How to... in Oscar Family app

  • 1. Create an account
  • 2. Connect with my senior, friend, or other Oscar Senior user
  • 3. How to become a remote admin
  • 4. Personalize senior's interface remotely (apps, contacts)
  • 5. Setup news sources remotely
  • 6. Add a reminder remotely
  • 7. Create a subscription
  • 8. Add my senior to my subscription
  • 9. Add Oscar Senior contact to my favorites
  • 10. Make an auto-answer call
  • 11. Make a group call
  • 12. Using features available during a video call
  • 13. Zoom in/zoom out during the video call
  • 14. Create a group call or group chat
  • 15. What is the difference between contacts and Oscar Senior contacts
  • 16. Invite your contact to the Oscar Senior
  • 17. Change the home app - launcher (Android)
  • 18. How to change my password
  • 19. How to set my profile photo
  • 20. How can I update my credit card details

1# Create an account

Oscar Senior is an application that needs to be downloaded and set up on your (younger family member who wishes to stay in touch with the senior) device (smartphone or tablet) and your senior's device (a tablet). We suggest following this registration process when creating your and your senior's account for the first time. 

  1. Download the Oscar Senior app to your device. For Android devices, please follow this link. For iOS devices, please follow this link.
  2. Once you download the Oscar Senior app, you will see it on your phone/tablet among other apps. Please click on it to open it.
  3. When you open the Oscar Senior app for the first time, intro slides might appear. Swipe left or press “Next” to move from the first to the second one. In the second intro slide press “Create account”.
  4. Create an account using either social sign-up or sign-up via email. In this manual, we will show sign-up using email, therefore we click the “Sign up with email” button. (Note: In case you want to sign up with your Google or Apple ID account, by tapping on the specific button, you will be redirected to the sign-up procedure provided by either Google or Apple ID. Enter your details and click “Create account”.)
  5. Once your account is created and throughout the setup process the Oscar Senior app will ask for different kinds of permissions like: “Allow Oscar to access this device's location?” “Allow Oscar to record audio?” or “Allow Oscar to take pictures and record video?” or “Allow Oscar to access photos, media, and files on your device?” Please confirm all of them by selecting “Allow” in order to ensure that Oscar Senior will work properly.
  6. Once your account is created, an in-app guide will appear. This guide explains “tabs” and what you can do in each tab. You can either swipe left or press “Next” to go over the explanation.
  7. Once you press “Got it” on the very last slide of the in-app guide, you will see this screen with the possibility to add contacts. No further action is needed at your device at this point, we will now move to set up the senior's device.
  8. Take the senior's device (a tablet) and download the Oscar Senior app to the senior's device. Use the same links as provided above. Once you download the Oscar Senior app, you will see it on your tablet among other apps. Please click on it to open it.
  9. Repeat steps 3-6 on the senior's device.
  10. Once your account is created, an in-app guide will appear. This guide explains “tabs” and what you can do in each tab. You can either swipe left or press “Next” to go over the explanation. Once you press “Got it” on the very last slide of the in-app guide, you will see this screen with the possibility to add friends (contacts).
  11. Click I'll do it later on the senior's device and go back to your (younger family member's) device.

2# Connect with my senior, friend, or other Oscar Senior user

Once you have created two Oscar Senior accounts (one for you and one for a senior), you can add each other to Oscar Senior contacts. You could start on any of the devices or you can continue with younger family members' devices and press "add contacts".

  • Send the friend request
  • Accept the friend request

Send friend request

  1. Click on ‘Contacts’ in the bottom tab.
  2. Click on ‘Add New Contact’ at the top right.
  3. Enter the e-mail address (used as an Oscar Senior account) of the contact you’d like to add.
  4. Tap on the green "Plus" icon next to the friend's name displayed.
  5. Wait for your friend to confirm your request. After confirming the request, you will receive a notification and see your friend in the Oscar Senior Contacts.

Cancel the friend request

If you want to cancel your friend request, click on "X" next to the name you want to cancel.

