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Android with less options for my mother ?

Started Jul 25, 2021 | Discussions
vaughanB
vaughanB Veteran Member • Posts: 3,569
Android with less options for my mother ?

My mother has been forced to give up on her Windows 950XL phone which she was 100% comfortable with, at one time she had Whatsapp, Facebook, Messenger, Text and numerous other popular apps and it worked great without ever her getting confused etc (Windows OS took up less than 1GB and did the job fine)

She now has a Pixel 4 running Android 11 and is constantly getting into a mess with notifications getting turned off, conflicts between bedtime mode and do not disturb and all sorts of other hassles

Is there a reduced version of Android giving less customization but also less scope to mess it up, I have installed Loader 10 to make it look familiar like Windowsand that is very good, I just need there to be less options to mess up

Thanks

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I think it unlikely that I will ever buy another brand new camera

Cariboo Contributing Member • Posts: 774
Re: Android with less options for my mother ?

I'm not aware of any other Android version unless you want to root your Pixl4.

But I did want to mention, in case you are not aware, that you can Disable any Google app that you want, barring Google System and the Play app, unless you don't want to get apps from the Play Store.

Then you can go into the Settings and then for every single active app and turn Off or On other options such as Notifications, memory use, data use, background data, etc..

You can also open each app and go into the Options, Preferences or Settings of each app and again customize those settings (different than app system settings).

If you mother is not using many apps, then it may not be too time consuming. But good or bad, at least Android gives you the option to customize a lot of things but it's now one app at a time.

That's what I do for my family or low tech users and it keeps things quite simple.

Also turn off Auto Updates in the Google user account Play Store App, because if you don't then some app updates will rewrite turned off settings such as for notifications.

Maybe someone else has more to offer than me, other than as you've tried, a different launcher.

vaughanB
OP vaughanB Veteran Member • Posts: 3,569
Re: Android with less options for my mother ?

Thanks, some good suggestions there thanks again

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I think it unlikely that I will ever buy another brand new camera

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