact info.You can also set up your parents\u2019 phones to call emergency services if they simultaneously press the side and volume buttons, or if they press the side button five times. However, keep in mind that if your parents are not comfortable with phones, it may be easier to have them simply call 911.<\/p>\n To add emergency contact information:<\/p>\n Go to Settings > Safety & emergency > Emergency contacts.Add your contact information.Use the Change settings link at the bottom of the page to open the Emergency info access page. Here, you can allow the emergency contacts to be visible without unlocking the device or share the info with first responders when an emergency call is made. From there, select the Emergency Location Service link to enable the phone to automatically send out its location when emergency services are contacted.Go back to the Safety & emergency page to use features such as Emergency SOS (which will contact emergency responders after pressing the Power button five times) and to register medical information.<\/p>\n If your parents wear an Apple Watch, a Pixel Watch, or another smartwatch, you may be able to set up emergency contacts there as well, depending on the device and its OS.<\/p>\n Many smart home devices will let you configure them so parents and others can quickly contact emergency services or emergency contacts. For example, I set up two Echo devices in my mother\u2019s apartment so that she could say \u201cCall Barbara!\u201d anywhere she was, and it would automatically call my phone.<\/p>\n You can set up an Echo so your parents can call you using the device. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy \/ The Verge<\/p>\n To arrange for that sort of setup you\u2019ll need the Alexa app on both yours and your parents\u2019 phones:<\/p>\n Open your parents\u2019 Alexa app and select the More icon (the three parallel lines on the bottom of the Home screen). Select Communicate > Call.Add yourself as a contact if you\u2019re not there already.Now your parents should be able to say \u201cAlexa, call [your name]\u201d to their Echo device and it will call your phone. (Note: It\u2019s a good idea to test it to make sure it\u2019s working \u2014 sometimes, setup doesn\u2019t go quite as smoothly as it should.)<\/p>\n Naturally, different smart home devices will have other setups, so it\u2019s a good idea to do a little research.<\/p>\n Be respectful and keep in mind that the latest isn\u2019t necessarily the greatest as far as your parents are concerned. Remember that they didn\u2019t grow up in the 19th century \u2014 there have been personal computers around since the 1970s, and the first Windows system came out in the mid-1980s. But they may not have kept up with the latest tech. Some may welcome advice on using new devices and software, but for others, sometimes it\u2019s better to leave well enough alone. For example, if they would rather not deal with AI, but what they are doing works for them, don\u2019t force it.Speaking of AI \u2014 if you\u2019re tired of dealing with their tech issues, don\u2019t just throw them a bot and assume that will solve all your problems. To begin with, the bot may get something wrong \u2014 and if your parent follows those directions, it could make things worse. Second, remember that part of the point of calling you and asking \u201cHow do you do this?\u201d may be an excuse just to stay in touch.Motion smoothing has been a bane of cinephiles for years now. If you\u2019re unfamiliar with this term, it\u2019s a way that TVs reduce motion blur \u2014 and while it may help with fast-moving sports, it can really do unfortunate things to your favorite movie. We ran an article back in 2018<\/a> on how to turn motion smoothing off, and while naturally the software has changed since then, you should still be able to find the settings. Just be aware that some TV operating systems may have made it impossible<\/a> to correct this feature. Teach, don\u2019t do. Grabbing the phone from your parents and just fixing something may seem easier, but it means you\u2019re going to get a call within a month when things go wonky again. If you show them how to do something \u2014 and better yet, give them written instructions or point them at a useful video \u2014 they may be able to do it themselves next time.Finally, try to be patient. It can be hard work getting older. And if you\u2019re lucky enough, you may be in the same situation someday.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Barbara KrasnoffClose Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All by Barbara Krasnoff<\/a><\/p>\n AndroidCloseAndroid<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Android<\/a><\/p>\n AppleCloseApple<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Apple<\/a><\/p>\n GoogleCloseGoogle<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Google<\/a><\/p>\n How toCloseHow to<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All How to<\/a><\/p>\n iOSCloseiOS<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All iOS<\/a><\/p>\n macOSClosemacOS<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All macOS<\/a><\/p>\n MicrosoftCloseMicrosoft<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Microsoft<\/a><\/p>\n TechCloseTech<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nBarbara Krasnoff<\/p>\n