FaceTime, Zoom, and similar apps are how many families see one another and how some clinics hold visits. The technology is ordinary once it has been practiced. The risky moment is an unexpected link that says a relative is waiting, especially when that message also asks for money.
RingMyTech helps older adults and families across the United States place these calls. Menu names vary by phone and by app version. If a button is missing, we can look at the actual screen with you. Medical visits have extra cautions on the telehealth safety page.
Set up one app and learn it
Pick the app the family will actually use. Install it from the phone's app store, not from a link in a text. Sign in with an email the older adult can find again. On many iPhones, FaceTime is already present and uses the Apple ID. Zoom and similar apps usually need an account or a link from the person who started the meeting.
Place a two-minute test call on a calm day. Check that the camera points at the person, that the microphone is not muted, and that the volume is high enough. Write "mute is the microphone button" on paper if that was the confusing part.
When you cannot hear or see
Confirm the device is not on silent. In the call, look for a microphone icon with a slash through it. Tap it once if the other person cannot hear you. If you cannot see them, ask them to check their camera button. If the picture freezes, Wi-Fi is the next place to look. The Wi-Fi page has the restart steps.
Headphones with a microphone solve many sound problems in a noisy room. Try them before you reinstall the app. Reinstalling in the middle of a family event usually makes the day harder.
Links that arrive by text
A Zoom link from a daughter who just said "I am sending the link" is expected. A link from an unknown number that says a relative is in trouble is not a video call. It belongs with suspicious text messages. Do not tap it. Call the relative on the number already saved.
Do not give a video caller remote control of the computer because they say the call will work better that way. Remote access is a separate decision, covered on before you share remote access.
Make the next call easier
Put the app on the first home screen. Save the people you call under clear names. If an adult child wants to help from another state, practice once, then leave the older adult able to start the call alone. Ongoing family coordination, when the member wants it, is Care Circle.
Need help with this?
If the screen in front of you does not match these steps, stop and call. Menu names change by phone model and software version.