Set up a new iPad or tablet for a grandparent (bigger text, simpler screens)

Before you wrap it: bigger text, a simpler home screen, video calls ready to go, and the family's numbers saved.

⏱ About 30 minutes · 6 steps
What you'll need
  • The new iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab, charged
  • Their Wi-Fi name and password (or set it up at their house)
  • Their Apple Account or Google account, or time to create one with them
  • About 30 minutes

  1. Set it up with their account, not yours

    Turn the tablet on and follow the setup screens. Sign in with their Apple Account (iPad) or Google account (Galaxy Tab), so their photos, contacts and purchases stay theirs. Write their passcode and account password somewhere safe at their home, like a password book.

    💡 Tip: Choose a 6-digit passcode they'll remember, and set up Face ID or a fingerprint so they rarely need to type it.

  2. Make the text bigger

    iPad: Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size, and drag the slider. Even bigger: Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text. Turn on Bold Text there too. (Apple: font size)

    Samsung Galaxy Tab: Settings > Display > Font size and style.

  3. Turn on a simpler home screen

    Samsung: Settings > Display > Easy mode, then turn it on. Samsung says it enlarges on-screen items, adds a high-contrast keyboard and helps prevent accidental touches. (Samsung: Easy mode)

    iPad: for most people, bigger text and a tidy first home screen with just their favorite apps is enough. For someone who finds the iPad confusing, Apple's Assistive Access (Settings > Accessibility > Assistive Access) gives big buttons and just a few apps. (Apple: Assistive Access)

  4. Get video calls ready

    Add the family to Contacts with photos, then make a test call. iPad has FaceTime built in; for a mixed iPhone and Android family, a free app everyone already uses (like WhatsApp or Google Meet) is simplest. See free video calls.

  5. Add the safety basics

    Turn on automatic updates and Find My, and set up photo backup so grandkid photos are never lost.

    ⚠️ Careful: Tell them the golden rule: Apple, Google, Microsoft and the bank will never call out of the blue and ask for a code, a password or a gift card. Our holiday scams guide is a good one to read together.

  6. Leave a cheat sheet

    Write 4 or 5 lines on a card: how to charge it, how to open video calls, who to call for help. Or pick a few of our guides and print a tech-confidence gift card with a QR code that opens them.

🎉 All done!

More for them: block scam texts and calls and free tech help classes. Checked against the official help pages as of October 2026. Menu names can change with updates; if a label looks different, look for a similar one.

Related game: Safe or Risky?. Related explainer: What is phishing, and how do I spot it? .

Official help pages

Steps checked against these pages in October 2026. If a button looks different, look for a similar label.