8 Free Apps for Healthy Aging

If you have a smartphone, try downloading these apps and see what you think—whether you're looking for help with exercise, memory, balance, or hearing, you might find just what you need.

1. HearYouNow

This app acts as a personal sound amplifier. It allows you to adjust the sound by ear, replay the last 20 seconds of a missed conversation, and customize the sound quality based on the type of environment. Its designers recommend it as a sort of ‘trial hearing aid,’ for those who do not yet need or want a real hearing aid.

2. Pocket Yoga

Yoga improves strength, flexibility, body awareness, and mental clarity, but it can be expensive and intimidating to attend group classes. This app guides you through short yoga routines from home, and is a great way to get moving and take care of your body. 

3. MindMate

Designed by three former caregivers, this app provides resources for older adults battling dementia. It offers mental workouts and puzzles, physical workouts and stretches, old movies and music, nutritional advice, and even a diary for recording memories. 

4. Nymbl 

Having trouble with balance and feeling at risk of falling? This app walks you through 10-minute, personalized daily trainings to improve your balance from the comfort of your home.

5. Luminosity

This is a brain training app that claims to sharpen cognitive function for all ages, and is particularly useful for those noticing a decline in their memory. It offers 7 types of activities in areas such as memory, logical reasoning, and speed. While Luminosity and other brain training apps have struggled to provide evidence of their efficacy, many users feel they notice positive results.

6. Pill Reminder Pro

Forgetting medications? Just enter a time of day, dosage, and medication name(s) and this app will send you a notification: what you need to take, when you need to take it.

7. Words with Friends

Looking for a fun and easy way to keep in touch with family and friends? This popular game allows you to play a version of Scrabble on your phone with players located anywhere in the world. Even your iPhone-gaming-addicted grandkids will be excited about it.

8. Park & Forget

Forgetting where you parked happens to all ages, but many find themselves doing it more often after 50. Fortunately, there are a whole bunch of apps designed to get around this challenge. With Park & Forget, you just press a button when you leave your car and return to the app when you need to find it.