Accept the friend request

Once you receive the friend request, you will be notified in the Notifications tab (and see a red dot as a new notification symbol). Continue by tapping "Accept" and you will be able to see this new friend among your Oscar Senior contacts.

Note: in case of the Oscar Senior account belongs to the care organization, it is then not searchable outside of the organization. The friend request has to be managed by the organization's admin


3# How to become a remote admin

Being a remote admin of your senior gives you the opportunity to help your senior set up his features, manage contacts, etc.

To become a remote admin, please:

  1. Tap on the Contacts tab
  2. Select an Oscar Senior contact you want to help remotely
  3. Open the contact
  4. Click on the three dots in the top right corner
  5. Tap on "Request remote help"

The request then MUST be confirmed by the selected user. There can be more than one remote admin for every user.


4# Personalize senior's interface remotely (apps, contacts)

Oscar Senior allows you to customize and personalize your senior's interface remotely. It means you can change the default set of apps to only those needed as well as you can contact the relevant contact to allow him to communicate with the senior.

This feature is available only for senior admin (see section: #3 How to become a remote admin).

  1. Open the senior's contact on your device.
  2. Tap on the "Manage" icon and you will enter the administration mode. There will be The name of the senior displayed on the top of the screen.
  3. There are three sections to be managed remotely:  . Dashboard: In the Dashboard tab, you can manage available apps and favorite contacts. To remove the app, simply tap on the "Cross" icon with the app. You can always add a deleted app again. To add a new app, please tap on the "Apps" tile to see the available apps list.  . Contacts: In the Contacts tab, you can add or remove the contacts of the senior. You can add contacts for the senior by clicking the “Add Contact” button. You can also add/remove contacts from favorites. . Settings: In the Settings tab, you can edit a senior's personal details, adjust volume or brightness or see information about usage. There might be a limitation for Apple devices.
  4. Once you are finished with the changes, please tap on the "Close" button in the top right corner.

5# Setup news source remotely

Remote set up of the news source for the senior. While being in the remote management Dashboard tab, click on the News app. 

Firstly, confirm the info dialogue by clicking “OK”. Then type the URL of the news source (e.g. www.nytimes.com) into the browser address bar and lastly confirm it by clicking “Set” in the bottom right corner. 

Once you finish changes, press “Close” in the top right corner.


6# Add a reminder remotely

Remote setup of reminders. While in the remote management Dashboard tab, click on the Reminders app and then “Add reminder” in the bottom right corner. Then enter the name of the reminder, date, and time and click “Add reminder” at the bottom. 

Once you finish changes, press “Close” in the top right corner. The alarm will go off (on the senior's device) at the selected date and time.


7# Create a subscription

Please check Oscar Senior subscription packages first.

For Apple users: your subscription will be managed by your Apple ID. In case of any issue with your subscription, please go to Settings > My Subscription and tap to Restore button on the top right corner.

To set up a subscription, please tap on the Settings tab and there is My Subscription. Open it and choose from available packages.

Note: in case of the Oscar Senior account belongs to the* care organization, it doesn't need to be a part of any family subscription.*


8# Add my senior to my subscription

Once you've created the subscription, the information about it appears in the My Subscription section available under the Settings tab. In order to add another family member to your subscription, please go to My Subscription and tap on "Manage members".

Then tap on the "plus" symbol and fill in the user details. Once you confirm, the user will be added to your subscription.

Note: You have to have at least a PLUS or FAMILY subscription in order to add additional members.


9# Add Oscar Senior contact to my favorites

To add a contact to favorites (in order to appear on the top of the Dashboard tab) go to the Contacts tab and press the "Star" symbol next to the contact.


10# Make an auto-answer call

Being an admin allows you to perform auto-answer calls. Auto-answer lets you, the admin, call the senior and answer the call automatically, without any action from the senior's end. 

To do so, click on the senior's contact (Oscar Senior contact) and the option for auto-answer call appears among other options you have (including remote manage). Tap on the green Auto-answer call icon.


