October 13, 2022

Your iPad, Your Way: 6 Tips to Customize Your Device

About Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living offers multiple care levels for seniors in more than 600 communities nationwide. Brookdale helps you find the right care plan for yourself or your loved one. With amenities such as transportation services, salons and private dining rooms and activities such as gardening, fitness classes and trivia nights Brookdale caters to a wide range of interests and needs.

iPads can be a great way to connect with the world — but there are probably more ways to use it than you think! No matter your skill level or amount of Apple expertise, here are six ways to help improve your iPad experience in just a few clicks.

Personalize Your Settings

Do you find yourself continuously zooming in on your iPad screen? Do you wish you could change your background to show off your pets or grandkids (or both)? Luckily, these grievances can all be fixed in one place: Settings.

To change your background, find the gray settings button that looks like a round gear. Locate the “Wallpaper” category and tap “Change Wallpaper” or “Choose a Wallpaper” (depending on your device). You can choose from your photos or from images that come with your iPad. Adjust the photo to your liking, click “Set” and enjoy your new background.

To change the font size so the words on the screen appear bigger, go to Settings, then find and click “Accessibility” then “Display & Text Size” or “Larger Text” (depending on your device). From there, you can adjust the size of the text to your liking by dragging the slider.

There are more things to discover in “Settings,” such as adding your credit cards to your account or checking your battery life. Explore the different options and if you have any questions, Apple Support can be a great resource.

Join the Cloud

iCloud is a great way to help you to maximize your electronic storage space and keep track of your photos, apps, messages, contacts and more. When you use iCloud, you should always have access to your saved information and memories, even if you lose or damage your current iPad or buy a new Apple device.

To join iCloud, you’ll need an Apple ID login. Go to Settings, click on your name or click “Sign In to Your Device.” If you don’t remember your Apple ID or don’t have one, you can click “Forgot Password” or “Set Up Apple ID.”

Once logged in, you can choose which apps you want backed up or saved to the iCloud, such as photos, notes, messages, mail and contacts. You can then back up your iPad’s contents to iCloud periodically, or arrange for backups to occur automatically. Automatic backups help ensure your favorite things are saved and won’t be lost if you damage or replace your iPad.

Configure an Apple Pencil

Typing, drawing or tapping the screen with your finger can sometimes be a pain, especially when you click the wrong button or draw crooked lines. Instead of using your fingers to do everything, you can utilize the precision and ease of an Apple Pencil.

To set up your Apple Pencil, place the Pencil on the right side of the iPad, and you’ll feel a magnetic pull. Leave your Pencil attached to your iPad, and it will prompt you to “Pair” your Pencil. Your Pencil will automatically charge by leaving it on the magnetic side of your iPad. Once paired and charged, you can draw, color, or pull up documents to sign or edit them like you would on real sheets of paper.

To make your Pencil’s lines look more like your own handwriting, you can adjust the line widths for thinner or thicker strokes, line colors and more. Not only can it be used on almost any document, but it can also add to your creative endeavors.

Have Fun with Apps

“Apps” is short for “applications,” which are programs that are either already installed on your iPad or available for download in the App Store. From messaging friends around the world to designing your next masterpiece, there’s an app for you.

Recipes

Say goodbye to rummaging through a mess of cookbooks by downloading one of the many recipe apps the App Store has to offer. Some of the apps, like Tasty even offer a step-by-step recipe mode, so you can easily follow along as you cook.

Art

If you like coloring, the Lake app is a coloring book created by artists that allows you to use your Pencil as a crayon, creating endless shades to find the perfect match. If you’d like to test your artistic capabilities, the iPastels app mimics the look of painting with pastels and charcoal.

Messaging Loved Ones

If you have family or friends oceans away, easily communicate with them through WhatsApp, without international texting or calling fees. You and your friends will need to download the app and link your phone numbers to begin texting or calling. With WhatsApp, you can share photos and videos, create group messages with other friends and join video calls.

Customize Your Memoji

A Memoji is a fun icon that you can make look just like you! Capture your personality by creating a Memoji to share with friends.

To make your Memoji, go to your messages and start a new message. Tap the Memoji button above the keyboard, which shows an animated face with a square around it. Then, swipe your finger to the right and click “New Memoji.”

From there, you can choose the hairstyle, accessories, skin tone and more that best represent you. Now, when messaging others, you can tap the Memoji sticker button, which is a face with heart eyes, and choose the different poses and reactions that reflect your mood or the message you want to send.

Get your friends in on the fun and see how they get creative with their Memoji.

Choose a Lasting Case

The last thing you want after personalizing your iPad is for it to get damaged. Luckily, there are iPad cases and screen protectors to help keep it safe.

A tempered glass screen protector acts as a second screen for your iPad, and helps with protecting the original glass screen from getting cracked. Be sure to choose the right size screen protector for your iPad style and year.

To protect your iPad even further, websites like Casetify offer creative and personalized options to cover your device, ranging from various types, such as a folio or rubber casing, to how much impact the case can withstand. Styles are also available on Amazon that can protect your device and may also improve its setup, allowing you to prop it onto a flat surface for easy accessibility instead of always holding the iPad in your hands or lap.

Make the Most of Your iPad

The iPad experience doesn’t end with apps and screen protectors. Check out these six virtual clubs that are perfect for seniors and can help you stay connected through the power of your device.