11# Make a group call

To connect other contacts with your senior, please create a group chat (in the Messages app) inviting all you want to connect (see the section below "Create a group call or group chat") and establish a group call. You can leave the group video call anytime and keep the others discussing.


12# Using features available during a video call

To help you and your aging friend navigate during the video call, there are up to five features available for your convenience. The features appear once the video call is connected. Described top-bottom order as displayed.

  • **Screen sharing **- allows the video call participant to share his screen. Once the button is pressed and permission is accepted, the video picture is minimized and can be moved by dragging anywhere on the screen. To switch off screen sharing, just tap on the video call picture.
  • Mute/unmute - turning this will mute or unmute the microphone.
  • Turn off/turn on the camera - turning this will switch off/on the camera.
  • Switch the camera - this button switches the front and back cameras.
  • Add call participant - this button allows you to add another call participant selected from your Oscar Senior contacts.

13# Zoom in/zoom out during the video call

There is a simple zoom-in/zoom-out feature available during a video call. If you cannot see the whole picture of the other participant (e.g. you have a smartphone with portrait mode and the other side has a tablet with landscape mode), simply tap on the screen and it zooms out. The second tap on the screen does the reverse - zoom in.


14# Create a group call or group chat

To create a group call or group chat, please follow these steps:

  1. Open Messages
  2. Create new chat
  3. Enter chat name
  4. Add other participants (from Oscar Senior contacts)
  5. You are all set

Once the group is created you can either send messages and photos to all group members as well as make a group video call by tapping on the green phone icon at the top of the group chat. Please note that a maximum of ten (10) members can do a group video call.


15# What is the difference between contacts and Oscar Senior contacts

If you have your device connected to your Google or Apple account, you might see there your standard contacts. Oscar Senior can display these contacts (we do not store them, just displaying) to allow you to send them an invitation to the Oscar Senior or if you use Oscar Senior on your smartphone, to allow you to make standard calls.

Oscar Senior contacts are those already existing Oscar Senior users and in case you have any, they are displayed on top of the other contacts (as priorities). You can make video calls, send messages and use other Oscar Senior features with these contacts.


16# Invite your contact to the Oscar Senior

If you want to invite any of your contacts to the Oscar Senior, open the Contacts tab and tap on the "Invite" button next to the contact name. This opens you all available options to invite the person to the Oscar Senior.

Note: The available options depend on your device, e.g. email sharing, WhatsApp sharing, Bluetooth sharing, etc.


17# Change the home app - launcher (Android)

Oscar Senior is the default set as a launcher for your Android device. This feature helps seniors in the family version of the app to make sure that Oscar Senior becomes a default UI - home screen. In case you are not a senior but e.g. a family member who is going to be in touch with the senior and thus you do not need Oscar set as a default UI, please choose your default device launcher once you are asked.

In case you accidentally select Oscar Senior as a default launcher, please go to the Oscar Senior app > Settings > Change home app > and select your default device launcher.


18# How to change my password

You can change your password in the Settings tab.

If you have forgotten your password, please log out from the Oscar Senior. On the Oscar Senior app home screen click on "Forgot password" and the system will send you a link to reset your password using your account email.


19# How to set my profile photo

Your profile photo is important, especially for seniors' visual memory. It is much easier for them to see your picture on their screen instead of a blank avatar. To change your profile photo, please open Oscar Senior, click on the Settings tab > your name on the top of the screen > tap on the avatar/photo to change it.

You can use your camera or upload from your existing gallery.


20# How can I update my credit card details

The easiest way to update your credit card details is to cancel the valid subscription and create a new subscription with the new credit card. The original subscription stays valid until the last day the originally purchased and the new subscription will continue afterward. It means you do not lose any of subscribed days.

In case you are an Apple user, your subscription is managed by your Apple ID and credit card details associated with your Apple account. In order to manage your Apple subscription, please visit your Apple ID account.